This is about the Gator spyware/adware component. For the general term, see digital wallet

Digital wallet

A digital wallet allows users to make electronic commerce transactions quickly and securely.A digital wallet functions much like a physical wallet...

.

The Gator E-Wallet was one of the earlier and better known forms of spyware

Spyware

Spyware is a type of malware that can be installed on computers, and which collects small pieces of information about users without their knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user, and can be difficult to detect. Typically, spyware is secretly installed on the user's...

 and/or adware

Adware

Adware, or advertising-supported software, is any software package which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertisements to a computer. These advertisements can be in the form of a pop-up. They may also be in the user interface of the software or on a screen presented to the user during...

.

The program was described as your helpful online

ONLINE

ONLINE is a magazine for information systems first published in 1977. The publisher Online, Inc. was founded the year before. In May 2002, Information Today, Inc. acquired the assets of Online Inc....

 companion, that remembers your online login

Login

Login is the method whereby a user obtains access to a computer system.Login may also refer to:*Magazines:** LOGiN, published by Enterbrain** ;login:, published by USENIX* Login, Carmarthenshire, an hamlet in Carmarthenshire...

s and password

Password

A password is a secret word or string of characters that is used for authentication, to prove identity or gain access to a resource . The password should be kept secret from those not allowed access....

s. Unfortunately, the E-Wallet program installs GAIN, which is known to show pop-up ad

Pop-up ad

Pop-up ads or pop-ups are a form of online advertising on the World Wide Web intended to attract web traffic or capture email addresses. Pop-ups are generally new web browser windows to display advertisements...

s and hijack Internet search results. It also returns visited websites to Claria Corporation

Claria Corporation

Claria Corporation was a software company based in Redwood City, California with products many considered spyware. It was established in 1998 by Denis Coleman. Its name was often used interchangeably with its Gain advertising network, which it claimed serviced over 40 million users...

's servers, so the program can analyze one's habits and thus display ads based on those habits.

How E-Wallet Gets on Your System

It is true that this program can be downloaded knowingly from the Claria Website, but in reality this program is usually unwanted. Some versions of Kazaa

Kazaa

Kazaa Media Desktop started as a peer-to-peer file sharing application using the FastTrack protocol licensed by Joltid Ltd. and operated as Kazaa by Sharman Networks...

 and other P2P

Peer-to-peer file sharing

P2P or Peer-to-peer file sharing allows users to download files such as music, movies, and games using a P2P software client that searches for other connected computers. The "peers" are computer systems connected to each other through internet. Thus, the only requirements for a computer to join...

 programs have been known to install this. Also, it may download by the means of an ActiveX

ActiveX

ActiveX is a framework for defining reusable software components in a programming language-independent way. Software applications can then be composed from one or more of these components in order to provide their functionality....

 applet

Applet

In computing, an applet is any small application that performs one specific task that runs within the scope of a larger program, often as a plug-in. An applet typically also refers to Java applets, i.e., programs written in the Java programming language that are included in a web page...

 in Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer

Windows Internet Explorer is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995. It was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year...

. If you click "Yes" to a prompt for this program, it will download and install the E-Wallet app and the GAIN app. Some versions have been known to use a file called "Trickler" to slowly and stealthily install the program and the adware component GAIN.

Removal

According to the publisher, Claria, you can remove it VIA the add/remove applet in the Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...

 Control Panel. The adware "should" uninstall after all GAIN supported apps are gone. However if this does not work you may want to download an anti-spyware program. These automated programs can usually remove the E-Wallet Application and the GAIN Spyware App.

Other GAIN supported programs

Claria Corp. also makes other trivial programs that aren't major for computer users' needs. All of their programs are known to contain the GAIN spyware. $30 removes the ads, but the GAIN spyware can still send your surfing habits back to the home server. Other GAIN Supported apps include:

• Kazaa (Some Versions)
• Precision Time
• Date Manager
• DashBar
• Web Secure Alert
• ScreenScenes.com Screensavers

External links

• Claria Corp. Main Page Maker of the GAIN software and E-wallet.
• PCHell Gator Removal and Spyware Removal
• Spybot Search&Destroy Spyware removal tool.
• Rusnakweb, contains GAIN Removal Help, support forum, and Spyware Database