Fake antivirus software, also known rogue security software or "scareware," is malicious software designed to mislead computer users into paying money for an antivirus program that is not real. It displays fake virus warnings and says you need to buy the software to fix the problem. These windows might appear on your screen while you surf the web. The "updates" or "alerts" in the pop-up windows call for you to take some sort of action, such as clicking to install the software, accept recommended updates, or remove unwanted viruses or spyware. When you click, the rogue security software downloads to your computer. Some popular fake antivirus programs include: Win 7 Security 2012, Win 7 Antivirus 2012, System Tool, Smart Fortress 2012, and Security Shield 2012. Rogue security software might report a virus, even though your computer is actually clean. The software might also fail to report viruses when your computer is infected. Inversely, sometimes, when you download rogue security software, it will install a virus or other malicious software on your computer so that the software has something to detect.

ESET Rogue Application Remover is intended for detecting and removing rogue applications as well as reverting changes made by the rogue applications to the registry. By design, ERAR focuses mostly on rogue applications that affect the operating system in a negative way and that are difficult to remove by our products. In no way should it be considered a substitute for running a scan with ESET products or the ESET Online Scanner. Read more.