These free scans will always find a bevy of problems, and seconds later you're bombarded with urgent pop-ups and messages to buy this or that security software. After you agree to spend $20, $30, $40 or more on the software, the program tells you that your problems are fixed. But the reality is harsh:  there probably was nothing to fix. Worse, the program you bought during the onslaught of urgent distress message is now installed on your computer - and it is not only useless and expensive, it could be very harmful.

These free bogus security programs that offer "free" scans - are not free - but they'll find hundreds of problems (which don't really exist) and then offer to fix all the problems they find if you buy the program. While there are certainly some legitimate software programs that work this way, they don't jump out at you from a Web site and start warning you of problems. And these bogus security programs that sell themselves to you by scaring the daylights out of you often have authentic sounding names like "Windows AntiVirus 2010", "Security Essentials 2010", and dozens of other names designed to trick you into thinking they're something they're not.

The following is from the FTC's excellent consumer fraud Web site:

"According to attorneys at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, scammers have found ways to create realistic but phony “security alerts.” Though the “alerts” look like they’re being generated by your computer, they actually are created by a con artist and sent through your Internet browser.

These programs are called “scareware” because they exploit a person’s fear of online viruses and security threats. The scam has many variations, but there are some telltale signs. For example:

* you may get ads that promise to “delete viruses or spyware,” “protect privacy,” “improve computer function,” “remove harmful files,” or “clean your registry;”
* you may get “alerts” about “malicious software” or “illegal por/n/ography on your computer;”
* you may be invited to download free software for a security scan or to improve your system;
* you could get pop-ups that claim your security software is out-of-date and your computer is in immediate danger;
* you may suddenly encounter an unfamiliar website that claims to have performed a security scan and prompts you to download new software.

Scareware purveyors also go to great lengths to make their product and service look legitimate. For example, if you buy the software, you may get an email receipt with a customer service phone number. If you call, you’re likely to be connected to someone, but that alone does not mean the company is legitimate. Regardless, remember that these are well-organized and profitable schemes designed to rip people off.

How do the scammers do it?

Scareware schemes can be quite sophisticated. The scam artists buy ad space on trusted, popular websites. Even though the ads look legitimate and harmless to the website’s operator, they actually redirect unsuspecting visitors to a fraudulent website that performs a bogus security scan. The site then causes a barrage of urgent pop-up messages that pressure users into downloading worthless software....."

What can you do?

If you’re faced with any of the warning signs of a scareware scam or you suspect a problem, shut down your browser immediately. DO NOT click "NO" or "Cancel" or the "X" in the top-right corner of your browser. Most scareware trickery knows that you'll try to close your browser in the middle of their pop-up and warning frenzy. So, 'NO", "CANCEL" and even the "X" in the top-right corner will activate the download.