Beware 'IT' cold call scam

Police have received reports in a number of areas of phone calls being made to householders stating that a virus had been detected on the home PC and the person on the line required remote access in order to fix the problem.

Local resident Trisha Gillan contacted the Times on Friday to say that a work colleague was very upset after being targeted by one of the scammers on Thursday night.

She said a man called her colleague asking for personal information claiming that her computer was infected.

Trisha said: "My colleague refused to give to him after arguing that there was nothing wrong with her computer. When she told him that she had anti-virus software, he said that it was no use and the computer was infected. This was despite her computer not showing any signs of a problem.

"When I rang him back and asked him who he worked for, he hung up."

Police would advise anyone receiving similar calls not to allow anyone to access their personal computer.

A spokesperson said: “Allowing remote access by any company or individual could have serious consequences for the security of your computer and any confidential information, such as banking details, that are held on it.

“On occasions if you are having difficulty with an internet connection it may be appropriate to give remote access to the technical services department of your internet provider, but make sure that you are the person who initiates the transaction.

“Do not accept the word of cold callers that they are who they claim to be. Make a note of the number if you have the facility to do so, hang up and report the matter to police.

“If you are concerned about viruses, install reputable protection software that can scan your computer regularly. Some of these packages are free to download and operate. Specialist computer magazines frequently test and recommend anti-virus software and are a good source of advice.”