Russian scareware named and shamed by hacker
A Russian software company is behind a security scam to diddle millions out of foreigners.
According to files posted online by a hacker, Bakasoftware makes millions per year through an elaborate scheme that relies on email spam and indirectly controlling thousands of unprotected PCs.
The software company claims to make an antivirus program strictly for English-speaking computer users. The program, Antivirus XP 2009, lodges itself on a victim’s computer and then begins generating a series of pop-up messages warning that the user’s computer is infected. If the user responds to the warnings, he or she is urged to buy a $49.95 program for disinfecting the machine.
Financial details of the operation came to light recently after information posted by a computer hacker identifying himself as Neon. Neon broke into one of the computers used by Bakasoftware for accounting.