A warning note from Andrew the Happy Helper for those of you with computers:
I am being called out to more residents being caught up in a common computer scam technique. It can be very distressing as people go through a process they are not familiar with, mostly not even required, and normally at a considerable cost.
Typically something will suddenly not work properly or your system will become very slow or may not even start properly. You may be shown an Australian phone number to call, or you may find one in a Google search.
This phone number is simply redirected to an overseas call centre. It will be answered by a highly trained and coercive operator who will convince you they need to have remote access to your computer to fix it.
They will also charge you exorbitant
amounts, a typical figure is US$400 or AU$600. PLEASE DO NOT CALL THEM.
The frustrating part of all of this is that most of the time they caused the
actual problem in the first place! They place programs called malware or
spyware onto your computer which can cause various problems to your computer or
peripherals.
It is important to know that most, if not all, of these malware and spyware
programs can be removed using off the shelf antivirus and anti malware
software.
Please ensure you:
Use a verified antivirus and antimalware program. Windows 10 includes the Defender antivirus suite and is often enough for basic security. Other software (eg. McAfee, Norton, TotalAV, AVast, AVG) offer further safety and maintenance options.
Do not click on links in emails sent by unknown people or companies in unsolicited emails. These are often how the viruses are downloaded onto your computer.
Do not give remote access to them or anyone else you do not personally know.
If you have any questions please feel free to give me a call.
Andrew the Happy Helper Ph: 0490 327 610
