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Computer threat phone scam hits SA


Johannesburg, 24 Oct 2011

Don't give out your personal or banking details to callers phoning with warnings about your computer security, no matter how genuine they seem.

That's the stark warning from Microsoft South Africa's chief security advisor, Dr Khomotso Kganyago, who says there have been reports of a new phone scam that has fleeced countless overseas consumers of their hard-earned cash popping up in South Africa.

“The way the scam works is that criminals, posing as computer security engineers, call people at home telling them they are at risk from one or another computer security threat,” says Dr Kganyago. “The scammers tell the victims they are providing free security checks, throwing in the names of legitimate companies and using telephone directory information to refer to their victims by name.

“Once tricked, these victims are left believing they have a problem and that the caller can help. From there, it's a few short, scary steps to permitting remote access to their computers or downloading software code, provided by the criminals, which sources credit card and purchase information.”

Microsoft investigators say as many as 79% of 7 000 people polled in the UK, Ireland, US and Canada suffered some sort of loss. Seventeen percent said money had been taken from their accounts; 19% reported compromised passwords; and 17% were victims of identity fraud. More than half (53%) said they suffered subsequent computer problems.

At this stage, the scam is believed to only affect countries where the main language is English.

“However, following the trends set by fake lottery and other Internet scams, it is only a question of time before scammers acquire skills in other languages and look to expand their operation,” says Dr Kganyago.

Dr Kganyago says a few basic pieces of advice can help local consumers from being taken in by this and other scams:


1. Never provide personal information, such as credit card or bank details, over the telephone.
2. Never install anything, visit any Web sites or follow any other instruction given to you by a stranger on the phone.
3. Ensure that your operating system is fully updated and that any security updates have been downloaded.
4. Make sure your system is protected by strong passwords, which are changed regularly.

If consumers fear they may already have been scammed, they should immediately change the computer's password, scan their computers with a safety scanner, and contact their bank or credit card companies.

More guidance and advice is available at www.microsoft.com/security.

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