DON'T BE SCAMMED
A Forfar business-woman has warned computer owners to be wary of the information they give over the phone after three of her customers were targeted by scammers.
Lynda Walsh of RJW Services contacted the Dispatch last week to warn the situation was becoming serious.
Three of her customers received telephone calls from an Indian call centre stating they have been notified by Microsoft there was a problem with their computer.
She said: "Two of my customers have had money taken off them."
The operator explains there is a problem and logs onto the person's computer claiming they will sort the problem.
Lynda continued: "People need to know about this. I was attending an anti-virus conference and heard about this there, and then the next day I got a telephone call from one of my customers saying they had been called.
"The callers are logging onto people's computers to 'clear the problem' and charging a reasonably small amount, say 20 or 30, but then they have the bank details which they use later.
"That's the main issue, not the loss of 20 but it's what they do with the details.
"These callers are so persistent, sometimes you just give your details to get them off the phone.
"I have just received a call from one of my customers who has had a call from an Indian man saying their computer wasn't working properly and they were collecting all the computers in the area.
"But my customer had a brand new laptop. My advice to anyone who receives a call like this is never take the call, don't deal with anybody like that.
"If you do have a problem then take your computer to a local supplier."
Local trading standards officers have also issued a warning to computer owners who may have been targeted.
A spokesperson for Angus Council said: "Our trading standards officers are not aware of this issue but have warned members of the public that, apart from the customers' financial details being accessed, there may be issues as to what has been done to the computers.
"Clearly, the person calling was able to find out the phone numbers of these individuals, and knew that they each had a computer.
"Trading standards recommends that each of these computers is examined by a competent person to ensure that security has not been compromised."
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Weather for Forfar
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: East
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