FTC kills scareware operation that duped over a million users

http://tech.slashdot.org/tech/08/12/10/2319233.shtml

http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/36235

“The Federal Trade Commission today got a court to at least temporarily halt a massive ’scareware’ scheme, which falsely claimed that scans had detected viruses, spyware, and pornography on consumers’ computers. According to the FTC, the scheme has tricked more than one million consumers into buying computer security products such as WinFixer, WinAntivirus, DriveCleaner, ErrorSafe, and XP Antivirus. The court also froze the assets of Innovative Marketing, Inc. and ByteHosting Internet Services, LLC to preserve the possibility of providing consumers with monetary redress, the FTC stated.”
I have been waiting for this to happen.  I have fought this garbage software many times overthe lest few years, and I keep seeing it.   Several variations of the same crap.  Regardless of the details, same basic principles.  Convince some poor user that their computer will roll over and explode in a few minutes unless they pay for the software that is causign the problem.  Regretfully, as the software vendor is outside of US jurisdiction, I doubt this will be any more than an minor annoyance for the crooks.