Don’t fall for these costly scams

NEWS this past week that a Nigerian anti-corruption unit had discovered more than $43 million (R575m) in US dollars at a swanky apartment in Lagos prompted some mirth online. More than one Twitter wag speculated that the dosh belonged to a local prince or general who had been sending out e-mails for years in a vain attempt to give it all away.

I haven’t heard of anyone falling for the Nigerian 419 scam or one of its variants for some time now, but I still regularly hear of people being taken in by an equally hoary, but evidently more convincing con: The Microsoft tech support scam. The latest victim was a relative who will remain nameless to spare them embarrassment.

The con artists, apparently using public phone directories, call up potential marks claiming to be from Microsoft technical support, Windows helpdesk, or even Microsoft’s Research and Development Team, telling them that there is a problem with their computer, usually a virus.

Those who fall for this line are persuaded to allow the caller remote access to their system. Key logging or similar software is then installed on to their system allowing the fraudsters to monitor the person doing their day-to-day work, including internet banking.

At best, the victims are conned into paying a fee to solve the problem or buying a one year computer maintenance subscription. At worst, their online accounts are compromised and even cleaned out.

Microsoft has repeatedly stated that it will not cold call consumers and urged users not to purchase software or services over the phone.

Most importantly, NEVER give remote control over a PC to a third party calling you out of the blue, or give your credit card details over the phone.

What if you realise too late that you’ve fallen for this scam?

The first thing you should do is disconnect your PC from the internet, unplugging any network cables and switching off the wireless connection.

This cuts the fraudster’s link to your machine. While you’re doing this, get on the phone to your bank and alert them to the possibility that someone may have gained unauthorised access to your account.

Next, backup your data on the computer, wipe its disks, and reload your computer.

If you’re nervous about doing this on your own, take your PC to a reputable local repair technician.

It’s also a good idea to change all your passwords, as the fraudsters may have captured them using key logging software. But only do this after you’re sure that your system is free of malware and key loggers, or you’ll simply be gifting the new passwords to the bad guys.

I doubt many readers of this column have fallen for this scam, but it’s clear many people still do or the fraudsters wouldn’t keep trying. So please warn older or less tech-savvy relatives and friends about it.

A newer scam you might want to spread the word about also involves cold calling, this time from low lifes pretending to be from the customs division of the SA Post Office.

“The caller informs them that a parcel is ready for collection – provided they first pay money into an account.

“According to the caller, the money is for customs duties and courier fees,” the post office said on Tuesday.

Why is this relevant for a tech column? Well, many readers order items online from overseas-based sites like Amazon.com for local delivery, so they’re prime targets for these scam artists.

Victims are directed to a website that appears similar to the Speed Services website.

The phone number, however, is in the UK with a prefix of +44.

Customers are also given a pin which they have to enter before they can ‘track’ the fictitious parcel. The post office said it did not use pin numbers for its tracking service.

In one case, a potential mark was asked to pay R1 500 in courier charges and R2 000 in customs fees.

“The SA Post Office does not require customers to make any bank deposit before parcels are released.

“In instances where Sars levy import tax on parcels from abroad, the import tax must paid at the post office counter when the item is collected.

“The customer will receive a receipt for this payment,” the post office said.

Where the post office has the cellphone number of the recipient, the customer will receive an SMS requesting him or her to collect the parcel at a specific post office branch.

The SMS will not request that funds be deposited into an account, the post office emphasised.

It asked anyone with information about this scam to call the SA police or the post office’s Crime Buster Hotline on 0800 020 070.

Both these cons reveal how a technology that’s almost 150 years old, the telephone, is being used to dupe users of much more modern tech into parting with their money. Don’t be one of them. Follow Alan Cooper on Twitter @alanqcooper