Can Sponsored Results be trusted?
I’ve commented about this subject before … and I have still not changed my mind … NO No No …
Recently the SunBelt blog touched on this, and I thought I’d provide a good example …
“Tested by g0Ogle” … I think not! … if a user happens to click that “Sponsored Link” … they end up here …
So not only do these culprits want to whack you with a infectious ActiveX (virusremover.dll) they also want you to click the “Remove All” button to install their fake antispyware program and all the other nasties that come with it … my AV NOD32 v3 however doesn’t think that would be a good idea …
Submitting “virusremover.dll” to VirusTotal gives the following Result: 23/36 (63.89%)
Notice that Ask routes their Sponsored Result thru Google then redirects to the (un)desired site …
“avxp-2008(dot)net” is yet another site maintained by the “Pandora Software Group”
I could provide many more examples … but you get the idea … even these “Parking Services” use these type of practices in their fake Sponsored Results on “Parked” sites … and that why I include many of their sites as entries in the HOSTS file … everyone is glad to take the $$$ provided by these clients, but very few services are willing to investigate these clients prior to hosting their content …
2 Comments »
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August 29th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
i was surfing the web one day and got this avxp spyware infected in my computer. The avxp prompts were all over my computer, and the backgroung changed.the prompt wanted me to do a “fake” virus search and buy the software. It wouldnt let me exit the prompts at anytime.
August 30th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
How do you get rid of this program if you have fallen for the scam?