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Bogus Computer Technicians
We have seen an increase in the
number of new clients at
Pitstop, who have suffered at
the hands of bogus computer
engineers, working from local
press using mobile phone numbers
to call them. Our advise is
NEVER use this type of service,
as the company or individual can
disappear as fast as they moved
in on your PC, with call out
charges applicable as part of
their terms, you may be charged
irrelevant of a repair or not.
generally it is always good to
call a land line number and
request a trading address (This
should not include PO Box
numbers) Also ask to see a list
of endorsements. All of which
Pitstop can offer, with over
2000 clients in the past 2 years
alone we run our business on
recommendations alone. This
means we have to get it right
and will stop at nothing to
deliver the results you expect
from a recommendation. After all
if we let you down, we let your
friend down as well. |
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Experience real-time has shown
Pitstop, many people are taking for granted the use of FREE software packages
from the internet which allow their children to download illegal music. Whilst
the children remain ignorant to its potential illegal use, which results in
illegal downloads. Pitstop has always tried to teach parents their
responsibility in the use of the home PC. But now the government is turning its
attention to P2P (Peer To Peer) software and ISPs (Internet Service Providers)
are beginning to take note. Recently families have been fined for allowing P2P
activity on their PCs, to the tune of £2,800 (average) When in court the defence
argued that the parent cannot be held responsible for the actions of a minor/
another individual, however
the prosecution reply that it was irrelevant as it was the responsibility of the
bill payer of the internet service to oversee the PC.
Your problems do not stop there, with
thousands of users of P2P software, your chances of viruses, worms, adware,
spyware are infinitely multiplied. It's not a case of IF! its a case of WHEN!
will your PC finally stop operating and you will need to seek professional
advise on its repair. Immediately you "The Bill Payer" are out of pocket costing money which means that the downloads were not FREE and the time spent
seeking support, elevated stress levels and running the chance of a Bogus I.T.
technician which you called out could result in large charges and a PC that
still is not working..
How to check!
Simple steps can be taken to see if your
home PC has this software loaded.
- Log into the
suspected account and have a look at the START MENU, in there go
to ALL PROGRAMS and see if there are any folders or shortcuts using
names like: Bearshare, Shareaza, Limewire, Kazaa.
NB Please note that
some P2Ps offer pay versions of their software which results in annual fees,
you "the bill payer" should be aware of such transactions. These payment
packages are okay but with so many out there that are potentially illegal,
Pitstop can only name NAPSTER as okay due to TV advertisements
- Another favourite is to hide all shortcuts, however you can take a look at the lower
right of the monitor where you will find the sys-tray which contains the
time. In there are icons which show many current processors and if the
software is running, you will find an icon which you can double click to
bring up the main program.
Finally we close
with the following statement. Not all music is illegal as purchasers of music
CD's from shops tend to convert the tracks into MP3s on their PCs for use with
their MP3 players. You should be vigilant at all times and if you suspect
illegal downloads, then a great resolve is to move the PC into
the living space, where you can keep a watchful eye on the unit. This has a double
effect as social websites like BEBO are also under fire.
Social
websites
These sites have recently been featured on
TV and in the press. BEBO a favourite amongst the young, has been spotlighted as
a source of information with photographs allowing potential paedophiles to seek
out and invite the young to talk or even meet them. Every step is being taken
and a new government directive will soon require people registered on the "Sex
offenders" list to give their email addresses. However please be aware that it
is very easy to create BOGUS email addresses using false ID (identity) which
moves us to our next concern. Identity fraud is increasing and the need for
information by organised crime is ever present. So how can this effect you or
your children? We have seen ID fraud committed through obtaining
information from refuse like:
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Bank statements
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Full Name
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Address
Now you may have given your details freely
across the internet to sites, that are setup to attract information like the
above plus:
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Mothers Maiden Name
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Upload photographs
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Date of birth.
This now places the criminal with vital
information to obtain credit in your name and if you really stop and think!
Obtain credit in the names of the younger victim, when they turn 18 or older
using information that has been placed on the internet. REMEMBER "Once this
information is uploaded, it is pretty much there as long as the internet exists"
and there's nothing you can do about it (at this time)
Your Responsibility:
Ultimately many of you will say, I can
always call
my bank and tell them this has happened and for many; this tends to be resolved
through assurances that were/ are offered by the banking institutions. However!
A recent program featured on BBC, showed major hurdles to pass, which resulted
in victim(s) suffering with major depression, loss of integrity and self esteem.
In one case a victim lost the trust of their entire family, through ID fraud
which resulted in them appearing on the sex offenders list. Birth certificate
information of children who died years ago, used by low life criminals who quite simply
take on the identity of that certificate for financial gain.
Education is probably the only realistic
defence we have at this point in time. Parents and individuals should always be
aware of all the points we have raised and check
with organisations that can offer advise. Talking to the young about the
repercussions of their actions on the internet, could help them to understand
and be more vigilant in future, after all "the best offence is usual the best
defence!"
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