Symantec Sued for Scareware Tactics

[~BD~]

Symantec Sued for Scareware Tactics By Sara Yin Jan 12, 2012

Symantec has (is being??? - BD) been sued for running fake "scareware"
scans that induce people to pay for subscriptions to PC Tools Registry
Mechanic, PC Tools Performance, Toolkit, and Norton Utilities.

James Gross, a resident of Washington state, claims Symantec offers a
free, non-diagnostic scan that fraudulently detects critical issues on
people's computers. The scan offers to fix many of these issues for
free, but prompts the consumer to pay for system tuneups to clean out
the rest of the errors.

"The Scareware [a broad name for the Symantec products in question] does
not conduct any actual diagnostic testing on the computer," reads the
complaint, first reported in Forbes. "Instead, Symantec intentionally
designed its Scareware to invariably report, in an extremely ominous
manner, that harmful errors, privacy risks, and other computer problems
exist on the user's PC, regardless of the real condition of the
consumer's computer."

Gross first became suspicious back in April 2011, when he went online to
look for software that would enhance his computer's performance and
speed. He clicked into www.PCTools.com, a subsidiary company acquired by
Symantec in 2008, and clicked on a link offering a free computer scan
and assessment. The scan showed that Gross' computers had numerous of
"high priority" errors and "low" System health—it recommended Gross to
purchase a Symantec product to clean out the errors. He bought PC Tools
Registry Mechanic for $29.99.

But Gross was disappointed to find that the software didn't actually
speed up the performance and stability of his computer (as advertised by
Symantec), and he claims it didn’t protect his computer or clean the
detected infections as promised.

Gross hired "computer forensics experts" to verify his suspicions.
Unfortunately, the complaint doesn't offer details into how the experts
came to their conclusions.

Gross filed a class action lawsuit in a U.S. District court in San
Francisco and seeks redress for and an end to Symantec's alleged
scareware tactics.

http://securitywatch.pcmag.com/none/...reware-tactics

[Bullwinkle.]

Tell the folks here about how the female kicked your ass bloddy.


"~BD~" <~BD~@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in message
news:4LudnaWcZKk__43SnZ2dnUVZ8iadnZ2d@bt.com...

<snip bull**** from one who like to bully and threaten of women>

----- Original Message -----
From: "~BD~" <~BD~@nomail.afraid.org>
Newsgroups: alt.politics.scorched-earth
Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2012 6:28 PM
Subject: Re: An old friend passes on



I've been more than fair to you, SeaNymph. If you really don't wish to
start afresh in 2012 then be prepared for pain - *real* pain! Your call.

[Peter Foldes]

"~BD~" <~BD~@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in message
news:4LudnaWcZKk__43SnZ2dnUVZ8iadnZ2d@bt.com...
> Symantec Sued for Scareware Tactics By Sara Yin Jan 12, 2012



Hey BD, I have a bridge for sale. Do you want to buy it ???

JS

[Bullwinkle.]

He may be wanting a very tall ladder later in the year.


"Peter Foldes" <okf22@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:jeprl4$ct8$1@speranza.aioe.org...
"~BD~" <~BD~@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in message
news:4LudnaWcZKk__43SnZ2dnUVZ8iadnZ2d@bt.com...
> Symantec Sued for Scareware Tactics By Sara Yin Jan 12, 2012



Hey BD, I have a bridge for sale. Do you want to buy it ???

JS

[FromTheRafters]

~BD~ wrote:
> Symantec Sued for Scareware Tactics By Sara Yin Jan 12, 2012
>
> Symantec has (is being??? - BD) been sued for running fake "scareware"
> scans that induce people to pay for subscriptions to PC Tools Registry
> Mechanic, PC Tools Performance, Toolkit, and Norton Utilities.
>
> James Gross, a resident of Washington state, claims Symantec offers a
> free, non-diagnostic scan that fraudulently detects critical issues on
> people's computers. The scan offers to fix many of these issues for
> free, but prompts the consumer to pay for system tuneups to clean out
> the rest of the errors.
>
> "The Scareware [a broad name for the Symantec products in question] does
> not conduct any actual diagnostic testing on the computer," reads the
> complaint, first reported in Forbes. "Instead, Symantec intentionally
> designed its Scareware to invariably report, in an extremely ominous
> manner, that harmful errors, privacy risks, and other computer problems
> exist on the user's PC, regardless of the real condition of the
> consumer's computer."
>
> Gross first became suspicious back in April 2011, when he went online to
> look for software that would enhance his computer's performance and
> speed. He clicked into www.PCTools.com, a subsidiary company acquired by
> Symantec in 2008, and clicked on a link offering a free computer scan
> and assessment. The scan showed that Gross' computers had numerous of
> "high priority" errors and "low" System health—it recommended Gross to
> purchase a Symantec product to clean out the errors. He bought PC Tools
> Registry Mechanic for $29.99.
>
> But Gross was disappointed to find that the software didn't actually
> speed up the performance and stability of his computer (as advertised by
> Symantec), and he claims it didn’t protect his computer or clean the
> detected infections as promised.
>
> Gross hired "computer forensics experts" to verify his suspicions.
> Unfortunately, the complaint doesn't offer details into how the experts
> came to their conclusions.
>
> Gross filed a class action lawsuit in a U.S. District court in San
> Francisco and seeks redress for and an end to Symantec's alleged
> scareware tactics.
>
> http://securitywatch.pcmag.com/none/...reware-tactics
>
PCTools has always seemed to me to be a little too sneaky.

[Tired]

~BD~ wrote:
:: Symantec Sued for Scareware Tactics By Sara Yin Jan 12, 2012
::
:: Symantec has (is being??? - BD) been sued for running fake
:: "scareware" scans that induce people to pay for subscriptions to PC
:: Tools Registry Mechanic, PC Tools Performance, Toolkit, and Norton
:: Utilities.
::
:: James Gross, a resident of Washington state, claims Symantec offers a
:: free, non-diagnostic scan that fraudulently detects critical issues
:: on people's computers. The scan offers to fix many of these issues
:: for free, but prompts the consumer to pay for system tuneups to
:: clean out the rest of the errors.
::

Good. It was clear that Symantec picked up some tips from the russian
gangsters and their fake software. It is almost certain that a scan with
their 'free' software brings up security risks, i have seen them pick up
tracking cookies as a risk.