When the computer support is actually a scam

They have been nicknamed the "Lyonnais gang". Until their arrest last January, these three entrepreneurs of the Rhône developed in their spare time a curious livelihood. Through an ingenious system of fraud, they managed to confuse 8,000 unhappy – often elderly – by taking a total of 2 million euros. Their method? The scam with computer support. This manipulation is well known by Laurent Heslault, the Director of Security Strategies for Symantec.

"While you are surfing quietly, an alarming pop-up appears, warning you that you have been infected with a virus, and invites you to call a so-called technical support from Microsoft immediately," says our expert. It is sufficient if the victim has clicked on a misleading advertisement or visited an infected website to download the small software that triggers the window. At the end of the line then, a so-called operator takes remote control of the computer with your consent. "It does some innocuous manipulation, then tells you that everything is repaired, and that the note is 400 euros …"

In the same vein, fake messages Norton antivirus prompt to download an emergency update, to counter an imaginary hacking. By accepting, the user actually installs a "malware" on his computer. "It will show pop-up ads on your screen, or force you to click on ads, for the benefit of the hacker," said Laurent Heslault, particularly remembered because Norton is a software Symantec. Data obtained by the computer security giant show that a hacker has earned $ 4,816 in profits, generated by 72,421clics of infected Internet users. Less juicy than the scam Lyon, but also less risky …

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