PEMBROKE — The Upper Ottawa Valley OPP warns residents of a familiar computer scam that has recently surfaced in the area.
Scammers call and pretend to represent a well-known computer based company like Microsoft and claim that the victim’s computer is sending out viruses or has been hacked and must be cleaned. The scammer will remotely gain access to the computer and may run some programs or change some settings.
The scammer will then advise that a fee is required for the service of cleaning and request a credit card number to cover the payment. In some cases, the scammer will send a transfer from the victim’s computer through a money service business like Western Union or MoneyGram. The end result is that the victim pays for a service that was not needed as the computer was never infected.
The OPP would like to remind everyone that if a scam artist contacts you or if you have been defrauded contact your local police service or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or visit their website at www.antifraudcentre.ca
