Beware of Spyware/Adware Removal Clones

During the past several months the internet appears to be flooded with a number of programs claiming to be spyware and adware removal utilities however, many of these are just cheap knock offs who have "stolen" code of either LavaSoft or Spybot to cash in on the concerns of innocent consumers. Worse yet, some of these newer spyware utility programs have been developed by the very same people who have developed the spyware and adware programs in the first place. Many times these programs will eliminate some of their competitors spyware while secretly installing and replacing it with some of their own spyware programs.

The only two products that we recommend are Ad-Aware from Lavasoftusa.com & Spybot Search and Distroy Both of these products have been leaders in the field of spyware removal utilities programs with time tested proven track records and are therefore the only two programs that we currently recommend and trust. (Both of these programs still offer free versions of their programs)

The following list of programs have been deemed questionable by Andrew Clover of DoxDesk.com If you have used any of the products listed below please rescan your computer with either LavaSoft and/or Spybot.

• TrekBlue offers a spyware removal program called Spyware Nuker, which is being heavily advertised through junk e-mail from its affiliates and misleading fake-dialogue-box web advertising. TrekBlue are the same company as e-mail marketers ‘TrekData’ and ‘Blue Haven Media’, who control the 'InContext' spyware and distribute this and other spyware through ActiveX drive-by-download on web pages. (They also used to work for Lions Pride Enterprises, who made and controlled the ‘wnad’ spyware. Incidentally SpywareNuker also refuses to install more than once (so if you reinstall your system you can't use it any more), and does not handle LSP removal properly (resulting in broken network connections).
  
• WarNet offers software including an adware remover. However, WarNet is owned and run by the same people who own and run C2 Media, producers of the infamous lop parasite.
  
• SpywareLabs produce a parasite detection program called Virtual Bouncer, with a removal option requiring payment. It is distributed by the same bundling and drive-by download techniques as the parasites it claims to remove, so definitely qualifies as unsolicited commercial software in itself. It also has an update feature that can download and execute arbitrary code.
  
• RedV offers an adware remover called AdProtector. However, the installer used to download this and the other RedV ‘Protector’ applications is itself adware, and RedV are the same company as Web3000, one of the earliest large spyware makers. http://www.isp-planet.com/services/2003/redv.html (In addition, RedV has developed affliate relationships with ISP service providers and a wide range of web sites http://www.redv.net/ )
  
• Bulletproof Soft offer a commercial Spyware Remover; OnlinePCFix offer a utility called SpyFerret; Ideal World Online offer SpyGone. All have copied Spybot Search and Destroy’s definitions database without permission or attribution; additionally, SpyFerret includes actual program code taken from Spybot, and SpyGone is an unlicensed copy of SpyRemover.
  
• Razor Media offers a free scanner-only promotion for their software 'SpyAssault'. Since the scanner itself installs the commercial trojan FavoriteMan/Ss32 their credibility is somewhat questionable.
  
• SpyBan has been identified as a potential source of unwanted spyware--notably a program listed by many spyware cleaners as Look2Me. "Look2Me is a spyware program that monitors visited Web sites and submits the logged information to a server,"
  
• SpyWiper (aka SpyDeleter)
  
• SpyKiller Pro (not same as 'SpyKiller'?)
  
• SoftDD offer a free ‘trial version’ of ‘Spy Guardian Pro’, which always tells you you have spyware installed (even on a completely clean machine), but won’t tell you where, asking you to buy the full version to find out.

Update June 7th 2004

We are adding a number of additional suspected anti-spyware programs. The following programs are not recommended because they install spyware themselves, just aren't any good at fixing spyware, or somewhere in between. (per Spyware Warrior)

• AdwareHunter (adwarehunter.com/browser-page.com)
• AdWareRemoverGold (adwareremovergold.com)
• BPS Spyware & Adware Remover (bulletproofsoft.com) -- AdAware knockoff,
• InternetAntiSpy (internetantispy.com)
• NoAdware (noadware.net/netpalnow.com)
• Online PC-Fix SpyFerret
• PurityScan (purityscan.com/puritysweep.com)
• Real AdWareRemoverGold (adwareremovergold.com/sg08.biz)
• Spybouncer (spybouncer.com)
• SpyBan (spyban.net) -- noadware clone
• SpyBlast (spyblast.com/advertising.com)
• Spyblocs/eBlocs.com (eblocs.com)
• SpyDeleter (spydeleter.com/209.50.251.182)
• SpyEliminator (securetactics.com) -- dead?
• SpyHunter (enigmasoftwaregroup.com\spywareremove.com\spybot-spyware.com\
• SpyKiller (spykiller.com/maxionsoftware.com/spykiller.com/spykillerdownload.com/
• SpyKillerPro (spykillerpro.com)
• Spyware Annihilator (solidlabs.com)
• SpywareBeGone (spywarebegone.com\freespywarescan.org)
• SpywareCleaner (»www.checkforspyware.com/ - »www.spw2a.com/sc/)
• SpywareCrusher (spywarecrusher.com)
• SpywareInfoooo.com
• SpywareKilla (spywarekilla.com)
• SpywareThis (spywarethis.com)
• SpywareZapper (spywarezapper.com) -- looks like it may be TZ Spyware Adware Remover
• SpyWiper (mailwiper.com)
• ssppyy pro (ssppyy.com)
• TZ Spyware Adware Remover (trackzapper.com)
• VBouncer/AdDestroyer (spywarelabs.com/virtualbouncer.com)
• XoftSpy (download-spybot.com/paretologic.com/downloadspybot.com/no-spybot.com) - this may be a SpyHunter clone
• ZeroSpyware (zerospyware.com/zeroads.com)
• Suspect -- Spyware X Terminator

We will update this section as more information becomes available.

Spyware cures may cause more harm than good
Last modified: February 4, 2004, 1:21 PM PST
By John Borland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Web surfers battling "spyware" face a new problem: so-called spyware-killing programs that install the same kind of unwanted advertising software they promise to erase.
http://news.com.com/2100-1032-5153485.html

Anti-spyware 'deceiving consumers'
John Borland
CNET News.com
February 12, 2004, 12:20 GMT
Some companies offering anti-spyware are 'hijacking' browsers to scare consumers into paying for their products, according to an Internet interest group
Some anti-spyware companies are using deceptive practices and "hijacked" Web browsers to scare Net consumers into buying their products, a leading Internet public interest group told federal regulators on Wednesday. In a complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission, the Centre for Democracy and Technology (CDT) said software developer Mail Wiper and its marketing affiliate Seismic Entertainment Productions have misled consumers in promotions for anti-spyware software.
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39146150,00.htm