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FTC Pulls Plug On $100 Million Adware Biz

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This thread's last reply is from . Advice, software, and links below may be out of date — treat specific steps and download links with caution.

FYI…

- http://tinyurl.com/dhzeb
Nov 10, 2005
"A U.S. court shut down three Internet companies for secretly bundling malicious "spyware" with ring tones, music programs and other free high-tech goodies, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Thursday. The malicious software tracked victims' Internet activity, hijacked their home pages and deluged them with unwanted "pop up" ads, the FTC said. The assets of Enternet Media Inc. and Conspy & Co. Inc., based in California, and Iwebtunes, based in Ohio, have been frozen pending further court action, the FTC said. The court also ordered all three firms to halt downloads of the software. Enternet Media and Iwebtunes could not be reached for comment. Conspy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to a complaint filed in district court in Los Angeles, Enternet and Conspy bundled their malicious software with music files, song lyrics and cellular telephone ring tones offered free on a range of Web sites. The software was also disguised as a security upgrade for Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer Web browser.
Iwebtunes bundled the spyware with a program that plays background music on blogs, the FTC said. Once lodged on a victim's computer, the spyware was difficult to remove, the FTC said. Microsoft, Google Inc. and Webroot Software Inc. helped with the investigation, the FTC said…"

- http://www.techweb.com/article/showArticle…73602037&pgno=2
November 11, 2005
"…"They're definitely in the top 5," he said. "I'd estimate [their revenues] at $90 to $100 million a year." Among the only adware companies bigger than Enternet, said Stiennon, are the better-known Claria and 180solutions…Enternet recruited affiliates through its "cash4toolbars.com" and "c4tdownload.com" sites, the FTC said. As of mid-day Friday, the former was offline, but the latter was still operating. Enternet Media's primary site was also still up and running."

>>> http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2005/11/enternet.htm
Get em FTC. You know I think if I ran into one of these people that write and distribute adware/spyware/viruses I'd literally kill them. OK maybe just hurt them really bad. Maybe this is the beginning of the end. We can hope. Joe