V3.co.uk readers call for harsher prison terms for scareware writers

The writers of fake anti-virus malware should be given longer prison sentences to act as a deterrent, according to the majority of V3.co.uk readers.

The latest V3.co.uk reader poll asked what could be done to combat the growing problem of scareware, which tricks people into believing their machines are infected with a virus and demands payment to download fake anti-virus software.

Scareware seems to have reached epic proportions this year, comprising 12 per cent of all malware detected in the wild, with 40 per cent of it created this year alone, according to security firm Panda Security.

Last week's Get Safe Online initiative said that a quarter of computer users have been tricked into buying the fake software, either by clicking on a web pop-up or paying over the phone to a cold call scammer pretending to be from a reputable security vendor.

Some 40 per cent of V3.co.uk poll respondents agreed that harsher prison terms would help to combat the problem. Scareware is broadly covered under the Computer Misuse Act in the UK, which now carries a maximum sentence of two years.

The poll generated some heated responses.

"What I don't understand is these scareware scammers have bank accounts into which no doubt some people pay - so why are not the authorities following these cyber trails and prosecuting the b******s," wrote a reader named Mike.

Another reader, known as 'MSC', wrote simply: "Hang them."

Around 31 per cent of readers thought that anti-virus companies should do more to help block the malware that causes the pop-ups. Many people become infected with scareware without realising by visiting an infected web page or opening a malicious attachment.

A surprisingly low 18 per cent of respondents said that end users should take more responsibility and remain alert to potential scams, while 10 per cent said that anti-virus vendors need to better educate customers about the risks.

A common criticism is that anti-virus firms have traditionally operated by hyping up the levels of fear about new threats in order to sell more products.

But it seems that V3.co.uk readers feel that the balance between education and hype needs to be recalibrated.