Trading Standards professionals from Fife Council's Environmental Services are warning consumers to be on their guard against bogus antivirus software which may appear on their pc or laptop.

The scam software usually appears firstly as a pop up on the screen stating that viruses or malicious software has been detected on the computer and asks the user to download a product that will remove the problem. The product name is usually Antivirus 2008, Antivirus 2009 or something similar and will cost a minimum of £30 to purchase. However, there is almost always no serious virus or any other infection on the computer and the product that the user downloads is useless or may infect the computer with the very things that it promises to remove.

The trader or company behind the scam is based in North America and very few contact details have been found for them. There does seem to be a contact section within the bogus software itself, usually with an email referral form, but it is unlikely that a reply would be received. It is virtually impossible for the consumer to obtain a refund from the company once the bogus product has been purchased. There is also a chance that the company will continue to take funds from the payment card and it would be up to the consumer's bank or card issuer whether they can block these transactions.