~by David W. Potts Consulting / www.oregoncomputer.com

A computer infection telephone scam has been launched, where the caller indicates there is a problem with the person’s computer and that they have called to fix the problem. These callers, often from India, may indicate they received a notification from Microsoft about the problem(s) with your computer and that they are working with Microsoft to correct computer problems.

This is a scam! These callers are trained to get you to give them personal information, such as credit card numbers. At the least, they will charge for the “fix” they performed on your computer (although they likely did nothing positive to your computer) or, at the worst, they will use your credit card for unauthorized charges or gather banking information from your computer. You should never provide any personal information to an unknown caller.

If you believe the call to be legitimate (such as from your bank), tell them you will call them back at their published number and then provide the appropriate information. Never use links in email to visit financial or auction sites, as, often you can be lead to “phishing” Web sites where they will attempt to ascertain personal information. Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America.

For more information on identity theft, please visit the FTC Web site at http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0014-identity-theft

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– Live Safe!