Scam Alert: How Fake Tech Support Scams are Breaking Peoples Computers, and their Wallets
Oct 23, 2018, 9:22 AM | Updated: Jan 24, 2020, 2:31 pm
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It seems every week we are warning people about a new scam. Dan Young from PC Laptops joins Lori Prichard and Andrew Wittenberg on Tech Talk to talk to them about the latest scam people need to be looking out for. Hint: the solution usually involves simply hanging up the phone.
The Suspicious Phone Call
If you get a call from anyone claiming to be Microsoft, Apple, or any other large tech company, be wary. They might not be who they say they are. A new fake tech support scam going around right now where you receive a phone call saying that your computer has been infected and viruses, malware, or other nefarious infection. The person on the phone claiming to be the tech company representative will ask to remote into your computer. This is a big red flag. Don’t let them do it! They are not tech support. This is a tech support scam you’ve just walked into.
The Tech Support Scams
.@Microsoft #TechSupportScam – wayservice[.]xyz redirected from http://www.todayreportupdates[.]com. Includes a God-awful pig MP3 if you click somewhere. Page source: https://t.co/JfRITR46OG. Hosted on @GoDaddy – #takeitdown pic.twitter.com/dNUGfXnqRM
— Michael Gillespie (@demonslay335) October 22, 2018
When someone remotes into your computer, they have the ability to access anything on your computer. Your computer probably didn’t have any malware on it before, but it probably will after this person accesses your computer. The culprits typically install multiple different forms of malware on to your computer, they might even demand money as a ransom.
It’s very unlikely that anyone besides you would actually know that your computer is infected with a virus, so don’t believe anyone you might be on the phone with who says your computer has a virus.
What Should You Do if Someone Tries to Scam You
First off, just hang up the phone. That can save a massive headache before it happens. Also, Don’t give out any personal information including your email address or passwords first and foremost.
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