Issue 34.13
Not long ago, we reported to you the existence of a new group of criminals trying to get your money and your credit card information. They do this by calling you up and telling you they are from Microsoft or some other well-known company and they have discovered viruses or other problems on your computer.
They ask for remote control of your computer to fix the problem, then tell you the problem is more serious and that you need to give them a credit card payment of $200 – $300 in order to fix it. In the meantime, they have damaged your operating system so the computer won’t work at all. Many people have called to thank me for making them aware of this danger and report that the information saved them from making this mistake. No one can tell remotely if your computer has a virus or any other problem and no big company cares. They will not call you about this type of thing. Just say “NO” and hang up. The damage these people do is usually fixable with no loss of your data, so don’t do like one guy I know did and throw away the computer. Just call your computer professional.
Because people are becoming aware of this scam and avoiding it, the hackers are changing tactics. Now they are approaching you through screen pop-ups or emails with the same basic message – Your computer has problems and if you call us or click here, we will solve it for you. They don’t ask for any money until they have gained access to your computer which can happen by you simply clicking on the link or permission button on the email or pop-up.
Everyone is worried about their computer crashing or losing their information so the tendency is to panic and let them “fix” things. These scammers play on that fear so always stop the process and call a professional you can trust. If you have a good anti-virus program that is up to date, you can generally be pretty sure that your computer is not infected. If you wonder if your program is good, you can check with your computer professional or look it up in consumer reports or other reputable online resource. Some of the best are Kaspersky, Esset Nod32, AVG and Bit-Defender. You can learn about others from the same sources.
The basic rule still applies – If you didn’t ask for it, you don’t want it. Never give access to your computer to someone you don’t know and trust. And always remember to back up anything that is important to you.
Shaun McCausland has worked in the computer industry for over 32 years, 23 years of it locally with Bits ‘N’ Bytes and Musicomp and currently does in-home and on-site computer consultation, service, training and repair. If you have questions you can reach him at 435-668-7118 or through his website at www.bitsnbytescomputers.com.