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Identity Theft? A Free Spyware Program Could Stop it Happening to You

Identity theft is a growing concern among many people. Yet a free spyware program could be the simple answer to preventing online fraudsters taking liberties with your personal information and even your money.

Spyware are computer programs that can infect your PC and record information about you without your permission. They are designed to be unobtrusive so many people are not even aware that their is spyware on their computer. If you have a machine that is connected to the Internet, it is almost inevitable that it will become infected at some point. If you download free computer programs and music, your chance of succumbing to spy ware is even greater.

So how can spyware be of use to an identity fraudster? They can use programs called keyloggers that record what keys you press on your computer. This information can be used to work out what your passwords are.

Other programs are designed to find personal information such as credit card details and bank account details. This is how you can be the victim of a cyber mugging.

You can protect yourself by installing a free spyware program that detects and removes spy ware. There are a number that are available on the Internet. You can also find a number of paid software options and you may also want to check if spyware removal is included as part of your anti virus package.

There are a number of different definitions of free in this market. One business model is to offer you free software that provides a spyware scan, and then you have to pay if you want to go ahead and remove the programs that have been discovered. Manufacturers are quite happy to allow you to have a free scan because the likelihood of finding spyware is extremely high. They know many people will then pay to have it removed.

Another business model is where you can detect and remove spyware for free, but there is no real time protection. If you want to have continuous protection against threats you have to upgrade your free spyware program to the 'Pro' version for which there is a charge.

Both of these options mean that you can try the product before having to part with any money.
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