“Hi, I’m calling from BT…”
Internet connectivity is probably one of the most important things to us in this digital age. In the past we were happy with a TV aerial and a telephone but now, with so much of our daily activity taking place on the internet, the internet connection is king. You can imagine the frustration caused by a loss of connectivity in your house or office, kids screaming because their Xbox is offline, teenagers whining because they can’t get Netflix, offices ground to a halt because they can’t send emails, log into applications or procrastinate on Facebook and LinkedIn. You would hope that most of us are savvy enough to spot a scam a mile away, but the BT Broadband scam is alarmingly common and successful. Here we explain what it is and why we need to be wary of it.
What Happens?
It’s mainly residential users who fall victim to this, however we are aware of a number of small office and home based businesses that have fallen foul of this trick. We all know that our internet is mainly delivered over a network of lines, buildings and connections owned by Openreach. There are exceptions, but on the most part the infrastructure is owned by them, with the back end services provided by the likes of TalkTalk, Sky, BT etc. So, when someone from “BT” calls you and says “There’s a fault on your broadband line” or “We have an update to make your Broadband faster” a lot of people sit up and take notice.
Unfortunately this is just a trick.
“We need access to your computer”
What happens next is crucial to the success of their attack. Bear in mind that these guys are sneaky and, even if you’re not with BT for your broadband, they will have a whole book full of scenarios to try to get you to do what they want. You could argue that your broadband is through Sky, and they will respond with something along the lines of “Yes, but you use a BT line for the connection”. They will try anything to convince you to let them onto your computer, which is where the problems start.
Remote Access
They will ask you to install a piece of software that allows them to control your computer remotely, all under the guise of trying to help you. It may be a commercially available piece of software such as LogMeIn, Teamviewer or GoToMYPC, or it may be a specific website. Either way, once you begin following their instructions you are on a slippery path to losing money and your personal, confidential information. Their trick is to surreptitiously install another piece of software on your computer, typically a piece of spyware that will allow them to capture your activity. Once they have completed their actions, which might be something as simple as running a speed test in a web browser and telling you the problem is fixed, they will disconnect and you will be none the wiser. The spyware they have installed will be running in the background, unknown to you, and capturing everything you do from that point onwards. Logging into email accounts, online shopping passwords, address books, and the big one… Logging into your internet banking.
All of this information is collected by them, used for fraudulent and criminal purposes, or sold on the dark web. They can use it to intercept emails and siphon off money from your bank accounts, amongst other things.
What can I do?
Firstly, never trust a cold call. It’s incredibly rare that the likes of BT, Virgin Media, Sky etc will proactively call you about an issue. Their networks are monitored, so they know about major issues long before the users do, and they rely on the user base to report localised issues to them. For example problems with telegraph poles or underground ducting affecting just one or two properties. Make a note of the time, date and the calling number (if there is one) and hang up. If you believe there’s a genuine issue with your broadband, call your provider on a trusted number. NEVER download any software from a source you don’t know or trust. Never visit any websites a caller tells you to go to.
The fight against scammers is something we can all be part of. Just raising awareness of these types of scams can help someone avoid the financial loss, stress and inconvenience of being a victim. Share this blog on your social media platforms to help spread the message. You might also want to take part in our e-learning, kindly provided by #Friendsagainstscams, at www.FriendsAgainstScams.org.uk/elearning/Litenet
