Problem with my zoom.

Hi, I am a complete camera beginner and I use a Canon PowerShot A530. I am happy with the quality of pictures I get for a typical point-and-shoot camera. But whenever I zoom in I get a black dot on the picture. The dot is not there whenever the camera is not zoomed. I have wiped down the lens, but the dot is still there whenever I zoom in. Any idea what could be the issue?

Dust on your camera's sensor. You should also see the dust when you have a high F stop also

I don't think you can get to the cameras sensor in a P&S camera. You could check with a local shop to see if it can be cleaned. It might also have a dead pixel in that area. I hope it's not that.
good luck...
hth