THIS IS TO NOTIFY THAT (AS OF 18TH MAY 2006) Impostors /cold callers pretending or claiming to be from "THE PC EXPERT" are not working for us. These impostors are not associated with us in anyway. They are cheats and they only want to deceive vulnerable, unsavvy elderly. We will never ring anyone about his or her computer related software problems. This is a national level scam/fraud. Police and Action Fraud in UK are aware about this con. One Action Fraud website it is called “Computer Software Service frauds”. Therefore, we hereby notify every-one in UK that "THE PC EXPERT" should not be kept liable for any kind of damage done to their PCs, Laptops, Apple machines because of this scam/fraud. We are not responsible for anyone pretending / claiming to be from "THE PC EXPERT", to damage your machine and harass you afterwards. You should always contact Action Fraud before giving consent to any stranger to access your personal information. You should always contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 Everyone in UK are being warned to be on the look-out for scams designed to trick vulnerable Internet users into divulging their personal details, following an increase in the number of complaints to Consumer Direct, Action Fraud and Trading Standards. WHAT IS COMPUTER VIRUS / SOFTWARE SCAM You may be targeted and telephoned by cold callers pretending to represent a well-known software company telephoning to fix a fake computer problem. The fraudster's aim is to trick you into believing that your computer has a serious virus problem and that you need to act immediately or it will become unusable. You will be shown so-called 'errors' on your computer in the hope that you will be frightened into allowing the fraudster to remotely access your computer to fix the problem. At this point, the fraudster takes control of your computer and then requests payment of a fee to carry out repairs. There is no genuine fault so you end up paying for an unnecessary repair or bogus software. You may have left yourself exposed to identity theft, as your computer could have been deliberately infected with malicious software such as viruses and spyware. This could mean that the fraudster can access your personal details, such as your passwords and bank account information. HOW DOES THE SHAMEFUL SCAM WORKS CASE ONE In this case the fraudster will ring you originally from India or any Asian country and will pretend to be from well-reputed companies like us (THE PC EXPERT). They operate in groups as you might hear noises like a proper professional call centre in the background. These scammers call vulnerable people in the U.S, Canada, UK, and Australia whom they find in the phone directory. The scam is straightforward: pretend to be calling well-reputed companies like us (THE PC EXPERT), gain remote control of the machine, trick the victim with fake error reports and collect the money forcefully or with harassment. If you ever get a call from a THE PC EXPERT tech support agent out of the blue, the best thing to do is simply hang up. Scammers like to use VoIP technology so that their actual number and location are hidden. Their calls are almost free which is why they can do this 24/7. CASE TWO In this case/scam, the fraudster will pose as a representative of well-reputed companies like us (THE PC EXPERT) in UK. The fraudster targets vulnerable Internet users. Victims receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from well-reputed companies like us (THE PC EXPERT). The customer is directed to a website by fraudster that allows the caller remote access to the customer’s computer. The fraudster then appears to make a number of fake ‘fixes’ to their computer. In fact, they gain access to the victim’s personal information, often by installing malware. Again, they steal personal information and will use it or pass it on to other fraudster /cons to commit fraud. CASE THREE In this case the fraudster will pretend to be one of the employee of THE PC EXPERT who have discovered problems or viruses on your computer. They persuade you to give them access to your computer with passwords and security information and then ask for payment and bank details. And if you do not pay them the requested amount in return the fraudster will lock you out of you PC and will infect your PC with viruses. After this they harass you with phone calls. They will go on to use this personal information to commit fraud. Consumer Direct and Trading Standards have also reported a recent increase in complaints about a scam using well-reputed companies like us (THE PC EXPERT) in UK. OUR ADVICE AND NOTIFICATION TO EVERYONE WHO IS READING THIS: Genuine computer companies like us will never do this. If you need technical help, always call or email your Internet service provider's support line or talk to a computer repair company personally and ask them whether they rang them by searching their contact detail on the internet. Or request someone to help you to look up the real contact information of the company they are pretending to be. We will never make unsolicited phone calls to help you fix your computer. Fraudsters make these phone calls to try to steal from you and damage your computer with malware. Treat all unsolicited phone calls with scepticism and don’t give out any personal information. We will never ever send out unsolicited communication about security updates, although fraudsters do send security software updates to subscribers of the security communications program. If in doubt, don’t open the email. HOW WE OPERATE OR WHAT IS OUR BUSINESS POLICY REGARDING PC REPAIRS You will never receive a unsolicited phone call from THE PC EXPERT to charge you for fake computer fixes. As we do all repair at our store and we do not offer remote access service. And we do not operate more then 10-mile radius. We are a small local company who is helping people locally from our store. In simple word our policy is that the customer have to bring his or her PC for repair to the store. And collect it from the store once it being fixed. ROGUE/DECEPTIVE PREMIUM TECH SUPPORT COMPANIES The fraudsters are mainly located in India OR ANY OTHER ASIAN COUNTRY. These fraudsters heavily advertise on popular search engines as well as websites with high traffic. People call them for assistance and get fooled with similar techniques employed by Indian or any Asian cold callers. Another source for these fraudsters comes from pretending to be from one of the well reputed UK based business. If you decide to call in for remote computer assistance, you need to be very careful about which business you are going to deal with. Simply picking the top ad on a search results page could end very badly.Unfortunately, the company or technician calling from the UK is not a guarantee for honest service. Fraudster like these pretending to be from UK are using dirty tricks to take advantage of people, with the un-savvy and elderly as their prime targets. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this online, your local computer repair shops are a good alternative.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF


