Intego: Skype Calls that Claim You're Infected Are a Scam
The bad guys will stop at nothing to paddle their malware or to try to scam you. Turns out that they are now using Skype to try and trick Windows as well as Mac users, Intego reported. Intego, company that specializes in providing security solutions for Macs, announced that the bad guys are calling users via Skype and trying to trick them into thinking their machines are infected. The goal of this scam is to trick the users into purchasing fake antivirus products.
Intego advises you to hang up if you receive calls from unknown individuals who try to convince you that your computer is infected and that you need to get some phony antivirus. To ensure you don’t get calls from people you don’t know you can access Skype’s preferences and from the Privacy tab change the settings from Anyone to Contacts. This way Skype will accept calls from contacts only.
“Reports are coming in of a number of Skype users getting calls via Skype telling them that they have viruses,” said Intego. “Interestingly, many of the people getting these calls are Mac users, and, when the callers tell them that they have Windows viruses, they are right to doubt them. If you get a call like this, hang up. There’s no way a remote user can know if your Mac is infected, and in no way would any serious security vendor cold-call people trying to trick them into buying anti-malware software in this way.”
Intego made the news here at FindMySoft yesterday because the company updated its VirusBarrier X6 application which, as a little side note, has been voted the Best Mac Antivirus product as part of the 2011 About.com Reader’s Choice Awards. VirusBarrier X6 10.6.12, the update in question, adds compatibility for the iPad 2, improves Full Keyboard Access Support, uses less CPU, and enhances behavioral analysis detection of malware has been enhanced.
Intego advises you to hang up if you receive calls from unknown individuals who try to convince you that your computer is infected and that you need to get some phony antivirus. To ensure you don’t get calls from people you don’t know you can access Skype’s preferences and from the Privacy tab change the settings from Anyone to Contacts. This way Skype will accept calls from contacts only.
“Reports are coming in of a number of Skype users getting calls via Skype telling them that they have viruses,” said Intego. “Interestingly, many of the people getting these calls are Mac users, and, when the callers tell them that they have Windows viruses, they are right to doubt them. If you get a call like this, hang up. There’s no way a remote user can know if your Mac is infected, and in no way would any serious security vendor cold-call people trying to trick them into buying anti-malware software in this way.”
Intego made the news here at FindMySoft yesterday because the company updated its VirusBarrier X6 application which, as a little side note, has been voted the Best Mac Antivirus product as part of the 2011 About.com Reader’s Choice Awards. VirusBarrier X6 10.6.12, the update in question, adds compatibility for the iPad 2, improves Full Keyboard Access Support, uses less CPU, and enhances behavioral analysis detection of malware has been enhanced.
