Why Do people Create Spyware dec 2009

For Immediate Release
Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691

The FBI estimates scareware has cost victims more than $150 million."

Pop-Up Security Warnings Pose Threats
"The FBI warned consumers today about an ongoing threat involving pop-up security messages that appear while they are on the Internet. The messages may contain a virus that could harm your computer, cause costly repairs or, even worse, lead to identity theft. The messages contain scareware, fake or rogue anti-virus software that looks authentic."

The reason these rogues are created in the first place is because they generate huge amounts of revenue. These rogues are promoted through through affiliate programs where affiliates get paid a certain amount of dollars, some as high as $30, every time the rogue is installed on a computer. As most of these rogue companies do not care how the affiliates get the program installed, many of the affiliates will use any means at their disposal to get these programs installed on a computer. This includes using malware to silently install them or fake online anti-malware scanners to trick a user into thinking they are infected.