The latest tech support scam that could cost you time money.
A tech support scam is currently running rampant. Instead of infecting your computer by having you click faulty links or making brute force attacks, you are actually the one infecting your computer. That’s right- the hackers fool you into downloading (and paying for) software that grants them remote access. You are essentially handing them your money as well as your computer. In this post, we break it down for you so you can avoid being a victim of this scam.
The process of the tech support scam is fairly simple. When you try to access a webpage, like google.com, a message will pop up saying something along the lines of, “We have received an error message from your computer and believe there to be suspicious activity. Please call 1-800-123-4567 for tech support”. The hackers haven’t infected your computer at this point. They have invaded one of the routers your computer is communicating with. Once you are on the phone with the “tech support” they will tell you anything they can to get you to download their “software”. Once downloaded they have remote access to your computer. Their reasons for needing remote access run from wanting to prevent an attack, needing to clean up whatever virus you have, to simply running a special scan. Once you have paid for and downloaded the software, they take over your computer.
Not only does this tech support scam cost you on the front end when you pay for the hackers software, but it can cost you time and money to remove the hackers and their viruses. One of the main tips we have for avoiding this kind of hassle is to consider the source of messages you receive. It is one thing to get a message for your anti-virus software saying there is suspicious activity. If the message is coming from a pop up from an unidentified source, it is more often than not a scam. Another tip is to listen for key phrases when speaking to someone claiming to be tech support. Anyone you do not trust that is asking for remote access to your computer most often does not have your best interest in mind. For more information about this scam and ways to protect yourself from viruses, call the professionals at trueITpros at 678-534-8776.