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Hoax:W32/Hoax

First posted on 06 November 2009.
Source: SecurityHome

Aliases :

There are no other names known for Hoax:W32/Hoax.

Explanation :

An application sold through fraudulent or deceptive methods. May not work as intended, or may cause damage to the user's system.

Additional DetailsThis is the Hoax General Information page.

A hoax is not in general overtly malicious. The sole purpose of the application is typically to push the sale of fraudulent software. For example, a program that claims to remove malicious software but instead only imitates scanning of the hard disk drive is typed as a hoax.

Hoax applications are often used to display fake infection or security warnings. Such programs are sometimes used by adware vendors to persuade people into visiting specific websites and to download the advertised software on those sites.

Rogue antispyware applications are often pushed by hoaxes. For more information see Rogue:W32/Rogue antispyware.

Note

Information on e-mail hoaxes can be found from our hoax category pages. Hoax programs do not perform as claimed.

Application files or toolbars that are used to propagate fraud are detected with the prefix Not-Virus:Hoax.

Detections beginning with the prefix not-virus:Hoax.HTML are of websites containing fraudulent information. The site is fraudulent rather than malicious. The antivirus engine is detecting the site's HTML rather than a drive-by-download.

Last update 06 November 2009

 

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