This scam can cost you thousands of dollars and it happened to a couple friends of ours. It started with an innocuous popup from ‘Microsoft’ on their computer that said “We detect an infection on your computer. Please call our Microsoft support number immediately.”
However, it was not a Microsoft number. Instead, the number routed our friends to a scam call center. The ‘technician’ was very friendly and engaging, and quickly put our friends at ease. The scammers than asked our friends to download and install a small PD remote-desktop program.
Once the scammers gained access, they became much more sinister. They claimed they had accessed all our friends’ personal and financial files, including bank accounts and credit card numbers. The scammers demanded our friends purchase gift cards for payment to prevent them from releasing these files to Russia.
These gift cards amounted to thousands of dollars, and the scammer used threats to keep our friends on the phone while they were making the purchases. Our friends had to go to several stores because each have a limit on gift cards you can purchase—probably for this reason. All the while, the scammer used threats to keep our friends on the phone. Then, our friends were coerced into reading the codes off the back of the cards, and as soon as they did that, the funds were gone.
Our friends tried calling the police, but there was nothing they could do to recover the funds.
I’ve heard similar stories from people who received phone calls from the “FBI” or the “IRS” too. None of these agencies will call you. And if you do receive an email communication, text message or popup—always go directly to the company or agency’s website vs. accessing any URL or using any phone number they provide.
What else can you do to stop this from happening to you or those you care for?
Find a good IT services provider.
A trusted local IT services provider can go a long way toward helping you solve many problems before they start. And they can be your go-to source for reliable help.
Whether you are a new customer or have an ongoing relationship with them, a brief consultation should not cost you a dime. At Arnold Consulting, we focus on providing an exceptional customer experience, not nickel and diming our clients.
We constantly remind our customers that Microsoft or the IRS will not call you. If you believe you got a call from them, we will check it out. We know IT and we have financial services companies that we do business with that will confirm the identity of the IRS. We have provided this service to our clients a few times already.
Install a Managed Antivirus Solution.
Our friends had a common consumer antivirus that was installed through notifications when they first purchased their computer. Unfortunately, it was not enough.
A Managed Antivirus Solution offers much more comprehensive protection at a very affordable price point.
With this version you get:
- Direct, remote support from Arnold Consulting in every state.
- Priority support from ESET.
- A built-in blacklist of scam websites and emails that is updated continuously.
- Crypto-ware blocking capability.
- Remote monitoring of any antivirus alerts on your computer. If the virus was not removed, we will remove it remotely.
- Automatic updates of the ESET antivirus program and management agent.
Arnold Consulting sells the MSP or Managed Services Provider version of ESET Antivirus for only $42.40 flat fee per year per computer. We encourage you to take the first step in protecting your computer or that of a loved one. Call Arnold Consulting today at 847-464-5855 or visit our website to purchase the ESET Antivirus client at https://www.arnoldconsult.com/shop/.
Reply to this post to be added to our weekly informative email list.
