While Ron Martin was searching for graphics for his on-line business newsletter, a warning message popped up on his computer screen. So he reached for his mouse.

"I clicked on it and I got a popup which basically told me that I had a virus," he said.

There was no virus but Martin was frightened enough to run the program -- another victim of Scareware.

"They're betting on the fact that they're going to scare someone into giving them their credit card just to install some software that they say will remove some threats that are found on the computer," SuperGeeks technician Todd Kingman said.

He said the next step is a prompt from the sender asking for money to sweep your system clean.

The trouble is just beginning. Scareware steals your credit card information, opens your computer to an outsider, and disarms your antivirus program. It takes control.

"So I'm just clicking away," Martin said. "Things are popping up. It was a nightmare. I went to control, alt, delete, but was unable to stop em."

The New York Times recently reported on a Scareware ring in Russia that's made a bundle selling fake antivirus software.

"These software designers that are creating these problems are making millions of dollars off of this," Kingman said.

Scareware's warning message looks legitimate. That's why people take the bait. A popular version now is Antivirus XP. Don't open it.

"It fooled me," Martin said.

SuperGeeks rid Martin's computer of the Scareware bug. But the frightening truth is more victims are just a click away.

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