Back in September 2010 I sent out a newsletter alerting everyone of a “Computer Scam” that was doing the rounds.  Well unfortunately the “Scam” is still doing the rounds and catching people out.  It targets the home user and in a lot of  cases this can be someone who is not confident with computer technology and are easily taken in.  It works as follows, a call is received by the home user from a “computer technician” who informs the home user of a problem with their home PC and stating that they are calling from an accredited “Windows” support company are able to assist in solving the issue.

Firstly they are not aware that you even have a PC its purely based on the assumption that most homes have a PC and secondly they are not in a position to know anything about your PC and what its state of health is.  What they are aiming to get is a payment via your credit card on the basis that they will resolve the issue and provide cover for you for a period of time.  They are playing on the fears of the home user that there may be something wrong and therefore it needs fixing.

In order to minimise the number of people who can get caught with this scam I would appreciate if you could inform as many of your family, friends and colleagues as possible that this could happen to them and that it is a scam.  We have followed up on this company and the calls are coming from a legitmate IT company internationally but they are getting money for doing nothing other than making a call.

We have received the call at home on at least 5 occassions.  I have tried to keep them on the line as long as possible to get as much information about them but once they realise that they have been caught they just hang up.  I would feel that most people will recognise the phone call for what it is “a scam” however I would be concerned that some will be caught out by it.

If you are unsure about anything mentioned above please contact our office or myself directly for clarification.