It has come to my attention that there is a company purporting to be working 'for' or 'with' Microsoft who are calling residents in different areas around the County, telling homeowners that they have a virus or problem with their computer and they are ringing to fix it.
There have been two new twists to this scam:
Firstly, the callers have also stated that they call from other types of IT companies not just Microsoft so be wary of all.
They use various different guises, one such being: phoning people to say that they had completed a form during a survey to say they had problems with their computer and that they were doing a follow up call.
This is despite no one filling out such a form or completing a survey!
These callers can be convincing so do not engage in conversation and do not automatically believe that your partner or a member of your household has called them and forgotten to tell you. The action to take would be to simply say no thanks and hang up.
Secondly, they have started saying that they work for the verification team and are calling in relation to an insurance claim that has been made.
These are new ruses and may be being used as they are getting no joy from their usual script, however residents should be made aware as people may well think that a member of their family has indeed made an insurance claim as this sounds more official
Advice to all residents if they receive this type of call is the following:
DO NOT give personal details to anyone over the phone
DO NOT give any computer information to these callers
DO NOT make any payment to these callers
DO NOT be afraid to hang up the phone
As an aside - If you feel there is a problem with your computer or IT equipment - always check with your household to see if
a) they have already dealt with it,
b) ensure that you use a reputable company to sort any problems out,
c) check different reputable companies on pricing to see how much it will cost you to have any real problems fixed.
Sue Gibson
Force Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator
Partnerships & Neighbourhoods
Public Services
Hampshire Constabulary 0845 0454545
CRIMESTOPPERS: 0800 555111
For information on The Hampshire Neighbourhood Watch Association please visit their website on: www.hantsnwa.org.uk or visit the Hampshire Neighbourhood Watch Association FACEBOOK page |