We have many terms that have the “ware” in their name and that refer to possible attacks, viruses, malicious software in general. We talk about ransomware, spyware, adware… In this article we are going to talk about what fleeceware is . As we will see, it has its peculiarities, but it can also put users at risk. We are also going to talk about what we have to do to avoid being victims of this problem and protect our equipment.
What is fleeceware
The first thing to keep in mind is that we are not dealing with a common variety of malware. That is, we are not facing a problem that installs malicious software on our device. For example, it could be a Trojan that steals our passwords, a spyware in charge of collecting all kinds of data, etc.
In this case, when we talk about fleeceware we are dealing with a type of malicious application that seeks to charge the victim an abusive financial amount. This is something that can happen on mobile devices as well as desktop computers.
As we know, when installing programs we can find both free and paid options. We have a wide range of possibilities in this regard. Now, when installing paid software, we must be aware that the value is what it should be, that there is no type of scam behind it.
We may install a program that has a fixed cost , that we pay an amount to download and install it. But it can also happen that when installing some software they charge us a monthly or annual fee. The normal thing is that we have this very clear and in the conditions everything is correctly collected.
So what is fleeceware? It is a software that seeks to deceive the victim and charge abusive amounts . It usually hides misleading information in the terms we accept.
There can be two types of fleeceware : the one that charges us a very high amount when installing the program for the first time and the one that continues to charge us even when we uninstall the application.
In the latter case, they can hide an abusive term where they indicate that even if we want to uninstall and stop using that software, we will have to continue paying an amount of money each month.
We are facing a problem that can affect users when adding software that they believe is cheaper than it really is.
How to avoid falling victim to fleeceware
As we have seen, fleeceware is a deception carried out when installing software on our computers. One way hackers use to charge high amounts of money for something that isn’t really worth that much.
Something very important to avoid being a victim of fleeceware is to check very well what we are buying. You have to read possible hidden terms, bases that may be doubtful or indicate that there is something strange.
Of course another aspect that we must highlight is the fact of always buying from official sources . In this way we guarantee that we are acquiring a legitimate, safe product and that they are not charging us an extra cost. This means going to official stores and pages, instead of opting for third-party sites that can be a problem.
Another issue that we must take care of is the payment method . Nowadays it is very common to register cards on the Internet and have them charged us automatically. Sometimes we accept things without realizing it, or we think they are going to charge us less than they eventually end up taking us off the account. Therefore, it is important to always keep common sense in mind and not make mistakes when dealing with freeceware.
On the other hand, when we are going to delete a subscription we must do it correctly. Sometimes it is not enough to delete the application, but we have contracted an additional plan and they would continue to charge us. This is also used by freeceware to charge large sums of money.