Second blog entry of the day? Can’t be feeling well. Actually that could have been not far from the truth if I didn’t know a scam when I hear one. Read on and beware.

Just had a telephone call from “Virtual PC Doctor” who told me that my computer was infected and needed cleaning. As proof of this I was told to run the Event Viewer (don’t worry it’s a techi type program in Windows). Once this had opened it would prove to me that my computer was indeed infected and there would be a large number of errors and warnings (this is Windows so what’s new there then?).

Just so you all know what to the Event Viewer looks like here’s the relevant section from Big Bertha.

To the untutored/inexperienced this look terrible - “the end of the world is nigh” kind of things.

It is nothing of the sort.

Windows is a very complicated beast which has to work even after you throw in an infinitely different mix of other programs. As a result there are always errors and warnings of one sort or another happening and being recorded. As list like that above (and a similar one in your computer) is not an indication of doom and gloom pending. The reverse is actually true. Such a list is just Windows getting on with the day to day business of a computer’s life.

Had I been suckered by the “sales” pitch it appears that I would have been instructed to download a remote assistance program.

This is where the danger really kicks in. Never, ever be tempted to let this happen. Ring me immediately, though preferably not in the middle of the night unless you have actually let them take your computer over. That is what would be classed as an emergency, so ring!

Melodramatic? Well no. Depending on the scam (there is more than one variation) at best you will end up giving away anything from £20 to £1500. At worst everything from your computer will be copied and used. That’s your any credit card details ever typed in, your on-line banking details, you photos, personal letters even all your e-mails.

Remember, keep your anti-virus up to date, never respond to cold calls, never trust e-mails from your bank/Microsoft/Norton/McAfee or anyone else and always assume that everything you have ever done on your computer is there for the taking by the unscrupulous.

Want to see how it goes? Nip over to the [1] Berthanet Facebook page where you can watch a YouTube of the “sales pitch”.