Windows Support Centre Scam Revisited

Some time ago I mentioned the Windows Support Centre scam, where a technician rings you and claims to be from the support centre, allowing you to believe they are from Microsoft (they don’t specifically say “Microsoft”).  They remotely access your PC and claim to repair it and charge you anything from $150 to $200 for it.  This scam, and variations of it, seems to be on the rise on the Sunshine Coast as I am getting half a dozen calls a week from people who have been called or who have given their credit card details away.  Remember, nobody should ever be cold calling you to fix your PC and you should never give anyone you don’t know remote access to your PC.  Not even your ISP (Bigpond, Optus etc) will do this.  If you have been scammed, there is not much you can do.  The scammers are usually pretty careful about what they say, so in effect what you do agree to in the end is for a technician to remotely access your PC and do some “support”.  If you are still unsure, take their number and ring a reputable IT Technician for advice.