Recently, we have seen an increase in the number of Remote Technical Support Scam attempts to area businesses and residents.
A remote technical support scam is typically initiated with an unsolicited phone call, email, or by a pop up message on a website. The message may state that your computer has a virus and instruct you to call “Microsoft” at a phone number provided. At this point you most likely do not have any malware or viruses on your computer and should NOT click on the link provided. Also, it is highly unlikely that you are indeed dealing with Microsoft. Pop up messages appear because an advertisement has been hijacked. Be open to questioning something that “might not be normal” and consult a peer or trusted computer support professional as a second opinion.
If you do decide to act, the #1 red flag is that the scammer will ask for payment up front in the form of your credit or debit card information. It is best to never make a payment for a service without 100% confidence in the caller. Before agreeing to make a payment it is wise to call that person back, and NOT at a number they supply you. Do not give over control of your computer to a third party that has contacted you out of the blue.
For more information you can visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website by CLICKING HERE.
