# keyloggers - how common?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyloggers-how-common/540957>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 27, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyloggers-how-common/540957 "2010-05-27T15:06:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyloggers-how-common/540957/1 "2010-05-27T15:06:35Z")

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Now that we’ve established that [transmitting information over the internet is pretty safe,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=563748) I’m curious about [keyloggers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keylogger) that arrive on my home’s PC in spyware/malware. I keep hearing about them, but I haven’t heard of a case where someone has suffered identity theft or financial loss because of it.

How common are these? Are programs like Malware Bytes’ Anti-Malware program able to remove them?

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**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyloggers-how-common/540957/2 "2010-05-28T04:25:08Z")

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MalwareBytes claims to have gotten rid of several key loggers for me. I had some bogus charges made on a card that I seldom use, but did use for one online purchase at a time when I was likely infected.

MalwareBytes is effective enough that the last few machines I have cleared had malware that actively targeted it with counter measures, some very basic, some pretty sophisticated.