Scammers are continuing their efforts to exploit public fears over Conficker, this time with promises of protection via a product made to look similar to Symantec’s Norton Antivirus 2009.

Attackers have been blasting out e-mails that mention the names of Symantec executives talking about the worm and linking to a Website that uses the name "AntiVirus 2009." The Website also compares the software it is selling to well-known products from companies such as Kaspersky Lab and AVG Technologies.

The e-mails - which also include a "product activation code" - feature phony messages such as this one: “???It???s definitely serious,??? Kevin Haley, director of security response at Symantec, said of the virus thought to be embedded in millions of network computers across the globe.”

“After clicking on the link inside the message, we find that it redirects to a Website where the user is promptly given directions on how to make a payment,” blogged Mayur Kulkarni of Symantec Security Response. “Whether or not any product will be made available after the payment is made is still unknown at this point. Even if it were, its effectiveness would be questionable because it will most likely be a rogue application or pirated software.”