Tech Scams On The Rise
We’ve had several business and residential clients reach out to Grand Technology Solutions for help recently after becoming victims of various tech support scams.
Some of these clients questioned these random calls or popup windows and called us right away. In those cases, we have been able to help clients remove popup messages that seemingly locked up their Internet browser, scan systems for malicious adware and malware programs, and perform system restores to completely remove any trace of malicious software.
Other clients have not been so lucky and have allowed their computers to be compromised.
It’s an understandable mistake. These fraudulent companies disguise themselves as legitimate tech support representatives and offer information that sounds like it is in fact coming directly from your computer.
The BEST RULE TO FOLLOW is to ask yourself the following question: “Did I ask for this assistance?”
If the answer is no, then it is a scam. If you’re not sure, give us a call. We’ll be happy to confirm whether or not it is a legitimate entity FREE OF CHARGE.
If you didn’t ask for the attachment, don’t click it. (Email scams are often designed to look like they are coming from someone in your own company, or a family member. If you see an email from someone you know, and you’re not one-hundred percent sure the attachment is legitimate, pick up the phone and call the sender to confirm).
If you get a random popup window saying that your computer is blocked, or that you must call an 800 number, call us. In many cases this can be fixed by simply going to task manager and ending the browser task. We can also run a quick scan to check for viruses and malware. If you’re not sure, call us, and we’ll let you know if it’s a scam. We’ll only charge you if further scanning is required.
Here’s a link to a great article about the disturbing increase in tech support scams.
https://www.izoologic.com/2018/06/27/alarming-increase-tech-support-scams/
Your best protection is the combination of a reliably tested data backup plan and up-to-date antivirus and malware programs. GTS has several different options. We can help you protect your critical data.
