A new fraud has been attempted on Prince George residents. Police are warning the public to be wary of this latest scam involving false promises of computer services.
"[It] involves a person calling residents to report that their computer is not functioning properly or that they are promoting a new program to make their computer better," said Prince George RCMP spokesman Cpl. Craig Douglass.
"The computer owner allows access to the computer remotely, via the Internet. The fraudster states that he is doing a 'scan' and fixing or up grading the computer. The fraudster is actually installing 'spy ware' or other malicious software that will capture sensitive data such as banking information, dates of birth, user names and passwords. These fraudsters often use company names that most people are familiar with."
This fraud goes deeper than just the secret spying on what you do on your computer. Douglass said the scammer also requests a credit card number, or some other form of payment for the service.
"On checks with the bank a couple hours later, the fraudster had already attempted to apply for a credit card with the information he obtained from accessing the victim's computer," he said. "Wire transfers cannot be traced or recovered by the police."
Douglass reminded the public that allowing someone to remotely access your computer "is extremely dangerous and can leave you vulnerable to a variety of frauds." Reputable companies do not require
payment via wire transfer.
"Unless given access by the computer owner, there is no way that someone else can know whether your computer is functioning properly or not," he said.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre has received over 350 similar fraud reports from across Canada since this scam first emerged in February, starting in eastern Canada. Credit card transactions or wire transfers have been made for up to $500 in some of these cases.
As the telephone solicitors are from foreign countries, prosecution is unlikely, said Douglass.
To report a similar fraud or for more information on this and other frauds, please visit
www.antifraudcentre.ca.
