I get a call from my dad… [quote]A person saying they are a representative from Microsoft just called and said my computer has viruses on it and needs to be fixed.[/quote] Luckily he told them to ring back and got my opinion on it before proceeding.  I had seen this issue several times before – they had rung some personal clients, my neighbours and even me! The calls originate from overseas but as many call centres are located overseas now, it may be hard to differentiate truth from fiction. What the scammers do, if you are unfortunately duped into proceeding, is get you to install remote access software on your computer. They then show you some error messages to back up their claims, install fake security software and make you pay for it.  Of course – once they have remote access they can install anything, meaning this threat could be constantly changing. Not only that but they are now apparently ringing proporting to represent Telstra or Bigpond.  They know that if they pretend to be a big enough company that a large proportion of the people they call will be using services from that company and will at least listen to what they have to say.

Please be aware that this is a worldwide scam and the Australian Do Not Call register will not protect you from receiving these calls. They are finding the numbers through various means and pay no attention to the Australian laws regarding marketing calls.

Scammers are always looking for avenues to make money. Always be wary of people contacting you out of the blue. And remember that if it seems too good to be true then it probably is (even if it seems legitimate!). The recent eBay scam is a case in point where a scammer hired the services of high feedback rating eBay sellers to sell high value goods such as LCD TVs on their behalf. The scammers then delivered empty boxes to the purchasers who were duped into a false sense of security due to the high feedback rating. The poor sellers and buyers would not be feeling the Christmas spirit right now!

The Australian Government ScamWatch website has some great advice on how to protect yourself  in situations such as this…

• NEVER give an unsolicited caller remote access to your computer.
• If you have given remote access to your computer, or you fear that your computer has been hacked, seek out help or advice from a qualified and reputable computer technician.
• Never give your personal, credit card or online account details over the phone unless you made the call and the phone number came from a trusted source.
• Make sure your computer is protected with regularly updated anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a good firewall – research first and only purchase software from a source that you know and trust.
• If you have fallen victim to a scam or you receive a lot of unsolicited emails and phone calls consider changing your email address and phone numbers.
• If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.

http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/862103