Online Scammers and You: What NOT to do!

There are people around the world, whether freelance or on a larger scale, who are out to scam people out of their hard, earned money or information. Most times, they will pose as well known companies, such as Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, Walmart, and so much more. These people will then walk you through many steps to try and get you to surrender sensitive information, such as bank information, credit card numbers, passwords for social media, and more. If you want to protect yourself from these scammers, then keep an eye out for these signs and act accordingly.

- DO NOT CALL THE NUMBER ON SCREEN -

This is where the trouble starts. Know that NO company will EVER contact you directly. If you have a warning screen show up on your screen, do not panic. This is usually the work of a phishing link being clicked by mistake or a cookie from a shady website being used. This warning is almost NEVER from the operation system itself. In this situation, the simple thing to do is to exit your browser and restart your computer. Even though the pop-up may warn you to not turn off your computer at the risk of losing data, you won't. They have not been given access to your data at this point, so there is no risk of being compromised . This is where 9 out of 10 people will find themselves and will be able to act, but there are other signs to watch out for.

- DO NOT CLICK ON ANY FORM OF ADS OR SUSPICIOUS EMAILS -

Scammers in recent years have gotten very good at disguising their malware and other forms of harmful tools to look like legitimate websites or emails. It's a good rule of thumb to NOT click on the very first link to a website that you find. If you can, just go directly to the website if you know the domain name (such as youtube.com), so that you know exactly where you're going. Also note that secure websites will start with 'https', with the 's' being the main point of focus. This stands for 'secure' and most websites today will follow this protocol to ensure that you are safe during browsing. However, this does not apply to any ads you may see on their websites. Either avoid clicking on ads or install an Ad Blocker to your browser. Most modern browsers can either install one or have one built in!

Emails, unless you are expecting any from coworkers, friends, or subscriptions, should mostly be ignored. Emails from suspicious websites or users should be ignored and filtered as 'spam', assuming that they haven't been already. All it takes is a single click on that '$2 million dollar offer!' email for you to be exposed to malicious scammers that can steal your data and hold it for ransom. Be sure to routinely go through your emails and delete old junk and suspicious mail, and archive the emails that you want to keep. A clean inbox is safe inbox!

- ALREADY CALLED? STOP AT THESE SIGNS! -

If you have already become a victim to scammers, whether its calling the number or clicking on an email, then here's what you can do when these signs of scamming come up:

"I am going to need to install a program to walk you through fixing your computer"

Stop right there! In this situation, they will have you install a remote desktop app, such as 'Team Viewer' or 'Ultra Viewer' and have you give them a code so that they can connect to your computer and control it. At this moment, they have access to your desktop, documents, pictures, web browsers, and so much more! No good can come from this, so stop them right there by either hanging up or turning off your computer. Block the number or email and hopefully never hear from them again. Its worth noting that scammers will NEVER call back. They either get you the first time, or they move on to the next unfortunate victim.

"If you could provide the credit card info/bank info so I can verify your account"

Stop. Hang up right then and there. No company on this planet will EVER ask for this information, There are other, much less compromising ways to get your account information, and even then they won't ask for it unless you give it to hem first via fill out form or email. You should never give your personal financial information to ANYONE, let alone some random guy who claims to be from Microsoft, trying to clean your computer out of the goodness of their hearts.

"I need you to buy/redeem these online shop cards and give me the code"

Yes, this is a real tactic. Yes, people will actually follow through with these demands. It's just another smoke - and - mirror tactic to try and trick you out of money, but in a less conventional way. Gift cards are much harder to track, and next to impossible to do so once it's been activated. Major companies cannot track these, so they can get away with this without a single fingerprint being left behind. Their value are near identical to cash, and in some occasions, can give them access to both your money AND the gift card. Do NOT fall for this gimmicky ploy and cut them off when and if it comes up.

- PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES -

Thousands of people are, unfortunately, the victims of scammers. Typically, the older generation, who are unfamiliar with modern technology or methods, fall victim to this never-ending line of malicious individuals. Do what is best for you and your loved ones and make sure they are aware of the signs of scammers. Have them follow the procedures mentioned above, or even send them a link to this post for their own education. If you believe you have been compromised, then feel free to visit our shop and we'll do our best to help educate you on the best procedures to follow alter the fact. We offer consolations, virus scans, and security set ups to make sure it doesn't happen again. If you have any handy tips that you'd like to share, feel free to share in the comments below!