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Inside the shady world of antivirus telemarketing
Unfortunately many people are falling for this scam.
The agents are instructed to stick to a 13-page script. They ask callers whether they have an antivirus program installed. If they do, Zifka said, callers are usually told that whatever they’re using isn’t a “full-time real spectrum virus protection program.”
But the agents have a solution: callers can purchase an antivirus program called Defender Pro Antivirus, from Bling Software.
EZ Tech Support sells a perpetual license for the program for $300. Agents also tell callers they can perform a one-time fix on their computers for them, which starts at $250. Callers can haggle for lower prices.
'Your PC may be infected!' Inside the shady world of antivirus telemarketing | PCWorldBut Zifka said agents call out anything flagged by the software, even if it’s not a security risk for the user.
“We used whatever it states as a selling point,” Zifka said.