This in from the council, in their own words. Ed
There’s been much media coverage recently about the ‘Gameover Zeus’ virus. With this current virus threat, our Trading Standards service is warning residents to take care if they receive an unsolicited phone call about any virus on their computer.
What the scammer will attempt
Typically, the scammer will ring and ask for the householder, normally quoting their name, to make the call seem genuine. They will then claim they work for a computer company, most likely Microsoft, as they know this is the software most people use.
The caller will then tell their intended victim that they have received a report from their internet service provider of serious virus problems on the computer.
At this stage the scammer may:
- Install an antivirus program on the computer – typically the kind that can be downloaded from a reputable company for free.
- Ask for credit card details but install nothing. The victim’s details might then be sold to other parties or used for fraudulent purposes.
- Install malware on the computer which may enable the computer to be controlled remotely for other illegal or harmful purposes.
- Access and steal personal and financial details from the computer.
What to do
If you receive a phone call that you believe may be a scam, do not engage in conversation and hang up immediately. If you receive a similar notification by email or text message, do not open the link and delete it.
If you feel pressured to act, disclose personal details or send money to a stranger, this will certainly be a scam. Contact our trading standards service on 821000 if you think you have been targeted by a scammer.
Image: computer-repair-frederick-md under CC BY 2.0
