Learn what lies hidden within some free spyware removal tools and other free software such as media players, free utilities, and much freeware.
Free spyware removal programs
Free spyware detection and removal tools are becoming increasingly popular. There are many vendors offering either free scans, a free trial version of paid antispyware software, or free spyware detection and removal software without any restraints.
Some of these free spyware programs are good, but others may be wolves hidden within lambs clothing.
Are there any downfalls secretly hidden within free spyware removal and detection tools?
Yes.
Downloading free spyware detection or removal tools
Extreme caution should be taken to insure that any antispyware tool labeled as a free spyware detection or removal package, is in fact, legitimate and comes only from a reliable source.
Hackers have been disguising new and very dangerous forms of spyware, trojans, thiefware, scamware, and many other forms of devious malware within software they claim to be a free spyware detection and removal tool.
Downloading a free spyware detection tool that in itself is infected can prove to be disastrous.
To insure that a free spyware removal program is, in fact, legitimate, the best advice for not getting scammed is asking people who have used the program in the past for their opinions about the product.
Has the free spyware eradication program been tried and tested by anyone you know? How do they feel about it? Has it brought them only positive results?
If the free spyware removal tool isn’t widely known or you don’t get a positive reference about it, you might want to stay away from it.
Another good place to find out if a free spyware removal program is in fact legitimate is looking it up at spywarewarrior.com. Spywarewarrior.com has reviews written about almost every single free spyware program and classifies them as either legitimate or Rogue (Suspect).
==> http://www.spywarewarrior.com
You can usually find out if a free spyware removal program is worthy of use at this site. This site keeps a list of fraudulent antispyware vendor that have paid versions as well.
Most malware capable of infecting your computer is usually hidden within something labeled free.
Spyware usually comes bundled together with programs such as free media players, P2P software such as Grokster, Kazaa, etc., free games, free Internet speed accelerators, etc.
Now even free spyware removal tools are being used to actually infect rather than clean!
How fraudulent free spyware removal tools work
Ironically, a spyware infested antispyware tool can effectively remove many forms of adware, trojans and other undesirable forms of software that exists on a computer.
The problem is that once the free spyware removal tool eliminates the pests, it actually secretly installs its own forms of malware, which are possibly more dangerous than the pests they’ve eliminated.
Can free spyware removal tools still be used?
The purpose of this article was not to dissuade you from using free spyware detection and removal tools. On the contrary, free protection is usually better than no protection.
We just want to warn you of the dangers and ever-present scams involved in this computer security related industry.
That's also one of the reasons why we're creating a Anti Spyware Resource Center here at Internet ScamBusters.
Legitimate free spyware detection and removal tools are out there -- you just have to make sure you are dealing with an authentic product before installing it.