TrendLabs, a division of TrendMicro, has uncovered a Trojan that users may be installing on their computer. The Trojan is loaded when users attempt to gain access to full software packages via downloaded activation cracks. Once installed, the Trojan can be used to steal sensitive financial data, including credit card numbers and bank information.

The company estimates that one in six computers worldwide is infected with hacking tools, with software cracks and illegal software download sites being a primary route of infection. By attempting to avoid paying a few dollars for the software, users are placing themselves at risk of losing hundreds or even thousands of dollars via these Trojans.