Warning About Computer Scams by AJ from Making Connections

Last May I had a phone call from someone claiming to be from Microsoft.  He told me my license for my computer, which I know now doesn't exist, had expired and he told me to switch my laptop on and told me to key in certain things to get to the mainframe.  This made it come with some information that he used to coerce me.  He asked me questions about money and about my online banking.  He sent me an email with a link, that meant that he could access my computer by remote control.  He sent something called a lock out virus, that locked me out of my computer.


Alarm bells rang with me and I shut my computer down.  I was on the way out of my front door to go to my local IT repair shop, when he rang back again. My defences dropped and I switched my computer back on, he gave me the password to access it again.  He persuaded me to go ahead as I was afraid my computer would not work without a license. He promised me the new license would clean up all the viruses. He asked me to go into my online banking and with his remote control transferred money out of my account.  He saw all my details, everything. He took £150 from me.
I reported it to the police and the bank fraud team. They proved it was a scam and I got my money back.

My advice is contact your bank straight away if you think it's a fraud. I have got caller ID now so if the number isn't in my phone I don't answer it.  Contact the police or a support worker. I think it's wrong that your details are out there and get sold on. I have made this blog as I've read an identical case in the local paper last week and I want everyone to know.