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Spyware Firm Settles With Washington Stete Attorney General for $1 Million

December 5, 2006

Secure Computer of White Plains, N.Y. is finding out what real "security" means.

That's because they have agreed to pay a a $1 milllion fine to the state of Washington to settle charges that its business practices violate the state of Washington's computer spireware law.

The problem, as Washtington State attorney general Rob McKenna had seen it, was that Secure Computer used deceptive search engine links, spam e-mail and pop-up ads for Spyware Cleaner.

The pop-up adds, I might add, included those very irritating ones that featured warnings to users that their system had been compromised by spyware. But it had not- not until after the unsuspecting user had downloaded the program.

Spyware Cleaner, which had charged $49.95, will have to pay back an estimated 1,145 Washingtonians . Do the math. That's nearly $900 per aggrieved user, or almost 18 times more than Spyware Cleaner got for selling their joke.




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