Did You Know There Are Fake Techs Out There Trying To Steal From You?
This has been going on for a while outside the U.S., and we want to let you know that it’s now happening here in Utah and Idaho.
Phone scammers pretending to be from a reputable company offering technical support are trying to get access to your computers and money.
One of our clients called with this urgent request:
“One of my employees took a call from ‘someone with a strong accent’ who led her through some potential ‘updates’ on her computer. Do you have the ability to check and see if there’s anything amiss with our system?”
They did the right thing by calling us. The employee got scammed!
How Does The Phone Scam Work?
This is important! –Let your employees know about these phone scammers. People are getting fooled.
If they get a call from “tech support” and the scammer gets in, this call could be dangerous to your business. Contact us right away to ensure they didn’t install malware or other viruses on your computer.
The criminal will say that he heard you’re having problems with your computer and is responding to your call for help.
The phone scammer may claim that he’s from one of the following companies:
- Microsoft
- Windows Support
- Apple
- e-Commerce
- Support-On-Click
- Your Internet Service Provider
- Technical Support
Don’t believe him. These organizations won’t contact you out of the blue offering to help with computer problems. They will only call you if you called them with a request.
How Does The Phone Scammer Get Into People’s Computers?
Here’s the really scary part…
The phone scammer will ask if he can remote into your computer to remove a virus. He will try to scare you into providing the access by telling you that the virus is stealing your data.
Don’t believe this! And, don’t give him access to your computer!
Did You Know That Anyone Can Remote Into Your Computer With The Right Software And Information?
Here’s how the phone scam works…
- You get tricked into giving him access. If the phone scammer gets your Internet Protocol (IP) address, he can use a remote software program to get into your computer and do whatever he wants to do (steal your information).
- The scammer will pretend to do what a legitimate tech does to help you resolve a computer issue. He’ll ask you to download the remote access software application, so he can access your computer. (These programs are available on the Internet for free.)
- One you’ve downloaded and installed the remote access software program the phone scammer will input their code to get control of your computer.
- Sometimes he will show you where a virus has infected your computer. He’ll say that he is going to provide you with a free anti-virus program to eliminate it. Don’t believe him.
- If you follow his directions and download and install the remote access program, now he has access to everything on your computer!
- Plus, he can now download malware on your computer. He can use it to hold your data for ransom or install a key-stroke recorder that tells him everything you’re doing on your computer, including your passwords.
- Now he can get into your online banking account, credit card accounts and more. He can even change your passwords to lock you out of your accounts!
- Then he might even ask you to pay a fee for the “work” he’s done. He may ask for a credit card number or tell you how you can wire the fee into his account via a website he posts on your computer screen.
- The amounts phone scammers ask for are usually between $100 and $400. If this happens to you and you used a credit card to pay, call your credit card company to cancel the transaction and close your account. Now the criminals have your credit card number, so this is important to do.
Who Are These Phone Scammers?
We don’t know … However, we believe that they are criminals based outside the U.S. (many are from India). Because they’re outside the U.S., it’s difficult to prosecute them (if you can even find out who they are). They use a phone re-routing system that disguises where they are calling from. If we can’t trace the call, we can’t find out who they are.
Educate All Of Your Employees So Your Business Isn’t Affected
If you get one of these calls, don’t hesitate to hang-up on them. Don’t listen or talk to them. The more you do this, the more likely you’ll get scammed.
What Should You Do If Your Business In Utah Or Idaho Was Tricked By A Phone Scammer?
Contact SymTec so we can inspect your computers and network to ensure they are free of malware. We’ll also make sure that these criminals can’t remote into your computers again.
In the meantime, stay up-to-date on other important IT topics. Visit our Learning Center.
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