In a previous post I discussed Internet Banking Fraud.
Fraudsters are employing all sorts of creative tactics to obtain information to access user’s bank accounts.
Recently I became aware of another attempt by fraudsters to get information from computer users.
This is how they operate:
“Microsoft Support Calls”.
1. You receive a call from a call centre agent claiming to be a “Microsoft support technician”.
2. He / she informs you of illegal activity that they have detected on your pc / laptop, and that they are there to assist you.
3. At this stage some users are in a panic mode and they want to give their full co-operation to clear the “illegal” activities.
4. Next, the “support technician” will ask you to open a program on your pc / laptop. Once you have opened the program; (most of the time the Command Prompt) they will ask you to type a few command lines in the program. This is where they are able to see what you type on your screen.
5. Now they will inform you that they will “monitor” your system for a year and that it will cost you a certain amount of money, mostly dollars.
6. They then ask you to enter your credit card details on the screen, because remember they can see what you are typing.
7. Once they have your credit card details they are able to transact on your behalf AND…
You never hear from them again.
Who is vulnerable?
I became aware of a number of attempts by these fraudsters and it seems to me that they are targeting home users and most often more senior citizens.
Remember that the telephone numbers of home users are available in telephone directories and on some websites like www.whitepages.co.za , so to get telephone numbers are actually very easy.
What to do?
1. For obvious reasons you should never, never give your credit card details to any person over the telephone.
2. If you receive a call and you are in doubt rather ask the person for his employee number , check it with the real Microsoft or contact a real technical person in your city / town who can give you the necessary support you need. To be honest I will even suggest that you terminate the call, yes it is rude but hopefully they will get the message.
3. Identify a reputable company who can give you the necessary support and refer any technical issues to them.
4. Always make sure that you have the latest operating system and anti-virus software on your pc / laptop.
Conclusion
As internet users it is our responsibility to ensure a safe internet environment, let’s spread the word to everyone, friends and family about these illegal activities.
If you know of any other fraud tactics, please share it with us.
Author, Fritz Els 11 September 2014