We here at I.T. Monkey would like to offer you some tips for the coming year. Think of them as I.T. New Years resolutions, but do try to keep these ones!
Pop Up Adverts
Don’t click on pop up adverts claiming your PC is infected. At first glance, these pop ups seem innocent enough, but by clicking on the link, you may well be inadvertently infecting your PC with malware.
Telephone Support Scams
If someone rings claiming to be from Microsoft or another computer company and tells you that there is a problem with your PC, the best thing to do is just hang up the phone. They may call back, if they do, just hang up again, they will soon get the message. On no account should you ever give them access to your PC or give them your credit or debit card details.
No reputable computer company will cold call you and tell you that there is a problem with your PC. It just does not happen.
SMS Messages
An SMS competition scam usually arrives as a text message on your mobile and may encourage you to enter a competition for a great prize (iPad or Playstation). To claim your prize, you normally have to reply to the text. What they fail to tell you is just how much that text will cost and that by replying to the text, you will be agreeing to receive more of these texts, oh and these new texts will cost you even more money!
If you receive a message like this and you never subscribed to the service, take note of the 5 digit quick code it came from (you generally see a 5 digit code instead of their phone number) and go to www.phonesmart.ie to see who is behind the code. It should give you a contact number for the company. Ring the company and tell them you would like to be removed from their database and you do not wish to receive text messages from them
Backup
We have said it many times before, but backup your data before it’s too late. You may be able to reinstall windows or download your music again, but you won’t be able to recreate those moments captured on photographs. Once they are gone, they are gone for ever.
There are many other scams out there, but just remember the old saying, “if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is”. If you are in any doubt about the scams or would like help setting up a backup system, please feel free to contact us.
