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Monday, 19 December 2011 13:01 |
This piece is taken with permission from Zulucom. Now that most of us are in the holiday spirit we tend to let our guard down so take note and ensure you do not become a victim.
"I wrote about this in our September newsletter but the issue needs to be repeated as I have become aware of a few users who have been scammed by these crooks.
The way it works is like this; Out of the blue someone phones you to ask if you operate a computer. They will then tell you that they work for some IT company and that Microsoft have advised them that your computer is contaminated.... and they want to help you!. All you have to do is click on a link and they will log in remotely and fix the problem. Fact is that the are scammers - if you let them log in they infect your PC and then tell you that you have to pay to eradicate the infection - the very infection they installed!. If you let this carry on they will charge your credit card.
So if you get such a phone call tell them one of 2 things;
- You are running Apple, not Microsoft, so you don't need their help.
- You will call your IT guy to come on site and check your PC for you.
Either way hang up - or better still put the phone on the desk while you go for an extended coffee break!
PS1; they might use the name 'Click and Fix' or similar, but in any event anyone you don't know who phones you to tell you that you have a problem is fake!
PS2; If you phone someone for help and they suggest that they take remote control of your PC this is acceptable - after all you called them first, that's the difference, right?"
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