We live in a world growing ever more dependent upon Information Technology (IT).
This technology aids us, and can improve our productivity and quality of life in so many ways. However, there are some people trying to take advantage of the complexity implicit in ITsystems. These people do not care about you or your data. They are just out to make a quick buck. So what can we do to protect ourselves from these dishonest people?
Cold Call Scammers:
This con involves a phone call, often late at night, from a person claiming to be from either Microsoft, Windows, a telco, or even the police, informing you of ‘a problem with your computer’. They will guide you to installing a program that will give them access to your computer. They will then proceed to show you alleged viruses and problems with your computer, which they can ‘fix’ for you. Needless to say, once they have access to your computer they demand money, and in the worst cases they then go on to ransack your hard drive, deleting important files, stealing private information or installing key loggers that will track your every key stroke. These people can be very forceful, even threatening or trying to scare you to get what they want.
Solution:
These types of scams are actually the easiest to solve. Basically, no one legitimate will phone you unless you have phoned them first. Just say you don’t have a computer and hang up. If they are really persistent, calling you back again and again, then threaten to inform the cybercrime team about the call. And remember – if in doubt, just call us. We can help.Remember, never give control of your computer to anyone unless you can confirm they are from a legitimate computer support team, of which you are already a customer, and you initiated the call. And never give your credit card details or private information to someone over the phone. If you like you can report the call to the police-endorsed cybercrime website: www.theorb.org.nz