SECURITY WARNING PC scammers picked on high-ranking officer
Top cop issues warning
Brazen cyber criminals picked on the wrong person when they tried out an online scam on a top Tayside police officer.
Perth and Kinross area commander Ian Scott showed the crooks short shrift when they called him at home, offering assistance with his computer software.
But the chief inspector was alert to the well-known scam which focuses on Windows operating system computers and simply strung the unwitting advisor along.
Chief Inspector Scott said: “Just in the last week I received a call at home on my landline while eating my cornflakes.
“The lady explained that she was calling in relation to my Windows operating system on my personal computer. Never being too happy to share any personal details either over the phone, internet or to cold callers, I stated that I didn’t have a PC.
“The caller continued by confirming my name and phone number and that she simply needed some details to help improve the efficiency of the operating system and asked what tablet I used, I again stated that I didn’t have a tablet at which point she hung up.”
He used his experience to underline the basic messages of online and home security: “Unfortunately on a weekly basis people across the country, including Perth and Kinross, are conned out of money by unscrupulous individuals and teams, looking to steal money from any source available.
“Please do not provide personal information to any type of cold caller.”
Calls offering PC support of this type - which result in the callers accessing your computers remotely - leave people vulnerable to cyber crime. Unlimited access for these types of so-called virus checks or performance issues has been known to leave viruses on computers, access private bank accounts and images and leave customers out of pocket for often unnecessary work. Chief Inspector Ian Scott was called during breakfast but was alert to it