The Windows Defence virus is the latest fake antispyware release from the badware-makers behind My Security Shield, Security Guard, and a few dozen similarly tenacious pests. Like all its buddies, Windows Defence sneaks into your computer as a trojan and hounds you for money with its never-ending fake system scans.

If you scare easily, you might want to look away when those fake Windows Defence system scans start appearing on your computer. They tell you that your computer is infected with a bunch of made-up viruses, all in an effort to get you to pay for nothing. Try to block it out, because it’s all fake.

Unless you feel like spending your weekend fending off those Windows Defense pop-ups, better get this scam off your hard drive now. Let me show you how to uninstall Windows Defence for free.

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The PriceGong adware sells itself as a legitimate way to find good deals online, and maybe a few people have found it useful, but we’ve mostly heard a lot of complaints from people who say this program drags on their system resources, spies on them, creates unwanted ads, starts unauthorized downloads, and refuses to leave. So, even though Pricegong is available from a couple of respected freeware sites, it does qualify as badware—unless you consider these shady spyware tactics to be okay.

If you’re among the growing ranks of web users who can’t figure out how to get rid of PriceGong—which misleadingly bills itself as being “100% safe”—let us help you out. Here’s how to uninstall PriceGong for free.

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The Win7 AV virus continues the trend in fake antispyware programs of looking more Windows 7-y, and the polish is apparently tricking people, as this program has spread like wildfire through all corners of the web. It gets into people’s computer as a trojan, and it digs in deep, sending a series of Win7 AV pop-ups showing phony scans and begging people to pay money for a Win7 AV activation code.

Plus, the program uses nonsensical messages like, “Critical: Some threads cannot be deleted (Important)” to trick people into thinking that they have complicated problems in their computer, making them more likely to lay down money for nothing.

Ready to teach these badware crooks that crime (usually) doesn’t pay? Here’s how to uninstall Win7 AV for free.

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Remember when Apple computers were regarded as the “secure” option?  Actually, most people apparently still think this way, at least when comparing Macs to PCs, but Apple’s safe image appears to be in jeopardy.  Over the past few weeks we’ve seen some major setbacks to Apple’s reputation for security, the most noteworthy of which was June’s iPad blunder.

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The makers of SpyDefender 2010 obviously didn’t care very much about making their fake antispyware look legitimate. Otherwise, they might have fixed the character rendering so that it displayed actual words rather than whatever this gibberish is. But that’s okay—their amateurish oversight makes it easier for us to identify this pest.

If you get this badware on your hard drive, it will alter your registry settings and prevent programs from running, and then it’ll start sending a bunch of SpyDefender 2010 pop-ups designed to scare you with phony system scans. But keep your money in your pocket, but these guys have nothing legitimate to offer.

Ready to clear this junk off your computer and out of your life? Here’s how to uninstall SpyDefender 2010 for free.

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Things have been a little slow in the badware world for the last few months. I don’t know what the web scammers have been doing with their time—probably blowing all their Security Suite and Antivir Solution Pro money while getting a little sun before returning to their troll caves—but they’re back now, and with a few new tricks. Here are some of the highlights from August:

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My seventeen-year-old cousin is freaking out because his mom joined Facebook. I don’t think he realizes there are scarier things than her finding those photos of the party he threw when she was in Milwaukee last month – like scammers and spammers, phishing and clickjacking.

According to online security firm Sophos, cybercriminals have been joining social networking sites more and more over the last six months, and they want to be your friend. They aren’t going to like your photos or retweet that really cute video of the cat you posted – they’re there to trick you into revealing very personal information. Not the kind of personal information you find in a “25 things you didn’t know about me” post. They want your credit card numbers. They want to infect your computer with viruses. And social networking is making it easier for them to do than ever.

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You know every time your software asks you to “update” it? It’s tempting to hit “Remind Me Later.” But its not just a way to give you new features. The software is usually fixing loopholes that viruses are using to sneak into your computer. Recent research conducted by Virgin Media found that a whopping 25% of their subscribers are infected with spyware, viruses, and Trojans. This is the type of stuff that slows your web surfing to a crawl.

In an announcement about Virgin Media’s commitment to protecting their customers, Jon James, the company’s executive director of broadband, said “We’re going to do whatever we can to help defend our customers from serious consequences such as identity theft and even banking fraud.”

So what’s the plan?

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AWM Antivirus is the follow-up to A-fast Antivirus, released last month by the same badware crooks. Like its predecessor, this fake antispyware gets into your computer as a trojan and digs in deep, changing your registry and preventing programs from running.

Once installed, the program sends endless AWM Antivirus pop-ups designed to scare you into thinking your computer has a bunch of viruses, and then it tries to make you pay for a AWM Antivirus activation code. They’ll take your money and send you a string of random numbers and letters, but you’ll be waiting a long time for your full version.

If you have this pest, don’t toss your computer out the window just yet. Here’s how to uninstall AWM Antivirus for free.

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The AVDefender 2011 virus is a fake antispyware program designed to scare you into paying for a nonexistent AV Defender 2011 full version. Like the countless nearly identical fake antispyware pests that have come before, the AVDefender 2011 scam is not too subtle. From the first pop-ups that appear, the program immediately starts pestering you to pay for the AVDefender 2011 license key, all while claiming that your computer is infected with a bunch of made-up viruses. It’s a blunt tool, but apparently it works for these scammers.

Before you take a hacksaw to your hard drive, remember that your computer is just another victim. Let me show you how to uninstall AVDefender 2011 for free.

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