We have seen a couple of variations of this scam over the past year or so. On the last occasion, our customer actually called us while they were on the phone with the perpetrator. We suggested she do nothing they asked, but simply get the caller to clearly state their company name, their name and give a call back number. Strangely, they hung up!

A number of our clients have told us that they have been contacted by phone, in the evening, by a company claiming that their presence on the internet has been detected by the company, and they have a serious problem with their PC, or a virus infection. They are directed to a website, and are offered a “solution” to this “problem”. This usually involves downloading a piece of software which allows the remote “technician” complete control over their PC. Astonishingly enough, in about 50% of cases that we know of, the victim has actually willingly complied!

This has obviously caused several of our clients some distress. Please be aware that this is nothing more than a scam.

Firstly, it is no business of any company (with which you do not have a direct association) when you are on the internet. In fact, they don’t know this at all – it’s just a trick to lure you in to buying their “services”.

Imagine you get a phone call at 8pm from someone saying they know that someone in your house is on the internet. That’s a fairly safe bet, but if they’re wrong, they’ll just hang up and dial their next victim. Ask yourself how they got your phone number. It’s not a basic piece of information stored in your PC. And if you do happen to have it stored in a document somewhere, or in your address book, what business do they have looking in there? The simple answer is (and we suspect this is true in every case): from the phone book!

In one case we actually followed through, the web site given was a genuine one (only in the sense that it actually existed), however it was constructed using poorly produced graphics, and full of spelling and grammatical errors and advertisements. Would you expect such a company to provide a worthwhile service?

If you receive a call from these people don’t visit their website, don’t do anything they suggest, don’t give them any information, simply hang up.

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