Once again the holidays are upon us and savvy shoppers have kept track of all the wonderful savings being offered on Cyber Mondays, Black Friday, and numerous early-bird deals perched on other sales days of the week. Consumers may not realize that the adage of “Buyer Beware” still applies even after an item is purchased, especially when it comes to techno-gadgets. Once tablets, notebooks, and laptops leave the safe confines of gift wrapped boxes users may need to protect themselves from holiday hackers claiming to be tech support personnel from well-known companies. Here’s some tips on how to scan for and delete fake IT offers.
The US Census Bureau estimates that in 2011, 75.6% of households reported owning computers in their homes and 71.7% said they had access to the Internet. Scammers call unsuspecting folks claiming to be customer service reps from reputable companies like Microsoft and inform them that their computer systems have been compromised and then offer to “fix” the problem. After several minutes of techno-babble and urgent warnings, concerned computer users are either convinced that they need to purchase special software or relinquish control of the operating system to the stranger on the phone. Either way account information and personal data are all compromised and the real damage begins.
If you receive a tech support call and haven’t initiated the contact, hang up. Fake caller ID numbers are easy to get and are used frequently by computer cons. Pop-up ads with special deals for security issues should raise red flags and under no circumstances should a stranger be allowed to access your computer or credit card information. If you believe you have paid for phony services contact your credit card company and advise them of the situation so they can proceed with an investigation. Change your passwords and check banking and/or credit card statements for any unauthorized charges and report problems to the FTC by calling 1-877-382-4357 or visit www.ftc.gov. Free anti-scamware is at your fingertips and no installation is required.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!