Saanich Police and Telus have issued warnings about scam artists calling people in Greater Victoria and tricking them into installing malicious software on their home computers.
Fraud artists often say they are from Microsoft or in some cases Telus and claim they have detected viruses and other weaknesses in a personB次元官网网址檚 computer.
People are directed to specific websites for a B次元官网网址渇ix,B次元官网网址� which typically uploads virus that seeks personal and financial information, and records keystrokes.
A 53-year-old woman from Langford, who requested anonymity, said she has received one to two phone calls per week from people purporting to be Microsoft Windows computer technicians. All had South Asian accents and some admitted they were calling from India, although their numbers displayed California and Colorado area codes.
B次元官网网址淭hey tried to get me to type things into the computer,B次元官网网址� she said B次元官网网址淚 may be old but IB次元官网网址檓 not stupid.B次元官网网址�
All claimed she had problems with her computer B次元官网网址渞unning slowB次元官网网址� or having viruses. She told a few that she didnB次元官网网址檛 own a computer and they promptly hung up.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a nuisance and a scam, and people should know, especially older people. It bothers me. There are a lot of scams out there.B次元官网网址�
Saanich police Sgt. Dean Jantzen said victims often agree to pay the caller via PayPal to fix viruses and then allow B次元官网网址渟ecurity softwareB次元官网网址� to be uploaded onto their machine from the Internet.
Telus said in a release it is getting reports from customers that scammers were requesting payment via credit card, compromising both the card and the computer.
B次元官网网址淥ffering someone you donB次元官网网址檛 know remote access to your computer over the Internet is like giving them the keys to your house,B次元官网网址� Jantzen said. B次元官网网址淥nce access is gained, a virus or software can be placed on your computer to monitor what your doing or access your banking information.B次元官网网址�
Telus says that legitimate companies would already have, and should not need to verify, name or account details. If unsure, hang up and contact the company directly.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
