Imagine if someone knocked on your front door, and said there’s a problem with your TV, and asked if they could come in and have a look.
Without any hesitation, I’m pretty sure you’d politely tell them to toodle off! 🤬
And you’d rightly think – how could they possibly tell without physically seeing the TV anyway?
Before I go any further, remember, that your TV is connected to the internet. And if your fridge, dishwasher, washing machine or dryer are fairly recent models, they could also be connected to your wifi.
But, just because all the above could be connected to the internet, it doesn’t mean that someone in the outside world is spying on you through these devices.
Which is why, with your computer…
There’s no way that someone outside your property, can tell if there’s a problem with your computer, phone, tablet or any other kind of appliance or device.
So why is it, that people get easily duped when someone calls them up out of the blue, to say there’s a problem with their computer, and they need to take remote access right away?
In plain English, what they’re trying to say, is that they want to take remote access of your computer, play around for a bit, pretend they’re fixing a non-existent problem, and then charge you a tidy sum for the privilege.
The common line I hear after the event is – ‘I can’t believe I’ve been so stupid!’.
Firstly, let me say this – These people are very good at what they do. And when I say people, I mean criminals.
They’re organised gangs, who know exactly what to say, to attempt and convince you that you do indeed have a problem.
So, if you’re worried about being scammed, stick to the following rules and you’ll be fine…
* If anyone phones you up, claiming there’s a problem with your desktop PC, laptop, phone, tablet or broadband, IT IS A LIE. JUST PUT THE PHONE DOWN!
* If you get an advert appearing on your computer screen, saying there’s a problem or a virus has been found, and to call a telephone number that’s appeared on your screen, DO NOT CALL THE NUMBER. IT IS A SCAM.
* No matter how professional or convincing a caller sounds. PUT THE PHONE DOWN!
* Unless you know who you’re speaking to on the phone, DO NOT provide any of your personal information.
