Fake Movie Maker appeared on internet, so hackers improve their tactics every day. That’s why they are using old programs to develop new scams. Here, we will bring you everything about the fake Movie Maker today. I hope you can learn a little more about these scams and avoid them for you and your website.
Fake Movie Maker: Avoid a Fraud on Internet
This week, ESET alerted about a group of scammers distributed a fake version of Windows Movie Maker. And, with the aim of collecting money from unsuspecting users. This scam was very successful given its good positioning in the Google search engine.
Cybercriminals took advantage of the fact that Windows Movie Maker, Microsoft’s free video editing software, is not official since January 2017. However, it is still sued by many users.
Thus, the website, windows-movie-maker.org, appeared as one of the best results when searching for “Movie Maker” and “Windows Movie Maker”. As a result of the high ranking of the site in the search engines, scammers manage to reach a global “audience”. This fake Movie Maker is a sample of how hackers use SEO for scams, even the most famous cyberattacks are scams.
However, on November 5 of this year, it was the third most detected threat in the world and the number one in Israel. As of November 6, ESET’s telemetry recorded detection in the Philippines, Israel, Finland and Denmark.
This fake Movie Maker repeatedly asks the user to buy the full version. First, when you start the software and later when you try to save a new document.
n the latter case, the warning prevents the user from continuing, making it appear that saving a document was a paid function. The price for the false improvement of the program is $ 29.95, which is presented as a 25% discount on the site of payment by criminals.
Evade the False Movie Maker Scam
Eset brings some tips to protect you from this deception:
– If you already installed the fake Movie Maker on windows-movie-maker.org. It is important to uninstall it and scan the computer with an accredited antimalware solution.
– To avoid being a victim of similar scams, it is always good to respect official sources when downloading software.
– If you really need to use software that is no longer on the market by its original creator. ESET recommends using a reliable security solution to detect and block malicious content. In turn, consider using the official replacement for the software, in this case, Windows Story Remix.
– Never pay for software that is or was officially free. Information about software prices must be available online.
Currently, hackers are using websites to make their attacks. So you must follow these steps and take care.
Alternatives to avoid the False Movie Maker
Wax
Wax is one of the oldest video editors that we can use today, but that’s not necessarily bad. It is one of the best for amateur video editing, and includes special effects. The problem is that it does not always support new video files. Also, it is only useful to create simple videos, especially from photos. If you are looking for a more complete video editing and creation tool, read on.
You can read more about Wax here.
VideoLan Movie Creator
Valid for Windows, Linux and Mac, VideoLan Movie Creator is the authoring tool for the creators of the popular VLC video player. The editor is really complete and completely free. It allows adding add-ons and plugins and creates video easily from videos and photos, and adds sound. It is compatible with almost all video and audio formats, just like the player.
VSDC Editor
VSDC is the most complete video editor available for free. It has an appearance reminiscent of Final Cut Pro, and has more tools than some payment programs. However, all this comes together in an affordable interface for the user and modern, and a wide range of files with which it is compatible. Like OpenShot, it has editing profiles up to 4K UHD at 60 fps.
Now you know everything you need about this fake movie maker. Also, if you know any other alternative to this video editor, you can leave it in the comments. Remember that it is always important to stay protected from malware and scams that may affect you. See you soon!