Online PC Doctor Scam

2010-05-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

Beware Pc and Laptop owners - If you receive a call from somebody called Online Pc Doctor or similar telling you that there are problems with your Pc, you are the attempted target of a scam.

    The way it works is the caller will tell you they are working for Windows (Windows is an operating system, not a company!) or a Microsoft agent.

    They will ask you to turn on your Pc and go to start, or press the windows key, go to run and type in eventvwr.exe, which contains event logs for your windows operating system. This will generally be full of errors for all Pcs. This contains logs of logon failures, failed updates etc. most of which are perfectly normal. They will tell you these error logs have been caused by downloading malware or viruses onto your Pc or something similarly ridiculous. They will then ask you to give them access to your Pc or Laptop by going to a website to "fix" these problems.

    By following their instructions you are giving them full control of your computer, to do as they please. They can install keyloggers (software that can track everything typed on a keyboard, often used for stealing credit card details, bank details and account passwords and quite common in cases of identity theft). They may also install software (spyware) on your computer sending them data that you send through the Internet which they can use to gain access at any time without your consent.

For those unfortunate enough to have given control of their Pc to one of these unsolicited callers there will be a price to pay. They will try and charge you for the "service" they have carried out, they may also try to charge you for software or buy into their long-term support packages by using scare tactics or by boggling you with technical terminologies.

If you think you are the victim of one of these social engineering scams, think where did they get your name, where did they get your number and how do they know you own a computer and how on earth do they know there is something wrong with your computer.

If you are worried that you may have fallen foul of this scam immediately get in contact with your bank or credit card provider to cancel your cards, opt out of unsolicited calls by contacting your telephone provider, make sure your Windows updates are updated and if you are still worried get in touch with us at Tech Repair to have your Pc secured and thoroughly checked for any rogue software or Malware, and insure your security software is running optimally.

Facebook Applications - How safe are they ?

2010-05-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

There are currently over 550,000 active applications on Facebook at the moment. Many of them offer excellent entertainment and develop a great community amongst users. But for each useful and fun application there are at least a dozen suspect ones.

The latest to do the rounds is the now infamous 'Sexiest Video Ever'. AVG antivirus received over 300,000 reports of the malicious Facebook App according to their chief research officer, Richard Thompson. Facebooks only response to this was "Tip of the Week" which read "Don't click on suspicious-looking links, even if they've been sent or posted by friends." Clicking on the link brought users to an application installation screen where the were asked to allow an application to view their profiles. The application was supposedly an update to the legitimate FLV player, but was infact adware called Hotbar, which integrates itself into Internet explorer, then starts displaying pop-up ads and suspect links.

This morning another threat raised its ugly head in the form of 'Distracting Beach Babes'. If you click on this it will download and install Malware on your computer. If you see it on your wall delete it. If you have clicked on it, make sure you run a virus scan with an updated Anti-Virus.

These latest threats have all come in the space of a few days. This brings serious questions about the security of apps on Facebook. The best advice is to be vigilant about what you click on, install as few apps as possible and ignore as many quizzes as possible.

If you have installed any applications recently and you find your computer running slow, or opening links you haven't clicked, your home page changed or a plethora of bars at the top of your browser, contact us at Tech Repair.

Our May special is €30 for Virus removal.

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