FTC Says Anti-Spyware Vendor Shut Down

YIPEE! But, one down...thousands more to go. Course the cynic in me says these guys will reopen under a diff name.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...ech_spyware_dc

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A software vendor that tried to drum up sales by offering to clean up nonexistent computer "spyware" has been temporarily shut down, U.S. regulators said on Friday.

The makers of Spyware Assassin tried to scare consumers into buying software through pop-up ads and e-mail that warned their computers had been infected with malicious monitoring software, the Federal Trade Commission said.

Free spyware scans offered by Spokane, Washington-based MaxTheater Inc. turned up evidence of spyware even on machines that were entirely clean, and its $29.95 Spyware Assassin program did not actually remove spyware, the FTC said.

A U.S. court has ordered the company and its owner, Thomas Delanoy, to suspend its activities until a court hearing on Tuesday. The company could be required to give back all the money it made from selling Spyware Assassin.

MaxTheater could not be reached for comment.

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I wonder if I should get the FTC to look at these guys for the same reason as Spyware Assassin. (I seriously question their ability to truly detect spyware or to even be useful beyond being a magnet for spyware).

geez I wish companies could be shot for useing Name association trick on consumers as well.. Spyware Assasin = Spam Assasin
HiJack-This = HiJackThis
Shrap = Sharp

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geez I wish companies could be shot

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Maybe it's the beer... But I've only had a couple.... Bomb the bastards.... :D

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Originally posted here by Tiger Shark
Maybe it's the beer... But I've only had a couple.... Bomb the bastards.... :D

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Couple? You're in ET zone...damn I'm still at work...lucky bastard. Do have some waiting for me at home....home...home....

I agree about violence toward these scum! Domain and product name squatting (re.; similar names) just pisses me off. That's why I tell my family that if they dont know the website name for sure, Google it and carefully review what comes back and use the valid looking one.

I still at work too. East Coast bastards.. as Eric Idle would say.... "you lucky lucky bastard"