• See you in hell, 180search Assistant 8/31/05
• Spyware that steals your identity 8/24/05
• CoolWebSearch: Public Enemy No. 1 8/17/05
• Targeting minors a major problem 8/11/05
• Spyware that makes small children cry 2/4/05
• Hey, shouldn't this be illegal?2/1/05
• The seventh circle of spyware hell 1/28/05
• Think you're safe? Think again. 1/25/05
• Spyware that comes out swinging 1/21/05
• The pitfalls of pornography 1/18/05

Download.com users are no strangers to the frightening world of spyware. Each week, we'll share a new reader tale of spyware woe, so check back frequently for each terrifying episode.

Burned by Freeze.com

It all started on a Sunday afternoon. It was raining, and I had decided to let one of my kids use the Internet to search for a New Jersey Devils screensaver. He found one on Freeze.com and installed it, not realizing screensavers don't need executable files. This one turned out to be loaded with spyware.

After the installation, the computer ran incredibly slowly. My desktop icons were rearranged, and my home page was reset to Freeze.com. Shop@Home and Bargain Buddy were visible in the tray. We looked at the screensaver's user license agreement, and one sentence mentioned a third-party application might be installed.

To say the least, we were frustrated when we couldn't connect to Outlook Express within 10 minutes. With the help of Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware, we removed New.net, WhenU, VX2, VirtuNet, SearchSquire, Kontiki plug-ins, BackWeb, 180solutions, and Cydoor. Even after three or four reboots, the computer limped along; our DSL modem was running at one-third its normal speed. A computer tech scanned our computer and found nothing. We finally reformatted, and the computer was back to normal.

Later, however, I found the EXE file for the screensaver again, so I scoured the computer and found spyware traces still in the Registry keys. The spyware had locked on to BackWeb, which came included with our HP Pavilion PC; after the reformat, BackWeb had hidden some of the other executable spyware files necessary for it to work.

The poorly done screensaver was not worth a reformat, a phone call to HP, and a day off from work figuring out this mess!

--Tyler
Calgary, Alberta Canada

You should always be extremely wary of supposedly free programs, especially screensavers, which are notorious for bundling privacy-compromising software. Regardless of whether you're downloading a screensaver, a CD ripper, or a game, it's important you get into the habit of reading the fine print in the user license agreement before you install the program. Doing so might set off a red flag before you make a time-consuming mistake.

Also, before you download anything from a site you don't trust 100 percent, take the time to do some research on the Web. In this case, typing Freeze.com and spyware into Google will quickly tell you the site is a known purveyor of adware. Similarly, always scrutinize a site's privacy policy before downloading (and if you can't find one, steer clear); the second paragraph of Freeze.com's privacy policy clearly states you'll be subjected to some form of advertising in exchange for the "free" programs. Finally, even if you already practice conscientious and safe downloading, make sure to educate children and less-savvy users on the finer points of avoiding spyware.

--Download.com editors

Got your own spyware horror story you'd like to share? Let us hear it.