Alpha Technical Solutions

Posts Tagged ‘scams’

Image by originalrobart via Flickr

Back in January we reported on the existence of a phony tech support scam. You can read that blog entry here.

According to Security Tips Talk on MSDN Blogs this problem is still continuing. You can read their entry on the subject here.

They have some useful tips on avoiding these scams and also a list of known scams that use Microsoft’s names – so it might be a good a idea if you take a look these to help keep yourself informed on this subject.

We also have some advice on beating scams here.

I’m taking a bit of inspiration here from last weeks security alert.

Let’s recap on the nature on this scam.

• Someone from claiming to be from Microsoft calls you

• They claim there is a security issue with your computer

• They talk you through “fixing the computer”, though actually they are invalidating security and exposing you to a web site full of hungry malware.

• They take your credit card number and money vanishes from your account.

This is classic approach that preys entirely on the victims ignorance and fear.

It opens up the question how do you gain the savvy to avoid being a victim to this kind of attack.

The answer is a fairly simple – you do it keeping a clear and thoughtful head applying these rules

• Any unexpected telephone call that makes you feel fear or concern has a good chance of being some one trying to manipulate you. Put down the phone and try to verify their claims. Do not blindly believe them.

• No large computer corporation ever calls customers to fix problems ad-hoc. It doesn’t happen as there are better solutions to the problem for them. Again put down the phone this is not real.

• A company you know calls you and asks for access to your computer. Possibly real but unless they can prove who they are put the phone down.

Scams are all about convincing you to do something. Remember this – a computer criminal attacks computers. A good computer criminal goes after people. Psychology is a powerful weapon and it is horribly easy to get you to do something that is not in your best interest. After all why hack a computer if you can get someone else to do all the work for you?