Scam Alert 2

I wrote recently (here) about a company in India that tried a fake tech-support call to me and wanted me to log into a website so they could "fix my computer". I gave them the bum's rush, naturally.

Tonight, I found this page, which seems to confirm that it is a common problem. I'm glad to know it wasn't just me, although I would love to know how they got my (correct) name and phone number.

Readers of this blog will be far too savvy to fall for an obvious con like this, but perhaps it might be worth passing the message on to newbie friends, parents, grandparents and so on:

• Microsoft will never make an unsolicited call offering to fix your computer.
• Anyone who calls you out of the blue and says you have a virus on your computer is lying.
• If you allow anyone to access your computer remotely, you are entering a world of pain from which your computer and your credit card may never recover.

If you do decide to spead the word, however, please PLEASE don't send an email to everyone in your address book with a header like "Latest internet virus phishing scam!!!!! MUST READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do NOT ignore this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Those of your friends who are a little older and wiser than you will delete it unread, and block you so you can never email them again.

I thank you.