Scams aren't a new subject, and it's even a topic we've covered extensively before, but we're continuing to see an uptick in scams. If you've ever been fooled by one, you know how sophisticated they are. Once upon a time, when people would call us to get help cleaning up the fallout of a scam, we'd hear things like "I can't believe I fell for that!" Now, the sentiment we're hearing repeatedly is "they were so good, I was completely convinced." Whether you've been taken in by a scam before or not, you need to educate yourself so you'll have your guard up anytime you encounter something fishy on your computer. Like the saying goes, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", and that is doubly true when it comes to today's sophisticated-- and dangerous-- scams.
One important change that we have been seeing lately is that scammers are going directly to clients' bank accounts. Sometimes they say they need account information to process a refund, or to make sure nobody else is accessing your banking information. After taking remote access of the computer, they'll ask you to log in to your bank, but will be taking note of your login information so they can access your accounts directly.
Never let someone you do not know and trust have remote access to your computer.
Take a look at some of the most common scams we see below, and learn how to recognize them!
Calling the Scammer Instead of the Official Help Line
One scam we've seen more and more often begins when our clients call a company for help. Your first instinct may be to Google (or use a search engine) to find a phone number. Let's say you have questions about an issue with your Amazon account, so you type into Google "Amazon support phone number." You may see a phone number appear prominently at the top of your results, and assume this is the number you should be calling. However, many scammers know that consumers have this habit, and have created fake websites, and then paid search engines to allow their result to appear before the "real" result.
This is true of not just Amazon; this can happen if you are searching for help from Apple, or Epson, or any other company. Google is simply a collection of what is on the internet that seems to match keywords you type in; they do not vet results, nor do they crack down on scammers. Google is a useful tool, but it will not help you to discern between legitimate and illegitimate results. Because of this, it is best to go to the website directly and then find their support section (often at the very bottom of the web page there will be a directory in small type with "Help", "Support", "Customer Service", or some other similar phrase). So, instead of Googling "Amazon support phone number," you will go directly to www.amazon.com and then look on the page for their official support center.
You should also be aware that many large companies like Amazon, Yahoo, and Google may not have a phone number for you to call. Often, you are asked to chat with an online representative, or submit a message that will be responded to like an email. Many large companies do not offer much in the way of support (which is why companies like us exist, to help fill that gap!).
Phishing Emails From McAfee, Norton, & Other Legitimate Businesses
Another scam we have heard about from several clients has to do with the legitimate antivirus company McAfee. While we do not believe most Apple users need separate antivirus software, McAfee is a legitimate business. Scammers have taken advantage of its popularity and the trust people have in the company. They will send users an email claiming that their subscription to McAfee is renewing, and that they should call if they wish to cancel the subscription before the first payment is processed. Of course, when users call the number in the email, they are speaking to scammers who are hoping to coax personal information from them.
To learn more about this particular scam, and to have a comprehensive guide for what to look for in phishing emails, read this blog post from McAfee.
Keep in mind, even though this specific example has to do with McAfee, in the past we have seen similar scams using Apple ("please call if you didn't mean to purchase this item/ this iCloud storage fee," etc...), and it's likely that scammers will adapt as more people become wary of emails from places like McAfee and Apple, and will target users of different products and businesses.
General Tips & Tricks To Avoid Scams
There are innumerable scams that exist. Here are some general guidelines to help you recognize when something might be a scam:
Never call a phone number on a pop-up on your computer saying you need to call for support—this is malware and not a pop-up generated by your computer itself.
If you receive a phone call that you are not positive is legitimate, you can always take down the person’s name and a case number if one exists, and call back a phone number that you know belongs to the entity in question to find out if the original call came from them or not.
To find an “official” phone number, look on your bill or statement (if applicable), or go to the official website and look for the “Support,” “Help,” “Contact Us” or “Customer Service” information. DO NOT use a search engine to search for something like “Apple phone number” or “Epson printer help”. Many scammers have invested heavily in their websites so that their phone numbers will appear in a web search before the legitimate phone number, and so their websites look like the authentic site. You may unknowingly walk into a scam by calling a non-official phone number that looks like it is official. Go to the actual website and look for their contact information there.
Do not pay anyone in gift cards. This is a common tactic that scammers will use as you cannot cancel a gift card payment after the fact or put a hold on it like you can with a credit card.
Do not let anyone you don’t know have remote access to your computer. Many legitimate IT professionals (including us!) use this technology. If you call Apple Support (and you’ve followed our above advice and made sure you are calling the official phone number) and they want to connect remotely to your computer, that is ok. If you receive a call from someone telling you that an account has been compromised and they need to connect remotely to your computer, do not allow them to. This is how scammers can steal your personal information and install malware on your computer.
As always, if you have any concerns, please give us a call and arrange an appointment for help avoiding scams— or recovering from.
