If you get a call from a scammer pretending to be an engineer offering to fix your computer it is a scam! In this BLOG we’ll go through steps on how to stop you falling victim to this scam…
How it works!
Believe it or not this scam has been running since 2009 and has not gone away. It
all starts with the scammer calling you and identifying you by your name – giving them some credibility from the outset. They say they are an engineer from Microsoft or more recently an engineer from BT or another broadband provider. They can be polite and presentable, and they say you’re PC / Laptop is infected with viruses or malware and offer to fix the problem.
Most scammers will ask for remote access to your machine to fix the problem, this is where they can access your personal data. They will ask you to download a program which grants them access to your machine but in fact it is a Malware program which infects your machine with the virus. They then offer a lifetime membership for a fixed fee to unlock your computer and remove the malware.
The important bit
No legitimate company will ever call you in this way, especially Microsoft! For one thing how do they know your computer is affected by a virus or with malware? They probably got your name from a marketing survey you did online or an item you purchase where you had to provide your name and address etc. Basically it is someone in a room number crunching hoping to find a victim.
What to do if you get called
1. Put the phone down straight away! 2. During the call do not give the caller any personal information or credit card details 3. If you got this far do not let the caller guide you to a website or change any of your computer settings 4. If possible get the callers details; you should certainly report this to the fraud squad! 5. Finally, change all your login details and passwords and make sure your antivirus is up to date! Also, remember to share with friends and family to make sure they know about this scam!
What happens if you fall victim
Don’t beat yourselves up over this, it could happen to anyone. You need to change as much personal data as you can. Passwords, login details and most importantly inform your bank about what has happened. Use up to data security software to scan and clean your computer. If the scammer did get onto your computer perform a system rollback to take your software back to where it was before the hacker gained access. Most importantly tell the Police and if you have lost money through this scam, most credit card companies should refund it!
Ben Leach is Director of BL IT Solutions
Oh my god. I received the call day before yesterday and luckily I was driving so I asked him to call back. Never heard from him after that.