Although the SpyFalcon spyware infection and its variants (SpySheriff and SpywareQuake) have been plaguing internet users for some time now, demand for assistance in removing the pesky infections is at an all-time high on www.schrockinnovations.com.

As internet users surf the web, they may intentionally or unintentionally install the SpyFalcon, SpySheriff, or SpywareQuake programs on their computer. The typical scenario is a pop up advertisement that informs the user that their computer is infected with a spyware infection that must be removed. This is typically a false detection designed to trick the user into installing the SpyFalcon, SpySheriff, or SpywareQuake software on their computer. In fact, SpySheriff, SpywareQuake, and SpyFalcon are the real infections.

Once the programs are installed on a user’s computer, they typically operate for a trial period. After that trial period is expired, the software begins asking the user to purchase it to continue using it. This is where SpyFalcon, SpySheriff and SpywareQuake become a nuisance. All three programs begin popping up alerts from what appears to be the Windows Security Center warning the user that their computer is infected and the only way to remove the infection is by paying for the SpyFalcon / SpywareQuake / SpySheriff software.

If the user elects to pay the $50 price for the software, the pop-ups stop. If the user decides not to pay and attempts to remove the SpyFalcon / SpySheriff / SpywareQuake software they can be shocked to find that while the program appears to be removed, the annoying “you’re infected" pop-up messages are still appearing every 30 seconds or so. The pop-ups can not be removed with normal Antivirus programs like Norton Antivirus, and they resist even the strongest anti-spyware programs like Adaware and The Maintenance Checkup Home Edition. The pop-up messages even persist if the user attempts to boot their computer into Safe Mode (a diagnostic mode of Windows) which will usually allow such infections to be manually removed.

According to Thor Schrock, owner of Schrock Innovations, the SpyFalcon / SpywareQuake / SpySheriff triad are all very much the same program and have a similar removal procedure. Unfortunately, that removal procedure is very technical and involves ending processes, deleting files and folders, and running free web-based tools. Despite the difficult nature of the removal, the Schrock Innovations website has been visited over 15,000 this month alone to retrieve the removal instructions.

“Computer users are becoming more and more technical every day," Schrock said. “The SpyFalcon, SpywareQuake, and SpySheriff infections are all designed to extort money from non-technical users."

Despite the fact that the makers of SpyFalcon, SpySheriff, and SpywareQuake seem to be targeting non-technical users, they only offer email-based support to individuals who purchase their product. This makes it impossible for a user to obtain assistance removing the SpyFalcon, SpySheriff, or SpywareQuake products without buying them first.

In fact, an excerpt from the SpyFalcon website states that “SpyFalcon has designed for one purpose, to remove spyware and all potentially unwanted computer applications. SpyFalcon has been developed with significant financial investment and research to ensure it is one of the best designed and supported PC security products in the marketplace." Despite what this poorly-worded excerpt states, the SpyFalcon program is nearly identical in its internal design to the SpySheriff and SpywareQuake programs. The detection database is almost identically designed and coded as well.

Schrock said the best thing consumers can do is not install random programs they find on the Internet. Complete removal instructions for all three programs can be found online.