Mac ‘scareware’ in the wild
Security software vendor F-Secure has recently reported the first known “scareware” scam targeting Mac users. The software known as MacSweeper (www.macsweeper.com) poses as legitimate security software that “discovers” numerous fake problems and threats, which can only be solved by purchasing their $40 product. A senior security specialist at F-Secure shared two ways he determined the illegitimacy of MacSweeper: running their provided scan showed vulnerabilities in Mac-specific folders even when run on Windows machines and the company’s “About Us” section was taken directly from Symantec Corp.’s website. The website itself however is very professionally done and it is difficult for casual users to notice its phony nature.