Avoid the tech support phone scam

If someone calls you and says you have a virus / malware on you computer, it is probably a scam.    A recent experience has led me to this blog post,  and the importance of pointing out that this scam becoming more common.   

This scam can be one of the most damaging, here are some great tips from the FTC, 

If you get a call from someone who claims to be a tech support person, hang up and call the company yourself on a phone number you know to be genuine. A caller who creates a sense of urgency or uses high-pressure tactics is probably a scam artist.

Keep these other tips in mind:

• Don't give control of your computer to a third party who calls you out of the blue.
• Do not rely on caller ID alone to authenticate a caller. Criminals spoof caller ID numbers. They may appear to be calling from a legitimate company or a local number, when they're not even in the same country as you.
• Online search results might not be the best way to find technical support or get a company's contact information. Scammers sometimes place online ads to convince you to call them. They pay to boost their ranking in search results so their websites and phone numbers appear above those of legitimate companies. If you want tech support, look for a company's contact information on their software package or on your receipt.
• Never provide your credit card or financial information to someone who calls and claims to be from tech support.
• If a caller pressures you to buy a computer security product or says there is a subscription fee associated with the call, hang up. If you're concerned about your computer, call your security software company directly and ask for help.
• Never give your password on the phone. No legitimate organization calls you and asks for your password

Here is a direct link to the FTC article, Tech Support Scams

For further information, here is a good bulletin from Microsoft, Avoid tech support phone scams

As always if you have any questions, feel free to give me a call.