Fraud theft has many faces – none of which are pretty – but perhaps the most insidious is that of Rouge Anti-Virus Software scams.

One of the newest virus threats online comes to your computer as a true “wolf wrapped in sheep’s clothing.” System Tool 2011, and other such malware, is being e-mailed to computers all over the world, causing damage and bilking its victims out of hundreds of dollars.

The Scam

Unless you work, live, and breathe for computers, you probably aren’t familiar with online theft information regarding the term “rogue” anti-virus software until you become a victim. This is not optimal way to learn about the deleterious effects it can have on your computer and bank accounts.

Rogue anti-virus software is spread over the Internet the same way other viruses are: in e-mail attachments, as a part of a shareware software bundle all with the help of a Trojan. (Trojans are software packets that sneak inside your hard drive hiding within another download, much the same way the actual warriors hid inside the horse.) One of the most successful, and most damaging, of these rogue anit-virus programs is System Tool (also known as systemtool and System Tool 2011).

Rogue anti-viruses have no affinity for malware, Trojan, or other harmful programs’ removal because they are in and of themselves malware. Their real and only purpose is theft fraud by capturing your credit card information under false pretenses. This qualifies rogue virus software as identity fraud theft scams at their finest.

How it Works

Once inside your computer, System Tool, or any other rouge anti-virus program, springs into action without your knowledge or consent. It self-installs and plants its malignant files deep within your registry. It sets itself to begin on your computer’s start up.

The next time you turn on your computer you will be greeted with a legitimate-looking scan results screen listing the many programs System Tool has detected within your computer. The list is fake – a scare tactic to motivate you to click the removal button option.

Once you click the remove button, a message will prompt to you to activate your account or subscription. To do this you need to pay for a one, two, or lifetime subscription option. To keep you motivated, new messages are popping up all the while proclaiming new infestations, infected files, and other damages needing repair.

Don’t fall for it. The messages are fake. The infections are fake. The computer scan results are also fake. They are all part of System Tool’s design to entice you to impart of your credit card information willingly. This program is a virus itself, so it will not do anything but mess up your computer and then take your money and run.

Recovery

First off, if you have paid for System Tool (now that you are wiser), call your credit card company and dispute the charges.

The next step is getting it off of your computer. This can be tricky because part of the programming is aimed at keeping itself alive inside your hard drive by blocking attempts to remove it. Legitimate virus removal software does not always recognize and remove it because the malware looks like real anti-virus software.

To be certain you are rid of System Tool, you will most likely need the help of an experienced computer wiz, a visit from the Geek Squad, or someone similarly qualified.

The process of starting the computer in safe mode and sifting through real system files from fake ones will be simple for them but difficult and dangerous for a novice.