TO PROTECT YOUR IDENTITY AND CASH FROM ONLINE SCAMMERS:

•    Only allow someone to remotely access your computer if they are from a trusted source, such as your internet service provider

•    Create passwords, which are long, unique and use a mix of random numbers and lower and upper case letters. The longer the password the harder it is to guess. A ten-digit password is better than an eight digit one. Make sure you change passwords regularly and don't share them

•    Use good Internet Security software and keep it up to date. This will check for malicious computer programs and monitor files before they are opened. Up-to-date software is important to protect against the most recent viruses. If you buy software online make sure it is from a genuine supplier/source

•    Understand what software you are installing on your computer or phone and make sure you are using a secure site when you buy software, tablet or smart phone.  A secure site will have a web address beginning with https not http

•    Make sure you leave your firewall switched on. A firewall is a security shield that stops scammers getting into your computer. Operating systems such as Windows come with built in firewall settings. They can monitor and warn you of unexpected access to your computer

•    Make sure you regularly install updates to your operating system. Windows is an example of an operating system

•    Install the latest version of your web browser, for example Internet Explorer, which will have the latest security features

•    Don’t open suspicious or unknown emails, email attachments, texts or pop up messages.  For example an email with an unusually worded subject heading

•    Before entering payment card details on a website, make sure the link is secure.

MAKING SURE YOU HAVE A SECURE LINK

You can make sure you have a secure link in three ways:

•    Check there's a padlock symbol in the browser window frame, which appears when you attempt to log in or register. Be sure the padlock is not on the page itself – if it is this will probably indicate a fraudulent site
•    Check the web address begins with ‘https://’. The ‘s’ stands for ‘secure’

•    if you're using the latest version of your browser, the address bar or the name of the site owner will turn green.

IF YOU RECEIVE A POSSIBLE SCAM EMAIL

If you have opened a scam email:

•    Don’t reply to the email

•    Don’t click on any links in the email or open any attachments

•    If you have already clicked on a link and opened a website, don’t give any personal information out.

CALL THE ACTION FRAUD UK HELPLINE

You can report fraud or Internet crime to Action Fraud any time of the day or night using

 http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud

You can also report and get advice about fraud or Internet crime by calling

0300 123 2040 (text phone 0300 123 2050).

•    Monday to Friday between 8am to 9pm
•    Saturday between 9am to 5pm
•    Sunday between 9am to 5pm

CALL THE CITIZENS ADVICE CONSUMER HELPLINE

To get information or advice, call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06.

You can talk to a Welsh-speaking adviser on

03454 04 05 05.

The helplines are open Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm.




HOW SCAMMERS CAN TAKE OVER YOUR COMPUTER

Scams are schemes to con you out of your money. They can arrive by post, phone call, text message, email, or a scammer may turn up at your home.

Computer hackers use computer viruses to gain access to your computer details, to steal your money and identity, then scam you.  They may also get into your wireless (Wi-Fi) network for the same reason.
Fake emails and websites can trick you into buying something bogus or handing over personal details. For example websites that appear to sell event tickets. You pay for the tickets but they never arrive.
This page tells you more about ways fraudsters can get into your computer to steal your money, personal information or identity and what you can do to protect yourself.

TOP TIPS

HOW TO PREVENT YOUR COMPUTER BEING TAKEN OVER

Scammers may use your computer to access your personal details to steal your money and identity and you may not even know this is happening. But you can help stop your computer being taken over with software that secures your computer and by being alert to anything different or unusual.

TOP TIPS TO AVOID ONLINE SCAMS

Ways your computer can be taken over

COMPUTER VIRUSES

Computer viruses are small computer programs that are designed to try and infect other computers, tablets and smartphones. They break into your computer and spread from one device to the next as you communicate with other people. They are also known as malware.

