The fraudsters trick people into downloading software that allows remote access to their computers by claiming to be from Microsoft Windows Solutions. Once connected, the fraudsters claim viruses have been detected on the victim's computer. They then attempt to sell software to clean up the alleged infection.
A recipient of one of these bogus calls reported it to Trusteer, which found that the fraudsters had used the remote access software to infect the victim's computer.
This has become a common method of fraud that users should be aware of and avoid, said Mickey Boodaei, chief executive officer at security firm Trusteer. People need to be aware of this threat because otherwise almost anyone is likely to fall for this sort of plausible-sounding security support call, he added.
Trusteer has added an awareness center to its Rapport secure web access software to give users information about recent scams and security alerts.
"We believe this tool could be useful in keeping people in the know and providing them with tips on how to avoid new types of threats," said Boodaei.
This story was first published by Computer Weekly