Computer scam goes viral

GARDAI have again issued a warning alert on an ongoing computer scam. The ‘cold calling’ scam involves the owner of a computer receiving a telephone call from abroad. The number may appear to be an Irish number and the caller may even have the name of the person they are trying to con, claiming to be from a well-known computer company. The resident will be asked to check the Windows Event Log on their PC, and told that any alerts are a result of virus activity that needs to be fixed urgently.

 

The call recipient will be asked to access the PC to perform a scan to clear these alleged viruses, and credit card details will be requested.
The consequence of this scam is that the owner of the computer:
-Has granted full control of their PC to a stranger
-Has given their credit card details to a stranger
-Is exposed to potential loss of personal data stored on the computer and the unauthorised use of their credit card.
Gardaí advise anyone who has been the victim of this fraud to have their computer inspected by a reputable service centre and to contact their financial institution if they have given out their credit card details.
The gardaí should also be contacted.