Misleading Advertising and Spam
You have seen the "pop-up" ads that look like standard window error messages, right down to the "OK" button and the minimize/maximize options, rather than regular web advertisements? Comman pop-up examples of this are:1)"you have two messages waiting for you";
2)"your system isn't secure" the fake window points out that you are broadcasting your IP number, and displaying operating system information. It then tells you your system is possibly vulnerable to security problems (never mine that is just how the Internet works and has little to do with your local machine's "security").
Now what is a typical novice reaction to this message? Panic, saving their work, shutting down all systems and than ordering the program that's not needed. A spammer's trick to get you to download an unnecessary program. The spammer's market plan is to sell "unnecessary fluff" programs to novice Internet users and it does this through the use of mock Microsoft error messages and warnings.
In the US one of the biggest purveyors "Bonzi Software" (The company that brought you the free Gorilla to show you how to use your computer) who offered "free" software online has settled a class action suit and agreed to stop using fake user interface pop-ups. This is yet to happen in Canada