PC support scams
Added 14 December 2011 ...
Incidents of this scam are being reported
again. The scammers
are now known to be based in India. Cases exactly as described
previously are now being reported.
Added 28 July 2011 ...
Police across Cheshire are warning the public
to be on their guard following telephone 'scamming' attempts reported recently.
Con-artists are posing as a legitimate IT support agencies and
contacting members of the public to tell them that their computer
security has been compromised, and they can fix the problem
for them for a fee.
The victim is told that their software contains
a virus and asked for credit card details and private information
such as computer passwords, to complete a transaction and fix
the 'problem'.
In the cases reported in Cheshire,
the company involved in the scam was 'TechAviators'. In two of
the cases, one victim in Frodsham and one in Chester were alarmed
at the requests made by the company and terminated the call.
In the third case, an elderly victim in Widnes received a call
and passed on her bank details to the company who subsequently
made phone calls demanding hundreds of pounds for 'fixing' her
computer.
DS Peter Kidd from the Economic Crime Unit who is investigating
the incidents said "What is of particular concern to us is
the manner in which this fraudulent company are extracting personal
details from victims. Many people could fall prey to this type
of crime, particularly those who aren't 'technically aware' and
would unwittingly pass on their personal details, in the belief
that there is a problem with their computer or internet connection.
Be aware of anyone who purports to be from a company such as TechAviators,
or indeed any organisation or company who ask for your personal
details in this manner - or by email - as it is likely to be a
scam. You would be the first person to be aware if your computer
had a problem - not a [remote] company."
Police urge all home computer
and laptop users to be aware of this information, and to share
the advice with members of their family who may be susceptible
to this type of crime. Anyone who has experienced a similar incident,
or requires further advice, should contact Cheshire Police on
101.
Similarly, anyone needing help and advice, or anyone
with concerns about the legitimacy of a company can also alert
the Action Fraud web site and their local Trading Standards.
If cash is taken from your bank please ring
ACTION FRAUD on 0300 123 2040.
Microsoft
calls scam
Added 19 July 2011 ...
A number of residents in this area have
received unsolicited phone calls from people
purporting to be from Microsoft. These callers may use a number
of scripts but in general appear to suggest that there is some
kind of fault with your computer - possibly that it is running
slow or that they have had a report that there is a virus in your
computer. In essence they will try and get you to provide them
with money in return for providing a fix for your computer. Unfortunately,
some of these callers may be very proficient at convincing people
that there is a major issue by slipping in computer jargon and
confusing people with technical details and fixes that the average
computer user might be unfamiliar with. The callers telephone number
is usually withheld in these calls should you try '1471' after
terminating the call.
I have been onto the fraud
pages of the Microsoft web site and obtained a statement that the
company have posted there about unsolicited phone calls. This statement
is copied below for your interest:
Microsoft does not make unsolicited phone calls to help you
fix your computer.
In this scam cybercriminals call you and claim to be from
Microsoft Tech Support. They offer to help solve your computer
problems. Once the crooks have gained your trust, they attempt
to steal from you and damage your computer with malware including
viruses and spyware.
Although [police] can trace phone numbers, perpetrators
often use pay phones, disposable cellular phones, or stolen
cellular phone numbers. It's better to avoid being conned rather
than try to repair damage afterwards.
Treat all unsolicited phone calls with scepticism. Do not provide
any personal information.
If you receive an unsolicited call from someone claiming to be
from Microsoft Tech Support, hang up. We do not make these kinds
of calls.
JANE THIRSK
Watch Officer
Cheshire Police
Macclesfield Neighbourhood Policing Team 0845 458 6371
Police non-emergency number: 101
PS. The webmaster attended a meeting of seven people and four
had received calls of the above type! However, I do not know whether
I have received such calls because of the method of call filtering
that I use - see the page on Phone
Security, particularly the section on Call filtering.
Other Homewatch pages of current relevance: Briefs (recent
crimes in the Macclesfield Division including Bollington, Kerridge
and Pott Shrigley).
If you haven't looked at the homewatch pages before we recommend
looking at the homewatch home page.
