If you receive a phone call out of the blue about your computer and remote access is requested – hang up – even if they mention a well-known company such as Telstra.Never give your personal, credit card or online account details over the phone unless you made the call and the phone number came from a trusted source.Never give an unsolicited caller remote access to your computer.The caller is very persistent and may become abusive.They ask for your personal details and your bank or credit card details.They ask you to buy software or sign up to a service to fix the computer.They tell you that your computer is experiencing technical problems and they need remote access to sort out the problem.You receive a phone call out of the blue and the caller claims to be from a large telecommunications or computer company, or a technical support service provider.You don’t even have to own a computer! Warning signs You don't have to be a Telstra or Microsoft customer to be called by these scammers. The scammer may initially sound professional and knowledgeable-however they will be very persistent and may become abusive if you don't do what they ask.

The scammer may try to talk you into buying unnecessary software or a service to ‘fix’ the computer, or they may ask you for your personal details and your bank or credit card details. The caller will request remote access to your computer to ‘find out what the problem is’. They may claim that your broadband connection has been hacked. They may mention problems with your internet connection or your phone line and say this has affected your computer's recent performance. They will tell you that your computer has been sending error messages or that it has a virus. Alternatively they may claim to be from a technical support service provider. The scammer will phone you and pretend to be a staff member from a large telecommunications or computer company, such as Telstra, the NBN or Microsoft.

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