HOW COMPUTER VIRUSES SPREAD

Viruses can spread through:

•    Computer programs or files that appear to be harmless but actually do damage. These are called Trojan viruses. For example, you may download a file with a harmless looking picture of a celebrity, which is actually hiding the virus

•    Email attachments. The virus then finds new people in your email address book to attack

•    Programs you download from websites

•    Documents. These are known as macro viruses

•    The Internet. This is known as a worm. The worm scans for other computers that are vulnerable to attack and sends a copy of itself across networks. A worm can eat up memory or network bandwidth, which will make your computer slow down or stop responding.

What viruses can do when they reach your computer?

VIRUSES CAN LEAVE UNWANTED SOFTWARE ON YOUR COMPUTER THAT:

•    Secretly monitors your computer activity

•    Scans for private information, such as passwords

•    Gives scammers control of your computer

•    Send out spam email

•    Display unwanted advertising

•    Hijack your web browser

•    Use your computer to host illegal websites to con other people. 

They can also switch off your computer’s security defences, leaving it vulnerable to more viruses. And they can track what information you put into your computer by monitoring your keyboard strokes.

SPYWARE

Spyware can track users through advertising that might pop up on your computer. When you click on the advertising link you may be taken to a website which can install a virus onto your computer without you realising it.

The virus can take over your web browser, scan your computer for private information and slow down your computer. It can be difficult to remove spyware.

WI-FI EAVESDROPPING

If you use a wireless network to access the Internet, the signal that lets you connect to the Internet uses a radio link with a range of several hundred feet. This is called a Wi-Fi network. If your network isn’t secure, other people can also access your Internet link if they are within range.

Scammers can also set up access to fake Wi-Fi networks in public places. If you log onto the network, they can try to capture personal details, such as passwords and credit card information.

Other computer scams

RANSOMWARE

Ransomware copies personal files or photos from your computer. When a scammer has control of them, they send a demand for money in return for the files or photos. If you don’t hand over the money, they threaten you with the release of images and files to others, to embarrass you.

SCAREWARE

Scareware is rogue security software, such as antivirus software, that protects your computer. It hides in pop up adverts or alerts that advertise security software updates.

If you click on the adverts or alerts, thinking you are downloading legitimate security software, you may inadvertently start to download scareware onto your computer.

When the scareware is installed it may fail to report viruses or say you have a virus when your computer is clean. Sometimes it will download a virus or spyware onto your computer, which steals your personal information or slows down your computer. You may also be asked to pay for these fake updates.

I GAVE OUT MY CREDIT/DEBIT CARD DETAILS - CAN I GET MY MONEY BACK?

If you were duped into giving your bank, building society, credit card or debit card details, contact your bank, building society or finance provider immediately and seek their advice. If you have been the victim of a fraud they may be able to help.

If you paid for what turned out to be bogus goods or services by credit card and if the cost was more than £100, you are protected by the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Section 75 of the Act makes the card provider as responsible as the trader for a breach of contract or a misrepresentation. You are entitled to take action against the trader, the card provider or both. This does not apply to charge cards or debit cards. In the case of fraud of you may have great difficulty recovering your money from the fraudster but you may be able to recover it from the finance provider? If you are dissatisfied with the credit card provider's response and the Consumer Credit Act 1974 applies then complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

If you used a debit card to by what turned out to be bogus goods or services or if you used a credit card and the price of the goods or services was less that £100 (your rights under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 would not apply), you may be able to take advantage of the chargeback scheme. Chargeback is the term used by card providers for reclaiming a card payment from the trader's bank.

If you can evidence a breach of contract - goods are not delivered or the service was not carried out, for example - you can ask your card provider to attempt to recover the payment. Check with your card provider as to how the scheme rules apply to your card, whether internet transactions are covered and what the time limit is for making a claim.

If you use a debit card or a credit card to service an online payment system to buy goods or services, it is unlikely that you will be able to use either the Consumer Credit Act 1974 or the chargeback scheme to claim from your card provider in the event of a dispute. However, the online payment system may have its own dispute resolution process which may assist you in getting your problem resolved.

If you have been tricked into agreeing to a continuous payment authority - where continuous payments are taken from your credit or debit card - you have rights under the Payment Services Regulations 2009. Even if you have not asked the fraudster for the payment to be cancelled, they refuse to do so or you cannot contact them, your bank or card provider must cancel the payment authority. If your bank or card provider does not act on your instruction to cancel, you are entitled to have any subsequent payments reimbursed, but you must report it as soon as possible or in any event within 13 months of the date the unauthorised payment was made.

I'VE BEEN CONNED - WHAT CAN I DO?

If you receive a scam telephone call, you can report it to Action Fraud.

http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

 You can also report it to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service for referral to trading standards for investigation.

If you are conned into phoning a premium rate number, you can report it to PhonepayPlus, which regulates premium rate services in the UK.

http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/Contact-Us.aspx

If you have been the victim of a fraud you can report it to the police.

If you think your identity has been stolen please follow the guidance given on the IDENTITY THEFT website.

http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/fraud_protection/identity_fraud