'Scareware' Ring That Unleashed Fake Antivirus Tools to Pay Up

Two people involved with an international cybercrime operation that raked in millions with 'scareware' -- computer programs that pop up with fake warnings of badware infection, then bully users into paying for a bogus fix -- settled with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for $8 million, the agency said today.

The FTC put Marc D'Souza and his father, Maurice, on the hook for repaying some of the money the scam operation took in, though the father was not involved directly, and neither admit to guilt under the settlement's terms. Both were residents of Toronto or nearby as of 2008.