A couple of common scams we see out there, constantly, are tech support and antivirus renewal scams.
The tech support scams usually start out as a popup that has “locked out” your computer to where you can not use it. It gives you a number to call from “Microsoft” to fix the issue. Once called, the hack begins.
Another scam we see is an email saying that “Your account has been drafted X amount of dollars for renewal of your subscription. Call such and such if this is not correct.” You call and the hack begins.
Both scams and hacks usually have you go to a website and download a remote access program. The “tech” gets into your computer to “help” you. While they are there, though, they are gathering sensitive data, such as passwords that you have saved to your browser. (that you should not have as we warned you before), personal documents and the like. They are doing this all the while they are “helping” you solve your problem. Sometimes they black out the screen on you so you can not see what they are doing.
THINGS TO LOOK FOR: TRICKS SCAMMERS USE
Scammers are some of the best manipulators that you will run into. They know their trade and will pull out all the stops to get to their goal. Look for the following:
- An unsolicited contact: They call you, email you, or a popup on your screen.
- ANY REQUEST FOR REMOTE ACCESS!
- Pushing you hard for payments
- Urgency in the “problem’s solution”
WHAT YOU CAN DO
- Hang up immediately!
- Turn off your computer or disconnect from the Internet
- Run a strong antivirus scan
Contact a professional if you have been taken advantage of on ANY of these things! DO NOT RECONNECT to the internet until you make sure the hackers access is gone. Remember, they install software that allows them access. An antivirus program will not always pick up on these programs, as most are legit!
We are happy to help you get back up and running if this has happened to you. Remember, you are not alone and are not the first this has happened to. The hacks are really good and would not be out there if they did not work!
As always, please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.
Stay Safe Out There!