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FTC: Tech Support Scams are baaaaack!

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They’re back, and they’re scarier than fangy blood sucking ghosts: tech support scammers. They want to suck you dry of your last penny.

9DA tech support scam may go as follows: You receive a call from someone informing you that your computer is infected with a really bad virus and needs prompt attention. The crook tells you he needs remote access to your computer, then proceeds to “fix” a problem that never existed, and you get charged a fee for it. Worse, when they are logged into your device, they install spyware so they can see everything you do on the PC all day long.

There’s a new type of this scam out now, where you get a call and they tell you you’ll get a refund if you’ve previously paid for tech support services. This scam has several variations, but here is the way it unfolds:

  • They ask if you were happy with the service. If you say no, they’ll then claim they can get your money back.
  • Another claim is that the company is going belly up, and as a result, they’re giving out refunds to individuals who already paid.
  • When enough of these phone calls are made, a certain percentage of the recipients will respond exactly the way the fraudsters want them to: The victims will give out their credit card number or bank account information after being told that this is necessary to process the refund.
  • The scammer may tell you to create a Western Union account in order to receive the refund. Gee, they may even offer to assist you in filling out the forms (how nice of them!) if you hand over remote access to your computer. But they won’t be putting money in your account; they’ll be taking money from it.

Solutions

  • Get a complaint filed at ftc.gov/complaint.
  • If you used a credit card, contact your credit card company and request that they reverse the charge.
  • Hang up on anyone who offers a refund if you provide your credit card or bank information or Western Union account number.
  • Better yet, why bother even answering a call in the first place if you don’t recognize the caller’s number? And if the caller’s number appears to be from “your” bank or credit card company or from Microsoft or anyone you alredy know and trust, still don’t answer; if it’s legitimate, they’ll leave a message. Even still, don’t call back the number they give you. If they leave a message, contact the institution via the number that’s on your statements to find out if the caller was legitimate.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to BestIDTheftCompanys.com discussing  identity theft prevention. For Roberts FREE ebook text- SECURE Your@emailaddress -to 411247. Disclosures.

Using Tech Support to Set Up Your New Devices

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There are some things in life that require a “professional” to get the job done properly. You wouldn’t let your cousin Larry who’s a landscaper reset a broken bone in your hand right? You can certainly go to a hardware store and buy all the wood to build a deck, but just because you know how to swing a hammer doesn’t mean the deck will be safe, or even up to code.

Frankly, I’m a big time “DIY” or Do it Yourselfer” and take on most tasks myself. However, some things I know are beyond my expertise and I usually hire someone to do those tasks. So even though painting my house is a relatively simple task, I hire someone because they often get it done faster, better and cheaper than I can do it myself.

With technology I hire out for many tasks because some things can be done much better and more efficiently by a recognized expert. When I first started computing in the early 90’s I was on the phone with tech support all the time and learned an awful lot from these experts. Just figuring out how to use your new device can be challenging. So why not leave the process of getting your new devices to work with your existing ones, setting up connections, printers, etc. to someone else?

Consider getting help with tedious tasks such as:

Configuring your device out of the box

Customizing your desktop, screensaver, icons, profile picture, folders and tasks

Setting up your browser, homepage, bookmarks, and optimize the security settings

Creating user accounts

Installing all your software

Setting up printers and scanners

Configuring your email

One thing I learned is that even though I have a general working knowledge of technology, like painting, sometimes it’s easier to have the experts do the job. You’ll save yourself a ton of time and reduce headaches over the life of the device if you hire a professional to walk you through setting it up. Check out McAfee TechMaster Services which can help you with all this and more!

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Evangelist to McAfee. Watch him discussing information he found on used electronic devices YouTube. (Disclosures)