Have you ever had a problem with your computer, and your first course of action was to search online for solutions? On the other hand, you may have seen a message from scammers when surfing online that your device has a dangerous virus. Some even call you on your phone, claiming to be from a known company that deals with computer security software.
It would help if you did not fall for such trickery since these are fraudsters after your hard-earned money. Here is how you can fall victim to online computer repair scams and how to avoid them.
1) Searching For a Technician Online
You may experience a problem with your computer and browse online for troubleshooting solutions. Alongside genuine tech support websites, you will find scammers running ads online with a phone number. You may find yourself in a scam site and end up losing money in the process if you are not careful.
If you find yourself a victim of online scammers after paying with a gift, debit, or credit card, immediately call the card company to stop any transactions.
You may ask if they can reverse the money the scammers may have withdrawn. If it is your computer’s remote access you had offered to the fraudsters, do update the security software on your computer.
You can find online computer repair by USA technicians who run a legit site. If you are having a problem with any malware, spyware, or virus, the technicians can remove the virus and protect your computer from future attacks. You will get support on how to safeguard your files from malware, human error, or hardware failure.
You can have the speed and performance of your device improved onsite. If you need to update, install, remove, or upgrade your device’s software, the services are also available. You can do an online search if you have doubts about a particular site to see if it is among scams.
2) Virus Warning Pop-Ups
When typing a website URL, you may mistype it and land on a scam site. You can also receive a spam email and click on the link accompanying it. You may even get a warning popup that your device has a virus and may crash if you do not repair it immediately.
When you try to leave the site, you find it impossible, and you see a toll-free number on the site to speak to a technician or a link to download a fake antivirus. Buying into their gimmick and following everything they ask of you will cause you to suffer fraud from them.
To avoid being a victim, avoid clicking on any spam email link. When you see the pop up about a virus attack, please ignore it and leave the site or shut your browser. Regularly scan your device with genuine antivirus software to detect any malware and always run a scan after you see the scam popup on your screen.
Not all popups are fake, and to tell them apart, check if there is a phone number. Genuine tech firms do not provide a phone number in their popups, but fake ones do.
3) Phone Call
You can get a phone call from an unsolicited number, and the caller claims to be from a legit company dealing with security software. It should be a red flag since the companies do not contact you out of the blues; you must have contacted them first. If you answer the call and heed to their requests of providing personal details, you will most likely find an empty bank account.
You can avoid all these by hanging up the phone call or not picking it at all. You should not look up the number on a caller ID as the scammers have a way of making it appear as if it is from a genuine company. Remember never to give a strange caller your personal and payment information.
You may have fallen for the scammers’ bait and offered a password and username. It would be best if you immediately changed the password, not only for the site they conned you on, but also in other accounts on which you have used the same password. The new password you create should be a strong one that they cannot guess.
You should also report any case of online theft to the Federal Trade Commission as they may catch the fraudsters or find ways of avoiding similar instances in the future. Please inform your friends and family about the scam to prevent them from falling prey to the virtual thieves.
