There’s a new plague spreading on the Internet. All the old bad guys are still there. But the new threat could drive you crazy AND take your money.

What is this new monster? The false-positive.

These are criminal programs that masquerade as security software. They are springing up everywhere. They sell on fear and depend on ignorance. The people behind this stuff will steal your money in a second. And they may hammer your computer, just for fun.

Avoiding these programs is key. But that’s easier said than done.

Rogue security programs don’t end up on a computer by accident. People are often tricked into downloading and installing them. The criminals behind these programs are very crafty.

Often, these program pop up out of nowhere. They warn of horrible threats. They offer a free scan of your computer. No scan actually takes place. But the program reports dozens of dangerous infections anyway. This is the false-positive. You’re told to purchase and download the program to clean it up.

Sometimes the pop-ups are formatted to look like Windows notifications. They may say your computer is near death. Or perhaps they’ll say your computer is wide open to threats. Download their program now, or else.