Police warn residents not to be duped by computer virus scam (From Bromsgrove Advertiser)

Police warn residents not to be duped by computer virus scam

2:10pm Saturday 11th February 2012 in Local

WEST Mercia Police is warning people about unsolicited phone calls from companies telling them their computer has a virus and they need to access the system to fix it.

Ed Roberts, from West Mercia Police’s hi-tech crime unit, said if people get a call like this they should hang up, not let the caller have remote access to their computer, and not part with money.

“This scam has been around for a few years, but we have had a lot of reports recently from residents saying they have received these types of calls.

“Many have downloaded harmful software which allows scammers to access their computers and installs viruses, rather than remove them. They have then had to pay reputable firms a lot of money to repair the damage caused.

“In the worst cases, people have paid up to £150 to these tricksters to pay them to fix a problem they didn't have in the first place.”

The scam operates by householders being called by someone claiming to be from Microsoft or a company working on their behalf. They say the person’s computer has a serious virus problem and if it is not fixed now, bad things will happen to their computer.

To gain trust, the scammer will direct people to the event viewer in Windows. The event viewer is always full of messages, but the caller will try and convince people that these are signs of a serious problem.

Once trust has been gained, the caller will ask people to visit a website and download a program which lets them access the computer remotely. People will then see the caller moving the mouse around, opening folders and showing them where the ‘problem' is. The caller will then ask for credit card details for payment to fix the ‘problem'.

Mr Roberts said: “Unfortunately, it is often the most vulnerable in our communities who are taken in by these scams.

“Microsoft does not make these kinds of calls and I urge anyone who receives an unsolicited call like this to hang up immediately and not give the scammer the time of day.”