An offer of free Anti Virus Software is leading to a Tech Support Scam.

It plays on special offers, discounts and time-limited deals to entice you to claim your product now, choosing between Norton or McAfee. After filling in your personal details (which are actually sent off to the scammers), a page simulates the offer being processed only to fail with an error message. Victims are mislead into thinking that their offer was redeemed, but that they must perform a final call to get it completed.This is where the tech support scam comes in. Once you call that number, you are routed to a different person who will take remote control of your computer to figure out what went wrong. The bogus technician will identify severe problems that need an immediate fix.

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Despite the scam being about Norton, the technician brushes it off as useless when it comes to the real deal. With his technical expertise, he proceeds to highly recommend the most expensive plan, for a  price of $400. They will then lead you to an unsecure website to make payment (using a form like the above).

Tips to keep safe

• Don’t click on links or open any attachments you receive in unsolicited emails or SMS messages. Remember that fraudsters can ‘spoof’ an email address to make it look like one used by someone you trust. If you are unsure, check the email header to identify the true source of communication. Information on how to locate email headers can be found at https://mxtoolbox.com/Public/Content/EmailHeaders/
• If you think your bank details have been compromised, you should immediately contact your bank.
• If you have been affected by this, or any other fraud, report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040, or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk.
• If you receive an offer that seems to good to be true, it probably is!
• Never give out personal information on websites that are not ‘secure’

Cyber Aware is a cross-government campaign, funded by the National Cyber Security Programme. They aim to measurably and significantly improve the online safety behaviour and confidence of consumers and small businesses (SMEs).

Get Safe Online is the UK’s leading source of factual and easy-to-understand information on online safety. Their website offers advice on how you can protect yourself, your computers and devices, and your business against the likes of fraud, identity theft, viruses and other potential online problems.