On Sunday, May 8, 2011, I was Googling images and clicked on one, which initiated a virus attack on my laptop. The program claimed to be operating under the name of Windows and wouldn’t allow me to open a new browser box. I foolishly thought it was my MS operating system kicking in (which is what the bogus “merchant” wants victims to think), and I ended up giving my credit card number thinking I was purchasing a lifetime anti-virus program from Windows. It wasn’t until I re-started my computer and realized something still wasn’t right and then did a Google search to see if anyone else had heard of Defender Unlimited (which is the reference name the order was placed under) and that’s when I read that there were other victims who had fallen for the same scam.
This “merchant” only gave some vague information during the download, such as an order number and the aforementioned reference name of Defender Unlimited. Furthermore, this “merchant” never sent an email or anything else validating the purchase, and I have absolutely no way to contact them. Even a Google search didn’t yield any contact information. It only brings up numerous news articles and blogs from other victims seeking help.
To make matters worse, my credit card company is making me not only write a detailed letter of explanation, but also is requiring I get a letter from a bonafide computer tech verifying that Defender Unlimited is malware. They won't take my word for it, or take into consideration the numerous news articles in circulation on the internet, or the fact that I have no way of contacting the company. I feel they're actually contributing to the problem by being so strict on the dispute. Most credit card companies only require the customer sign an affidavit.
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