Computers are part of our everyday lives and when there is even a hint that there might be a virus on them, we usually act quickly.
But for some Okanagan seniors, that is making them vulnerable to scams.
Kelowna senior Sylvia Bevilaqua was phoned by a man who claimed to be from Microsoft and told that her computer had a virus.
The man told Bevilaqua that he could help her fix the problem: all she had to do was follow his instructions.
Get daily National news
The man told her to go to her Start menu and type in a website, which would get rid of the virus.
But something did not add up for Bavilaqua and she hung up on the mysterious caller.
Fortunately, it was the right move.
If Bavilaqua had followed the man’s instructions, it would have installed a virus onto her computer, which would have allowed him to gain remote access to her computer and in turn, all of her personal information.
The computer virus scam is just the latest in a long list of fraud scams, the majority of which tend to target seniors.
Constable Ann Donnelly is part of the RCMP Fraud Investigation Unit and says the RCMP have received at least 100 calls about the computer virus scam in August alone.
She says that seniors are often targeted in these scams because they are not as computer savvy as the younger generation and are less likely to catch on that it is a scam.
RCMP say if you receive a call from someone claiming you have a computer virus, do not call 911, simply hang up.
- Officials stress Calgarians must save water after Bearspaw main break sees no drop in usage
- Snowmobiler dies in avalanche in Rocky Mountains in northeastern B.C.
- Yukon-Alaska border rocked by 3 earthquakes in final hours of 2025
- Pimicikamak chief requests military help as power outage crisis continues
Comments