Castlegar RCMP has received several calls from concerned citizens due to another computer scam.
While on their computer, they have received a pop-up message complete with a siren wailing, warning them that their computer has been associated with child pornography and that in order to "unlock" their computer they need to pay $100. The pop up advised them that the RCMP or CSIS has discovered illegal activity and a file has been started.
These messages are NOT issued by the RCMP, and people should NOT pay the $100 to make the "police matter" go away. Persons experiencing this said that eventually the pop-up went away, and on a couple of occasions they re-started their computer and were fine.
Tips for protecting yourself:
- never click on a pop up that claims your computer has a virus
- update your anti virus software often and scan your computer regularly for viruses
- don't click on links or attachment in e mails sent to you by someone you don't know
- turn on your browser's pop-up blocking feature
- never download anti-virus software from a pop-up or link sent to you in an e mail.
Most of the ongoing scams, and how to deal with them can be found on the following website: www.antifraudcentre.ca