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Local technician warns of another computer scam
May 20, 2014
Newsbf recently posted an article about a computer scam that has been identified around the state of Idaho, that scam involving phony automobile registrations. (You can read that newsbf story by clicking here).

Josh Henderson, Service Technician at Boundary Computer Radio Shack in Bonners Ferry, has advised us of another scam he has seen in his work that has affected our local area.

"It has cost people a lot of money and computer downtime to fix," said Henderson.

"A person claiming to be with Microsoft calls to say the computer you are using is infected and would like remote access to fix it," Henderson explains. "Once they have been granted access, they run a few fake scans that show you your computer is infected and then charge you to 'fix' it. In reality, they leave the computer in a worse state with more unwanted programs and spyware on it."

Henderson advises that Microsoft does not monitor individual computers for malware infections and certainly never calls to helpfully remove them. "Please do not let anyone who is calling you and claiming to be from Microsoft (or anyone you are unsure of) into your computer remotely."

"If you receive one of these calls, you may be infected already. If you have let the person in, you are almost certainly infected and the computer should be looked at by your computer technician as soon as possible," says Henderson.

If you have any concerns that your computer may have been compromised in such a way, report possible fraud to your credit card company, and other appropriate authorities, and contact a trusted computer technician if necessary for help in clearing your computer of dangerous or unwanted viruses and malware.
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