A Queenstown information technology specialist is warning computer users not to reveal personal details to unknown parties, after attempts by telephone callers to con Wakatipu residents.
Dave Shewan, owner-operator of the Computer Professor, an IT service and support company, said he first heard of the scam just before Christmas.
The scammers called Wakatipu computer users and tried to persuade them to give details to allow them remote access to their computers. The callers claimed to be a part of either a "Windows security team", or an "online security team" to earn trust.
"Once you've given someone remote access into your computer and they have full control of it, you don't really know what they've done," Mr Shewan said.
"They could install malicious software sending an email back to them every day telling them all your key strokes for your internet banking, hotmail, anything where you've got to put in your user name and password.
"I can't confirm that is what they're doing, but because of the nature of computers and the way programs work, you can install an application that masquerades as another one and is pretty much impossible to find unless you know what you're looking for and what they have installed."
Mr Shewan knew of one Queenstown woman who fell victim to the con artists. She gave them $300 for "software" and allowed them to make her computer "secure" while she was asleep.
She woke up to see them remotely browsing through her personal photographs, he said.
Mr Shewan said he was on site when one of the calls was received by a customer. He was given the phone and he challenged the foreign-accented woman, who hung up when she realised she was talking to an IT specialist.
Mr Shewan said the only way to make a computer secure again, or have faith in its security, was to completely reinstall its operating system, a time consuming job which costs hundreds of dollars.
"If anyone rings you up and asks for access to your computer, or credit card details and you don't know them, or you haven't dealt with them before, tell them to go away. That's saying it nicely."
Senior Constable Sean Drader said police had been contacted about a range of online problems, some of which are investigated by police, or people are referred to other agencies.
Scams can be reported online through Netsafe's The Orb - www.theorb.org.nz - an inter-agency website. Consumer Affairs also runs the Scamwatch website - www.consumeraffairs.govt.nz/scams.
