Support Centre Scam

This page covers some specific details concerning the Support Centre Scam.

Some crooks are making telephone contact and claiming to be Computer Support Consultants, sometimes claiming to be from reputable companies such as Microsoft, Dell or other widely known companies. Their ultimate aim is “con” you for your money and to “con” you into letting them get remote access to your computer. Yes they are reasonably clever and convincing.

Reputable companies DO NOT make such cold calls.

If you do receive such a cold call, then do not give them any details and absolutely do not part with any money or allow them access to your computer.

I have recently spoken to a number important organisation on this issue.

The Local Police

If you have had such an approach or actually been scammed, then the local police would like to know about it. Ring them on 101, but please NOT 999. The police also advise that you could also contact your local Trading Standards  and the National Action Group Action Fraud.

There is little that the local police can do other than inform the more vulnerable in the community about the problem. However, they would appreciate a call as they can then assess the scale of the local problem.

The specific issue is being dealt with by the police at the national level by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, run by the City of London Police.

Some advice from the Essex Police:
www.essex.police.uk/default.aspx?page=16385

The Local Trading Standards

The Local Trading Standards are dealt with by Oxfordshire Count Council. They have a website section covering such scams:
www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/new-scams

If you have been simply contacted by a scammer, then the Trading Standards advise that there is little purpose in you contacting them. However if you have been actually scammed, then they are most willing to provide some support and advice on how best to recover from the situation. They can be contacted on 0186 581 5000.

They do recommend that you contact the National Action Group Action Fraud.

British Telecom

BT advise that you can inhibit calls which come from “unknown numbers”, which can usefully prevent some cold callers. But the perpetrators of this particular fraud are using international numbers (sometimes disguised as national numbers) and BT do not have the authority to prevent these calls.

On these matters, BT can be contacted on 0800 800 900 Option 4.

Action Fraud

Action Fraud e provide a central point of contact for information about fraud.

The service is run by the National Fraud Authority,  the government agency that helps to co-ordinate the fight against fraud in the UK. Action Fraud work with partners in law enforcement - the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, run by the City of London Police - to make sure your fraud reports reach the right place.

Below are some useful pages from their Website:
www.actionfraud.org.uk/
www.actionfraud.org.uk/about-us/who-we-are
www.actionfraud.org.uk/report_fraud
www.actionfraud.org.uk/bogus-microsoft-engineers-strike-again-nov11

Action Fraud can be contacted on 0300 123 2040. If you have been actually scammed or given access to computer, they can advised you and will pass on the details to the police.

Further Action

If the fraudsters have gained access to your computer then you need to completely clean your computer back to the original factory settings.