Dedham Police Warn Residents About Computer Virus Scam

Several Dedham residents in the past few weeks have been receiving unsolicited phone calls claiming to be from computer companies.  

According to Dedham Police, the scam is executed as follows: 

“The scammer states that there is a virus on your computer and offers to fix it remotely. The scammer then talks the computer owner through a series of commands on the computer that can add to the release of malware, or even allowing the scammer to access personal data. In some instances the scammer requests money to remove these viruses.”

Dedham Police are informing residents to hang up if they receive a similar call. They said said red flags should go up if anyone demands payment by pre-paid credit cards or wire transfers only.

“Never reveal personal information over the phone or over the computer,” Dedham police said in a statement. “Scammers are con-men and can be convincing over the phone, don’t fall prey.  Remember if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”