Viral phone scam nets local victims

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice, from various sources

If you get a phone call from someone who claims your computer is running slowly or is somehow infected, do not be taken in. Typically, as happened at our house several months ago, the caller will represent themselves as being from Microsoft or some other well known company, and offer to repair your computer by having you grant him access to it over the internet, for a fee. Ask yourself, how does this person know anything about my computer without engaging in illegal spying on me in the first place? How did they get my phone number? Ask them what operating system you are using and they will not be able to tell you. It's a lie.

Charges for this bogus service have been reported as ranging from $35.00 to $875. The cost of computer repair or replacement can be high enough to warrant buying a new computer instead. The cost to those who have given the perpetrators their credit card numbers is immeasurable.
Once a victim has granted the perpetrator access to their computer, any personal data stored there is open for plundering, including user names, passwords, banking information, credit card information, friend lists, etc. The criminal can install keyloggers, spam your friends, and engage in any number of fraudulent activities. Your computer can be used as a bot-net for the further spread of malicious software and other online crimes, including the overwhelming of targeted computer systems.
This kind of crime is also committed by luring unwary victims with online popups, often advertising anti-virus software, and other tricks of the spammers and scammers.

 Kurt McGraw of Pincher Creek's Quickdraw Computers says he has had over 50 calls about this specific issue, costing some of his customers "big money".

This particular scam has been reported to make up between 70 and 80 per cent of fraud reported daily in Canada.

Make sure you have legitimate up to date anti-virus software running on your computer.  Question anything or anyone that wants access to your computer.

The Voice will be sponsoring a workshop for computer users later this fall.

Sources and resources:

RCMP/Anti-fraud Centre press release
www.antifraudcentre.ca 

www.quickdrawcomputers.ca

Microsoft warns of phone scam