[Gayle]

Be very careful.

I got a phone call today from a man who said that he was from Microsoft. He said that he could tell that my software was compromised, that my IP address showed some unusual activity which meant that a few Trojans had got through. He asked if my computer was going a bit slower than usual. He asked if my antivirus was up to date. As it happens, by coincidence, I actually knew that my antivirus needed updating.

Anyway he was quite believable.

Then he said that to fix the problem all I had to do was carry out a sequence of key strokes. At that point I told him that I would close down my computer and get my antivirus updated. He insisted that I should do what he asked me to do. Again I refused and told him what I would actually do. Then he hung up.

It was all quite plausible.