Tech Support Scam that could Kill your Computer

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An old computer scam has gotten new life in recent months, targeting Mac and Windows computers.

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The scam targets someone that has a computer connected to the Internet.  While a person is surfing, they are presented with a pop-up window saying that a virus has been detected on your system and to call the number that’s on the pop-up immediately.

That’s what Stacia Gates did.  She not only called the number, but the person on the other end (claiming to be from Microsoft) said that he needed access to her computer so he could troubleshoot the problem.  When Ms. Gates did, the man had complete control over her computer.  When she realized what was happening, she terminated the call and immediately shut down her computer.

In the past two years, Microsoft has gotten 175,000 reports of people being scammed by technical support scams, and the scammers also demand payment to fix the computer that they have hacked.

Cybersecurity expert Hemu Nigam said Gates fell victim to an old phishing scam that’s come back in a big way.

“[The hackers] say, ‘Oh, a horrible thing is going to happen – it’s an urgent situation,’” Nigam said. Too often, worried consumers believe them – and end up paying the price.

“At that point, they got your credit card, they got your expiration date, they got your home address and they got your first and last name and they got the ‘cc’ code on your card,” Nigam said.

It’s not just Microsoft users at risk. Some scam artists also pose as tech support for Apple.

Mr. Nigam says that there are ways to protect yourself:

1. Never call a telephone number that’s on a pop-up window.
2. Never give someone total access to your computer over the Internet.
3. Always keep your anti-virus up to date.

Gates realized there was something wrong when the man on the phone asked if she did banking on her computer.

“Bingo – a lightbulb just hit me,” she said. “It just went off and I thought, ‘What have I done?’”

Now Gates thinks twice before calling a number from a pop-up window.

Additional Source: CBS NEWS.COM

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Dan Uff

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