By Dave Moore, CISSP
09/25/2022
Careful where you click; think before you act.
If you come across something on your computer that is in any way unusual, start asking yourself questions. Take your hands off the keyboard. Step away from the computer, and ask: “What am I looking at? Where did it come from? Do I trust what I am reading? What should I do? Should I click, or not?”
There are four scams seem to trip people up as much as anything else: (1) Fake tech support calls; (2) fake antivirus and “fix your computer” programs; (3) fake friends and contacts on social media site, and (4) fake news stories.
(1) Fake tech support calls. The scam usually starts with a phone call; sometimes, as you are doing various Internet chores, it comes from a website. No matter what, someone will try to convince you there is something wrong with your computer.
“This is the Microsoft Technical team, and your IP address is alerting our Security Headquarters that your computer is sending out viruses, and it must be immediately fixed, or it will be banned from the Internet. Press 1 (or, “click here”) to connect to a security specialist.”
“Oh, no!” Your mind races. Your heart beats faster. “I must get this fixed, now,” you think, and you Press 1; or, click. Oops. Bad move.
Next thing you know, you are talking to someone with a strange accent who tells you all the problems your computer has. They have you type in some commands, and click some things, and they start showing you all the problems you never knew you had.
Eventually, they go for the home run and have you sign up for the Deluxe Total Premium Repair and Security Package, which only costs $499 per year, for the next three years.
You are only a credit card number away from three years of computer bliss, and victims pay; $240 million in 2021 alone, according to the FBI.
- Similar to Similar to the fake tech support scam, the fake antivirus and “fix your PC” programs prey on the same type of ignorance to succeed.
You’ll be surfing around on the web and something will pop up saying, “your computer is too slow, speed it up now,” or “your computers drivers are out of date, and are putting you in danger,” or, the always alarming, “Possible viruses detected! Click here to get help!”
There are many variations on this same theme, but they all work out the same: something has gone horribly wrong, but the nice scammers are there to help you.
The scams can look legitimate, too, taking elements from real websites. Make sure you pay attention to spelling and grammar, though. The “Windows Security Alert,” in its first sentence, reads, “To help protect your computer, Windows Web Secure Kit have detected Trojans…” Really? It have?
Next week: Internet safety, Step 12: Careful where you click, Part 2.
Dave Moore, CISSP, has been fixing computers in Oklahoma since 1984. Founder of the non-profit Internet Safety Group Ltd, he also teaches Internet safety community training workshops. He can be reached at 405-919-9901 or internetsafetygroup.org