Beware: Rogue Anti-Virus/Anti-Spyware Programs Offer 'Real' Live Chat Support
Have you ever spoken to the support department of a fake antivirus/antispyware program? Probably not because there was never such a thing until recently.
Could it be that the fake program is not working out all that great and you felt the need to contact the support department but were unsuccessful in doing so? That may have been the case in the past but recently the creators of some rogue anti-spyware and rogue anti-virus applications offer "real" live tech support with their so-called security products.
Some rogue applications are now offering support through a live human being. Usually this type of support is communicated through a live chat window. Live PC Care was one application that offered this type of online support which swindles computer users into purchasing the full Live PC Care program. We also became aware of another rogue anti-spyware program, Security Master AV, that offers this same type of "online support" via a live chat text window. Security Master AV is a dangerous and fake security program that is known to spread through Trojans and malicious websites. Upon installation and running Security Master AV, you may notice within the interface an "Online Support" button in the upper right-hand corner shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Rogue anti-spyware program Security Master AV "online support" button.
By clicking on the "Online Support" button a user is prompted with a "Live Chat" window where they are able to chat with a real person, not a computer bot. There is also an option for users who have a difficult time with English, which was brought to our attention on a blog post by Kaspersky (home computer security vendor) Lab Expert, Nicolas Brulez. In this post, he concluded that users who speak a different language are given an option to email someone in their native language in order to get a response to a support question.
Not only are the makers of rogue security applications offering a mockup live support feature, but it seems they are outsourcing individuals to fill the "Live Chat" representative slots. This goes to show that rogue makers are still making a large enough profit to pay individuals to do this, which in return gains the trust of gullible computer users who may download, install and purchase the rogue antivirus programs.
Have you've had a "live chat" with a representative from a rogue anti-spyware/anti-virus program? I'm sure that if you ask them for a refund, you probably will not get a reply :).