A Twist on the Computer Support Telephone Scam

Yes, that’s right, criminals can now sit back and wait until you ‘phone them with your bank details. In a shocking development, a malware infected web browser can blot out your screen with a scary warning that your computer has been “hacked” and to call the displayed telephone number immediately for support. The popup is very persistent and can be a nightmare to close down and therefore lead some desperate users to actually call for help.

DON’T PANIC – This is a scam. As before DON’T ‘phone the number and, above all, don’t give the scammers personal/bank details. They may try to persuade you to let them have remote access to your computer. Please, don’t let them!.

Just shut down your computer using the power button (hold in for five seconds) and then call a genuine computer engineer (i.e. me) to make your computer safe to use again. This sort of hack makes use of computer security weaknesses so your computer may need some security updates.