A new phone call hoax was discovered today. A caller claiming to be from “Windows Support”
One of our customers got a call today. The caller claimed to be from “Windows Support” and started the conversation with “you’re IP address has been stolen and someone else is using it”
They then kept asking the client if they “were in front of their computer, so they could show them”
Fortunately our client kept asking them to identify themselves to which they replied “yes, I will do that, but first are you in front of your computer? This is really important”
When my client hung up on them, they called back a couple of minutes later insisting they were from “Window Support and this is urgent”
This is a worrying turn of events because it signifies that fraudsters have seen little response to SPAM email but I reverting to their old methods. They probably called back because you are more likely to think it really is genuine if they bothered to call back
So just let your work colleagues and staff know about this scam. It is not clear what they would have done but I suspect remote control of the PC once you had given them your IP address . |They would have been able to direct you to a web site which would have told you your IP address, and the site would most likely have spyware installed on it and infected your PC.
Golden Rules
1) NEVER give anyone your logon password. Any support company asking for this should be shot! – All support companies with a basic understanding of their clients will know how to re-set a user password WITHOUT needing to know the old password.
2) Don’t give your IP address to anyone either – We don’t need it and nor should they.
3) Remember your basic security premise. If you don’t know the person calling then ask for identification, if they are a crook then they will avoid giving you any details. Even if they give you a company name, if you haven’t dealt with them before then refer them to your IT support company but most of all give them none of your personal information or computer details for that matter.