PC Pro website has an article on a scam that’s currently targeting UK residents.  The scammers cold-call unsuspecting marks and claim that “Microsoft” has found a virus on their PC, and they’ll help to fix it.  Mark is told to download some software.  At this point the article is a little hazy, but it would seem that the downloaded software probably is a virus, and the chap on the end of the phone will then “fix” this problem.. for a small fee. 

As usual, this scam requires the marks to be generally ignorant or, at least, pretty trusting of the random guy who has just called (who also has somehow magically determined their phone number based on their computer and has the ability to remotely determine that you’re affected by a virus, but can’t fix it for you.) so generally it’s praying on the weak, but then that’s what sorry-ass scammers do, isn’t it?

So be careful out there, and if someone phones you claiming to be able to sort out a computer problem that you don’t even know you have, well, play them at their own game and cost them a bit of money by leaving them on hold whilst you make dinner / go to a movie / play your favourite game.