Beware if......“Someone” from Windows/Microsoft calls to say they have detected suspicious activity and virus on your computer.

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“Someone” from Windows/Microsoft calls to say they have detected suspicious activity and virus’s on your computer.  They provide a URL that you are to type into your browser.  When you do, they remotely access your computer and upload a “virus software” that is actually a spybot that starts busily gathering all your information off your hard drive.  And it arbitrarily removes your own virus software to make your computer vulnerable.  As well, they offer their “repairs” for free until they install the offending software which mucks up your computer so bad that you can’t operate it and then they offer to remove the problem for a fee!

This happened a few months ago to my friend Pam, whom you met when I brought her to a WINGS meeting in Orillia.  Thankfully, I had been doing “remote” stuff with her on her computer and as soon as she saw them take control of her mouse she knew what was happening and quickly shut down her computer until I got there to go into “Safe” mode on her computer and remove the offending upload so they couldn’t grab all her information.

This can have a catastrophic effect on any person who uses their computer for business – not only does all their information get hacked but it makes the computer unuseable until a “techie” can come in to fix it which costs huge or they fall for this whole scheme and have to pay the hacker to fix the problems.

Diane L. Coville

INBOUND MARKETING SPECIALIST

Alternative Office Assistance

Phone:        705-733-1563

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