Crooks are impersonating IT workers to access people’s computers and steal money and personal details.
An investigation by Which? reveals reported losses from this new type of fraud reached more than £16 million in the past year.
Some victims have lost tens of thousands of pounds to criminals who phone up pretending to be tech support from a reputable firm such as Microsoft or BT. They then attempt to persuade victims to install remote access software – which is used by many legitimate IT workers – that allows them to steal money and personal details.
Criminals posing as internet service provider or communications firm staff have been targeting the growing numbers of people working at home due to the pandemic.
Which? heard from a woman who lost £80,000 having been scammed by someone pretending to be a BT engineer.
Initially, the fraudster claimed to be ensuring her internet connection was working, before claiming they had found a number of security alerts on her account. The caller convinced her to download TeamViewer to check that accounts, including Amazon, were not compromised.
Another person received a call from a fake Microsoft engineer who went on to scam him.
Awareness of the fraud among consumers appears low. While some banks have issued warnings, four in 10 people haven’t heard of remote access software. Although banks must refund unauthorised transactions, Which? said in some cases companies refused to reimburse victims, arguing that allowing remote access to a computer or smartphone amounted to gross negligence.
Jenny Ross, Which? money editor, said: “Millions of pounds are lost to computer takeover scams every year, with potentially devastating consequences for victims who lose life-changing sums of money.
“We are calling on banks to reimburse all blameless customers who fall victim to these scams and for the government to introduce legislation to ensure a new statutory code of practice can be created.”
She added: “Anyone who receives unsolicited calls claiming to be from tech support or engineers and asking for personal details or to install computer software should hang up and phone their provider using the legitimate phone number.”
If you think you’ve given remote access to a scammer:
l Switch off both the device and your wifi connectivity
l Speak to your bank as a matter of urgency
l Remove the relevant app from your list of recent downloads or installed programs, check for other programs that may have been installed remotely
l Change your email and online banking passwords and, where possible, enable two-factor authentication.
l If you have security software, ensure it has all new and recent updates – then run a full security scan
l Report suspicious activity to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040
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