scareware
n.— «Scareware is a term for applications that find fictitious malware on a user’s computer and then try to trick the user into purchasing unnecessary and fraudulent anti-malware software or services. Scareware relies on social engineering to deceive, like many phishing attacks and other forms of malware.» —“Mac Users Targeted By ‘Scareware’ Fraud Application” by Thomas Claburn InformationWeek Jan. 15, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The words tough, through, and dough all end in O-U-G-H. So why don’t they rhyme? A lively new book addresses the many quirks of English by explaining the history of words and phrases. And: have you ever been in a situation where a group makes...
Sometimes it’s a challenge to give a book a chance: How many pages should you read before deciding it’s not worth your time? There’s a new formula to help with that decision — and it’s all based on your age. • Have you ever...