Fuzzy Logic

Phone Scams

I’ve heard a few reports and have seen details of a malicious  scam very similar to the one described in this QLD Police Media Release doing the rounds in Hervey Bay:

“The scam involves people taking a call from a person working at a foreign call centre. The victim receives a call from the offender, who claims to belong to a software support company that has been requested by Microsoft to fix problems on the victim’s computer.

The offender confirms the victim’s computer has sent error messages to Microsoft regarding problems with their Windows Explorer.

The offender will then direct the victim through a process on their computer ultimately giving the offender remote access to the computer to download Trojans or gain access to personal information.

Once the offender has gained access, they will then give or sell the victim software in order to prevent this problem in the future. The victim, instead of downloading anti-virus software, will unknowingly be installing a virus on their computer which may be used to gather credit card data.“

There’s also another scam that’s been reported recently and some people in Hervey Bay may have already experienced it.  Details here.

In the case that I’d seen, the caller had contacted the end user, addressing them by name and revealing other details in an attempt to appear legitimate. The  customer details  used were publically available, such as surname and address – typically available in telephone books.  The end result was that the caller gained access to the PC, claimed to have fixed the problem and then gave the customer a bill for the “service”.  The scammers also claimed to be calling on behalf of “Windows”.  Note that “Windows” is not a company.  It’s a product.  It’s like owning a Toyota Corolla and someone rings up saying they represent “Corolla”…

The scammers ask the customer to install legitimate remote management software such as LogMeIn123, which gives them free reign over the customer’s PC.  They can then extract passwords and personal details or inject viruses into the system.

How do I tell if a scammer has called me?

Simply put, if you receive an unsolicited phone call from a person claiming to represent a software company; or if you have had no prior relationship with technical support for that company, then it is most likely a scammer.  One suggestion is to ask them for a contact number so you can call them back.  Usually they will hang up or nobody answers when you dial the number that they gave you.

The bottom line is that if you are not absolutely certain who they are – end the call.

What can I do if a scammer has called me?

Grab as much detail as you can and report it to Scamwatch or to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.  This will assist them in shutting down the scammers.  If you have caller ID, note the caller’s number.  Note who they claim to represent, why they are calling and when they called.

What if I’ve already been scammed?

Generally the aim of these scams is to extract money from you or to obtain personal information.  If you’ve paid money for a “service”, seek immediate assistance from your bank.  They’re surprisingly helpful with this stuff.  If you’ve used a payment service (eg.  Paypal) to conduct transactions, you can contact their Australian branch on 1800 073 263 and lodge a dispute.  You’ll need details of the transaction.  You should also contact Scamwatch or Crime Stoppers using the details provided above.

If the scammers have gained access to your PC, any personal details you keep on your PC may be compromised.  It would be a good idea to change email passwords, login passwords and any other details that you have stored on your computer.  This is a very good reason not to store bank PIN details and the like on your PC.  Scams like this can also involve the scammers installing malicious software on the PC.  It would be worth contacting a computer technician to have them check that the PC is clean or if need be, to help you change the relevant passwords for your internet accounts.

These scams are usually elaborate and well organised.  It can be easy for even the most “scam smart” people to get stung, so don’t take it to heart.  Focus your attention on covering your own tracks and reporting the scammers.

Is there anything else I should know?

Yes.  There’s another much more common type of scam that’s been doing the rounds over the past few years.  Basically it’s a rogue security program that’s designed to mimic Windows or legitimate security software, reporting that your PC is infected.  In order to “clean” the PC with this rogue software, they ask you to pay for the “full version” via credit card.  This software is the infection and is usually accompanied by other infected files.  The infections that they report are often legitimate system files, meaning that if you try to “clean” the PC with the rogue software, you may cause more serious problems to your Windows installation.

Usually rogue software is easy to identify by the fact that it keeps popping up or denies you the freedom to use your PC.  If your PC does get infected by one of these rogue programs, you should immediately contact a computer technician to have them remove it.  We will be adding a more comprehensive guide on how to identify and avoid rogue security software to this site soon.

I encourage you to visit the federal government’s Stay Smart Online website for further information about online security.

Tags: adware, antivirus, malware, rogue, scam, security, spyware