BEWARE!!!! Please spare 2 mins to read and share this.

There is a telephone scam going around pretending to be from Microsoft saying they have detected a serious security issue with your pc which needs to be resolved immediately. They then ask for log in details and serial codes to fix your pc whereby they gain access and shut it down, holding it to ransom, only releasing it for a substantial fee. Under no circumstances give anyone, any log in data, passwords, serial codes etc over the phone without identifying who that person is. Microsoft or any other reputable company would never cold call in this manner or ask you to relinquish private details.

If you happen to come across a webpage by accident that says your browser has been blocked, again holding you to ransom, do not interact – shut down and restart your machine immediately.

Also, please pay the same attention to your emails. Scam emails are getting more and more convincing but any reputable company will always address you by name and will never ask you to download zip files. The golden rule is, if you do not know the person or company and you are not expecting the email, delete it immediately – DO NOT open attachments, DO NOT follow links. If you are unsure, either telephone the company concerned or open your browser and manually type in the name of the company’s web address and access your account from there.

Keep your anti-virus programs up to date and make sure they are installed on your tablets and mobile phones too.

If you do find your device has been compromised please contact us, we know trusted people within the IT industry that can help salvage your machine and data. At the end of the day though, vigilance is key – better to be safe than sorry.