No matter how much anti-virus or anti-spyware software you have on your computer, scams are still fighting back, causing fraud, money laundering and identity theft. We have listed some of the common scams below. Please try and remember if it sounds too good to be true, it is.
Email – Many scams are run by email and there are a couple of different types.
Dear heart….
We have all received the email from a distraught person in another country, claiming a relative has passed away, leaving millions and your help is needed to transfer the money etc etc. Luckily most people have realised this is a scam and the frequency of such emails is rapidly declining.
Your parcel…..
One of the latest scams is an email purporting to be from a parcel courier such as DHL or UPS, saying you were out when they called. Usually there is an attachment they ask you to open. The reason this scam is successful is because most couriers do in deed email you when a parcel is due or couldn’t be delivered. The best advice is to go to the parcel company website directly and do not use any links contained within the email. Never open an attachment
Your bank….
Many people have recieved an email saying their bank has updated the security details and you just need to click on the link. Remember this. UK banks do not send emails. Its that simple.
Telephone – This is one of the growing forms of scam.
In general, you will be phoned by a person claiming to be from Microsoft or AVG or any other large company name you may recognise. The script normally runs along the lines as follows:
1. Your computer is showing up as being hacked
2. Your router is indicating large numbers of people are using it
3. Your anti-virus software is not working
The caller will then get you to go to different parts of your computer that will show error logs. They will then say this is proof of the problem. All you will then need to do is buy some software and the problem will be resolved. Please can we have your credit card number.
Ultimately, there is no software, there are no errors. The whole point of the call is to obtain your credit card information. Once they have this, the scammers will withdraw as much as they can.
Remember – Microsoft have over a billion computers running Windows operating systems. They certainly do not have time to call you personally about your computer. It is virtually impossible to call them when you have a genuine issue.
