After update mess, antivirus firm hit by bogus search results

Still reeling from the mess caused by a bad antivirus update, a security vendor now has another headache: finding itself the victim of allegedly bogus Google search results.

 

In a blog post, Sophos said it is investigating reports some Google searches for Sophos Technical Support lead to bogus pages claiming to be official Sophos support contact information.

 

"These fake support pages reportedly provide contact information, such as telephone numbers. If called, an unknown person - not a Sophos employee, contractor or partner - offers assistance to the caller for a fee," it said.

 

It warned the public these bogus support pages have been reported to appear prominently on Google search results.

 

Citing one case, Sophos said a caller was ask to fork over credit card details and a payment of $300 for support assistance.

 

Sophos affirmed some calls were in relation to the bad antivirus update it issued earlier this month.

 

One such caller said he Googled the technical support number of Sophos and was directed to a third-party company based out of Singapore, with those at the other end of the line answering the phone as “Sophos Tech Support.”

 

"This led me to believe that they were Sophos. I then spoke to a technician and he informed me that I did have a virus and it would take a fee of $300 to have the tech fix it. It didn’t feel right, and I needed to get approved for the credit card purchase, so I put the tech on hold to and double checked the phone number. Once I realized that I wasn’t talking to Sophos, I hung up and the tech did not try to call me back," Sophos quoted one prospective victim as saying.

 

Sophos reiterated its tech support provides free support to all customers and partners experiencing any software issues, including the Shh/Updater-B false positive.

 

It reminded the public to use one of the official support mechanisms listed on the Sophos Support contact page.

 

The page also provides links to its official Knowledgebase pages, product support forum, and Twitter account, @sophossupport. — TJD, GMA News