Here’s why you should buy a new laptop instead Here’s what Windows 11 needs to do to ensure Android apps don’t flop on PCsĭon’t upgrade from Windows 7. Microsoft, please don’t screw up the Asus ROG Allyĭon’t fall for this devious new Microsoft Office scam At the very least though, be wary of sites offering paid for versions of previously free software, and make sure you’re running one of the best antivirus solutions. There are plenty of alternatives, such as Microsoft’s own recently released replacement, Windows Story Remix. If you want to avoid this scam, letting Windows Movie Maker rest as a defunct piece of software would be your best bet.

That suggests that this scam may be quite widespread, despite the legacy nature of the software. Some security software is picking up on this scam, designating it as malware Win32/Hoax.MovieMaker, and earlier this month it was even cropping up as one of the most commonly detected malware items in the world.

The site even offers “free technical support and software upgrades,” though that seems unlikely. If the user attempts to pay for them, they’ll be directed back to the scam site, where a payment of $30 (a 25-percent discount!) is requested. Where it differs though, as WeLiveSecurity explains, is that attempting certain functions prompts the software to block them, and indicate that you need to pay to unlock all features. Indeed the application that you can download if you visit the site is a functioning version of Movie Maker. We won’t link or name it here, but suffice it to say that on first glance, it looks somewhat legitimate. The scam, in this case, stems from a website that appears at the top of Google results when searching for the software.

Google movie maker