Computer service fraud occurs when fraudsters posing to be from legitimate companies, such as your internet service provider (ISP) or Microsoft, call to tell you that there’s a problem with your computer.
They’ll say that there’s a virus on your machine, or a problem with your internet connection, and that they can fix the problem for a fee. What these fraudsters really want is for you to unwittingly grant them remote access to your computer by installing software or visiting a particular website, and for you to give them your payment details.
£2k is the average amount of money lost by each victim of computer service fraud. 33,000 is the number of computer service fraud reports made to Action Fraud between May 2015 and April 2016. £9.5m is the total amount reported lost by victims of computer service fraud between May 2015 and April 2016.
How to protect yourself…
• Legitimate companies like Microsoft and Google will never cold call you asking for remote access to your computer or for your financial details.
• Always be wary of unsolicited calls, if you’re unsure of the caller’s identity, hang up.
• Even if the caller is able to provide you with details such as your full name, don’t give out any personal or financial information during a cold call. Never grant the caller remote access to your computer, go to a website or install software as a result of the call.
• If you suspect that you may have been a victim of computer service fraud, report it to Action Fraud as soon as possible. Also consider having your computer looked at by a trusted technician in order to determine if any malware was installed on your machine during the call.
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