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Microsoft warns on dial-in security scams

CRIMINALS ARE EXPLOITING fears about Microsoft security by phoning people's homes and warning them that their software and systems are at risk.

These criminals are not representing themselves though, they are pretending to be security experts, according to Microsoft, which knows a thing or two about this sort of thing.

In a survey conducted on some 7,000 users, some of which were from the UK, Microsoft found that many consumers are being tricked into paying for something that does not do what it purports to do. *cough*

The scams, it explained, cost each victim around £540 and involve a phone call from someone pretending to be a computer engineer. They prey on home users who expect to receive calls from strangers telling them that they have a problem on a computer and are in the market for some lucky beans, and try to finagle money out of them.

"The scammers tell their victims they are providing free security checks and add authenticity by claiming to represent legitimate companies and using telephone directories to refer to their victims by name," reported Microsoft. "Once they have tricked their victims into believing they have a problem and that the caller can help, the scammers are believed to run through a range of deception techniques designed to steal money."

Fifteen per cent of the 7,000 people contacted by Microsoft had received calls from scammers, but the figure was higher at 26 per cent in Ireland, where 22 per cent of them had been tricked into following the caller's instructions.

This included allowing remote access to their computer, downloading software code and handing over credit card details.

"The security of software is improving all the time, but at the same time we are seeing cybercriminals increasingly turn to tactics of deception to trick people in order to steal from them," said Richard Saunders, director of international public and analyst relations at Microsoft.

"Criminals have proved once again that their ability to innovate new scams is matched by their ruthless pursuit of our money."

Perhaps, we suggest, if Microsoft's software was more secure in the first place such fears and thus such opportunities would not exist. µ

Tell 'em you don't have a computer, your stuff was repossessed, maybe your kid has a toy computer not a real one, do they maybe have the wrong number?

If they also have your name or other personal details, deny that that is you. But it may be worth knowing how much data they have got to use against you. Also, play dumb - not smart. "An e-mail - is that the thing with the keyboard that goes into the TV? A friend of my mom's had one of those.

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