CONMEN have been targeting people in Cheshire over the phone.
Police are urging people to be on their guard after scammers posed as legitimate IT support agencies and contacted members of the public to tell them their computer had a virus.
They claimed they could fix the problem for a fee and asked for credit card details and private information such as computer passwords.
In all three of the cases in Cheshire, the company involved in the scam was ‘TechAviators’.
In two of the cases, the victims ended the call, but in the third case, an elderly victim passed on her bank details to the company and was later harassed by phone calls demanding hundreds of pounds for ‘fixing’ her computer.
DS Peter Kidd from the Economic Crime Unit said: “What’s of particular concern to us is the manner in which this fraudulent company is extracting personal details from victims.
“Many people could fall prey to this type of crime, particularly those who aren’t ‘technically aware’ and would unwittingly pass on their personal details, in the belief that there’s a problem with their computer.
“Be aware of anyone who purports to be from a company such as TechAviators, or indeed any organisation or company who ask for your personal details in this manner, or by email, as it is likely to be a scam.
“You’d be the first person to be aware if your computer had a problem, not a company.”
Anyone who has experienced a similar incident, or needs more advice, should contact Cheshire Police on 0845 458 0000.
You should also alert the Action Fraud website and Trading Standards.
