Scammers in English-speaking markets such as United States, Canada and the UK are pretending to be computer security experts and are offering free security checkups, with a hidden motive to gain access to intended victims’ passwords and financial details, Microsoft warned.

Scammers make phone calls to the targeted victims and warn them of a risky security threat, and then offer them a security checkup free of charge.

Microsoft’s warning surfaced after the software firm surveyed 7,000 PC users in United States, Canada, Britain and Ireland, and found that an average of 16 per cent of the surveyed people had received such fake calls. In Ireland the average jumped to a shocking 26 per cent.

Out of the total 7,000 surveyed people, more than 3 per cent admitted that were tricked into the trap by scammers. Victims said they followed the scammers’ instructions, which ranged from letting scammers remote access of their machines, and downloading malicious codes.

In some cases, victims even provided scammers with their credit card information in order to pay for purchases.

Earlier on June 7, security company Sophos said, “Scareware, or fake anti-virus, is fake security software which pretends to find dangerous security threats - such as viruses - on your computer. The initial scan is free, but if you want to clean up the fraudulently-reported "threats", you need to pay.”

Figures released by Microsoft states that 79 per cent of those tricked by the scammers suffered financial loss, with the average loss standing at $875.