Antivirus software protects your devices from malicious software that might try and intercept your passwords, payment details or any other personal information that could be valuable to criminals.
It’s no wonder, then, that the criminals want to trick you into installing fake antivirus, or to use trusted security brands in fake emails to fool you into handing over the information they’re after.
Here, we’ll explain what you need to look out for to avoid trouble.
Fake antiviruses
Since criminals know that a lot of people search for free antivirus, they go to great lengths to create fake apps that run fake scans for viruses and then tell you your device is infected by fake viruses.
Because the app is free, the warnings often demand payment to remove the (non-existent) virus and clean up your device. And that is one way that they can get your money directly or, worse, get your payment information and access to all your money.
If the app doesn’t scare you with notifications that your phone or computer is infected, it might just run quietly in the background and spy on you using the webcam and microphone and maybe even recording everything you type.
Not all fake apps are free. The other way you can be scammed is by paying a subscription for a service that isn’t provided.
Why would you install a fake app in the first place? It could be that it’s managed to get into an official app store and you assume that it’s legitimate. It’s worth being sceptical of user reviews, whether in an app store or on a website: it’s easy to post fake five-star reviews. Even if you don’t read the comments, you may see a high rating from thousands of people and again assume it’s safe to download it. Similarly, if you’re cautious and go further and check TrustPilot reviews for a company, don’t assume they are all genuine.
Another way you could end up with fake antivirus software is that you’ve been tricked into downloading it from a social media post, or a website owned by scammers or a legitimate one they’ve compromised. You might see a pop-up on the site saying your computer has a virus and to click a link to download software that will fix it. It might appear to be from Norton, McAfee, Avast, AVG or another well-known antivirus provider.
You think you’re getting genuine antivirus but in fact, you’re downloading malicious software.
Antivirus email scams
One of the easiest ways scammers can get your information is by sending emails that seem to be from your antivirus provider and asking you to click on a link or call customer service to renew your subscription or fix some other problem with your protection.
Norton and McAfee are two brands that are often used as they’re so well known, and the Norton antivirus scam email has been so prolific that the company has posted on its blog to warn customers about it.
If the email isn’t simply a warning that your antivirus is about to expire, then it might say that your “antivirus settings have expired” or that your computer is infected with a virus.
Usually, they will convey a sense of urgency that you need to act quickly in order to fix whatever it says the problem is.
And because legitimate security companies do send emails when your subscription is nearing the end, it’s a clever way to get you to log into a website or to call customer services and give them your payment details to renew.
Except of course, the website is not Norton’s (or McAfee’s or anyone else’s) and the person on the phone is the scammer, just waiting for you to give them the details they need to steal your money, your identity or both.
You might also receive phone calls and text messages telling you the same thing: it isn’t just emails.
How to spot antivirus scams
It’s almost ironic that you could end up installing fake antivirus because it’s the very software supposed to protect you from dodgy apps.
You may not easily spot a fake antivirus app, especially if you’ve chosen one from a company you haven’t heard of before. Don’t assume just because you’ve found the app in a reputable app store (such as Google Play) that it is legitimate and doesn’t contain any malware.
We’ve seen so many dangerous apps slip through the net and only later be removed from the Play Store. That’s not a lot of help if the app is already on your device: it could be doing its dirty work spying on you, potentially recording everything you say or type and sending it back to the scammers.
In some instances, we’ve seen ‘clean’ apps arrive in an app store. When you first run them, they might ask to “update” from within the app itself. But what they actually do is to download the malicious code that would have been picked up as part of the app store checking process, and infect your device that way.
So, this means you should be extremely careful about which antivirus apps you install and where you get them from.
Here are some of the signs that you might have fake antivirus installed:
- You see pop-up messages on your screen saying your computer has a virus
- You’re asked to pay money to remove a virus
- Pop-up messages include download links
- Your computer (or phone) is running slowly and is unresponsive
Our advice is to choose from our roundup of the best antivirus software, and ensure that the website you’re downloading it from is the real deal and not a fake.
Here are some of the genuine website names:
You can also take a look at Wikipedia’s list of known rogue security software.
Spotting a fake antivirus email is a bit easier. Emails are where a huge proportion of attacks begin, but scammers typically make obvious mistakes in spelling or grammar, or they may not use your name at all, which is another giveaway.
You should be wary of scams with any email, especially if it urges you to act quickly and click a link. It’s best not to click on such links, but to go directly to the antivirus provider’s website and log in to your account and check there for any messages.
These days, most antivirus subscriptions auto-renew which means you don’t need to do anything if you’re happy to continue paying. It’s rare for a security company not to enable auto-renew when you sign up: that’s certainly what Norton and McAfee do, because some features (such as their virus removal promise) apply only if you have auto-renewal enabled.
Also, no reputable antivirus company will email you to say that your computer is infected with a virus. The software itself should notify you directly on whatever device is infected.
The only type of email like this you could feasibly receive is if your personal information has been discovered online, such as an email address or password.
To stay safe, we recommend following these 10 tips to avoid all types of scams, including fake antivirus. And if you don’t have the money to spend on software at the moment, here’s the best free antivirus that will help to protect you.
Author: Jim Martin, Executive Editor
Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.