Today even the least tech savvy computer users know that they need some sort of anti-virus and anti-spyware protection when they connect to the Internet. "Scareware" makers prey on that little bit of knowledge and large dose of fear to trick users into buying their products.
We're not talking about legitimate ads from real security vendors warning of the dangers of going unprotected - these are the folks who exploit users' desire to do the right thing in order to get them to install programs that are supposed to be protecting them - but in fact are malware. Read more here: http://www.vistanews.com/NFAIZH/090409-Scareware-Infections