How to Identify If An Antivirus is Fake

With computer experts constantly advising PC users to keep their machines clean and totally virus-free, the demand for antivirus programs has increased significantly. More and more users are installing these security programs into their systems and trying to keep their PC’s as safe as possible from different types of threatening computer viruses. However, with these products rapidly filling in the online and offline stores, it was only inevitable for the fake programs to pave their way and creep in. So how can one identify such useless, or even at times, malicious programs and install only the authenticate ones? Fortunately, there are a few tips that one can keep in mind the next time one goes about fetching for antivirus programs. Listed in this article are a few of the best ones.

Prior to proceeding this piece for the solution, let be advised to first Scan and Fix your system’s concealed disorders which most probably is eliciting the inconsistencies:



Tips on How to Avoid Fake Antivirus Programs

Read the tips mentioned in this section and make sure you give only the best to your system.

Research, Research, and Research!

As is the case with every other product that you wish to own, antivirus software should be thoroughly researched and properly “investigated” before installed and used. And what’s a better tool than the popular search engines, including Google, Bing, and Yahoo!. Just type the name of the antivirus software and check its authenticity. Conduct a research on the developers, read the online forums, see the product reviews, etc. Simply put, make sure you know the product well and are completely aware of its history before installing it in your system and bestowing upon it the important task of removing viruses.

Too many Virus Alerts? Sounds Suspicious!

All fake anti-virus programs have the habit of constantly bombarding the system with virus alerts and trying to create a panic within the user. If you are getting such virus alerts on a constant basis, view your antivirus program with great suspicion and “interrogate” the tool. Read through the scan details, research the errors on the internet, and make sure the captured viruses really were legitimate. If you are not satisfied with the results, immediately uninstall the tool and look for an authenticate one.

Asking for Money already?

Fake antivirus software have the common tendency to perform a system scan, display the numerous viruses magically captured, and then ask for a payment to remove the viruses. This should give you a clear indication of the main purpose of the tool; to make money.

Most valid antivirus programs, on the other hand, provide you with a 15-20 day free trial and aim to sell at their quality. They don’t go around looking for cheap money. So, the next time you are asked to pay money for the most important of tasks, be very careful not to fall into the trap.

Notice the Speed

Another very important tip that can help you distinguish the fake antivirus programs from the original ones is to notice the speed. No software can scan through a 500GB hard disk within a span of 2 minutes. In fact, this speed is largely dependent on the operating system’s input/output conventions in order to access the hard drives. Therefore, the speed of various antivirus programs should be more or less the same.

Trust the Source you are Downloading From

One of the easiest ways through which scams and frauds can enter your system is through emails. It is therefore strongly advised that you never download an antivirus, or any other security program, from email attachments; they will more often than not be a complete scam. Furthermore, never click on pop-ups or security alerts generating on your system while you browse through the internet. Always remember; there is no alternative to downloading or purchasing an online product from the developer’s trusted website itself.

Fake Antivirus frauds are an increasing threat to the computer users. While the concerned authorities are trying their best to identify and stop these criminals, fake AV companies continue to thrive and make billions out of the common PC users. It is therefore strictly warned that you NEVER give out your credit card information to any AV program or any other untrusted website for that matter. You have far too much to lose than actually gain!

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