Digital con artists are targeting Yukoners, warn the RCMP.
Recently several Yukon residents have reported getting unsolicited calls from someone warning them their computer is infected with a virus.
The fraudsters claim to represent Startech and say the infected computers could leave the owners open to identity theft.
They then offer to repair the computer remotely and/or direct the victim to a website where they are asked for personal banking information.
Ironically the only thing that puts the person at risk for identity theft is following those instructions.
In the past callers have claimed to represent other large companies such as Microsoft.
This “virus scam” has been steadily growing for the past few years. It now accounts for 70 to 80 per cent of the frauds reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
The RCMP is warning Yukoners to treat all unsolicited calls with skepticism and always check with the organization or company that they claim to represent by calling them directly.
Never provide credit card, banking or personal information unless you have initiated the call and know the company.
If someone calls claiming to be able to protect your computer from viruses, the best bet is to just hang up.
For more information on how to protect yourself from online scams visit www.getcybersafe.ca
Contact Josh Kerr at
joshk@yukon-news.com