The United States Federal Trade Commission announced that it will begin issuing refunds to 300,000 consumers that were victims of several rogue security software scams such as “Winfixer“, “Drive Cleaner” and “XP Antivirus“. The following is a list of Microsoft antimalware product detection names that are linked to the Winfixer family:
Program:Win32/AdvancedCleaner
Program:Win32/Antivirus2008
Program:Win32/Antivirus2009
Program:Win32/SpywareIsolator
Program:Win32/WinFixer
Program:Win32/WinSpywareProtect
Trojan:Win32/Antivirusxp
Rogue authors commonly brand their programs to appear as legitimate security scanners. The following is a list of some names that are associated with the above mentioned rogue security software detections:
AdvancedCleaner
AntiMalwareGuard
AntiSpywareExpert
AntiSpywareMaster
Antispywaresuite
Antivirus 2008
Antivirus XP 2008
AV XP 2005
Avsystemcare
Bestsellerantivirus
Data Doctor
DriveCleaner
Driveproteccion (sic)
ErrClean
ErrorSafe
Exterminadordevirus
FixThemNow
Gubbishremover
LongLifePC
MalwareAlarm
NetTurboPro
Pcprivacytool
Pcsecuresystem
PerformanceOptimizer
Power Antivirus 2008
Power Antivirus 2009
SpyGuarder
SpyKiller Pro
Spyware Sweeper
SpywareIsolator
SwiftCleaner
SystemDoctor
SystemErrorFixer
SystemSweeper
TotalAntivirus
Trasheraser
Trustedprotecion
UltimateCleaner
VirusRemover 2008
WinAntiSpyware
WinAntiVirusPro
WinBugFixer
WinDefender2008
WinFixer
Winsecureav
WinSpyware Protect
WinxDefender
XLifeGuarder
XP AntiSpyware 2009
XP AntiVirus
The following text is from the FTC announcement (http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2011/12/rebates.shtm):
Approximately 320,000 checks will be mailed by the FTC’s settlement administrator, Epiq Systems. Consumers who believe they are entitled to a refund or have questions may call the settlement administrator toll free at 1-877-853-3541 or visit www.FTC.gov/refunds for more information.
— MMPC
