by: Denny

 It’s the weekend and you’ve decided to do some online shopping after paying some bills. You’re surfing the web and everything is going fine until suddenly a screen appears on your computer blocking out the page you were on and you can’t make it go away. It says it’s from Microsoft and that your computer has been locked and your I.P. address has been hacked and compromised by a Trojan program. There is a number to call so they can fix the problem. You call the number thinking it connects you to Microsoft, but it doesn’t. You are unknowingly being scammed. The person on the phone is very pleasant and expresses their concern in helping to alleviate the problem. Everything sounds so legitimate so you cooperate and type the information they tell you so they can remotely access your computer to diagnose and fix the issue. They are controlling the mouse and screens are changing with a lot of technical data and you don’t have a clue what they mean. All the while the guy on the phone is talking and explaining what he’s doing so you believe him. After about thirty minutes he says everything is fixed and working fine. He instructs you to see if you can go to any web page, and shazam it works great. There is a several hundred-dollar charge for the service and they talk you into buying a three-year service agreement for tech support in case you have any future problems. They present a contract for you to sign with the mouse and print it out. They give you their 24/7 tech support number and say they will call again the next day to make sure the computer is still working normally. You pay the charges with a debit or credit card and feel pretty good, especially when they do call the next day and end the call by saying, “God bless”. Two days later your bank calls and asks if you authorized a large withdrawal paid to some overseas company in Spain. You say no and you get a sick feeling as you realize you’ve been ripped off by a smooth-talking thief. Immediately the bank locks your account and cancels all your cards. They tell you to come in and apply for new ones as well as sign a form so they can try to get your money back. They instruct you to take your computer somewhere to get it checked for installed malware that would allow the scammers to gain further back-door access. They tell you to change all your passwords and login information and they give you a new username and password for your online banking. At this point you’re mad at yourself for being suckered so you call the 800 number giving them the “what for” and demand a full refund. To your surprise they agree to send it back to your account, but you don’t think that will happen. Several days later you are both shocked and excited to see the whole amount has been refunded. You breathe a sigh of relief and chalk it up to a lesson learned, but class isn’t over yet because that was only the first part of an even more insidious scam.

    Several weeks go by and you receive a phone call from that company saying they are going out of business and can’t honor the service contract. Their records show that they have yet to send your refund and need to comply with the Better Business Bureau and clear all accounts under penalty of law. You tell them you already got the refund. They say that money must have come from the card processing company because of your bank filing a complaint and refund request. They are very insistent that they send you the money. They claim it will come directly from Chase Bank and be electronically transferred into your bank account. Still upset with what happened weeks earlier, you figure if they want to send you more money then that’s their problem, but it’s about to become yours. You’re instructed to type an address into the search bar and a screen will pop-up where you fill in your name and the amount of the refund, then hit enter. He says to login to your online banking as the money is being transferred and will be showing up shortly. After about a minute the money appears in your account, but wait a second, there is one too many zeros at the end. Instead of only hundreds of dollars transferred there were thousands of extra dollars. The guy on the phone says you must have typed the refund amount wrong or held the zero key too long, but the truth is he’s the one who added the extra zero. You see where this is headed, now you owe them money! Not to worry though, he tells you to go buy several thousand-dollar gift cards and send them to their address. If you do it, you are quickly being promoted to the rank of 5^th Degree Stupid, because you rapidly moved through the previous ranks by even talking to them in the first place. A light finally comes on and you tell them to take a flying leap off a cliff or go someplace very hot. Suddenly, as you watch, your account balance shows zero and it appears they have wiped you out and taken all your money. He says your account will be locked until you send them the money. This is where people will panic and fall for the scam.  What they don’t know is that the scammer created an exact duplicate fake screen of your online banking page when you logged in which allowed him to enter false information. You never got the extra money he claims was sent, and your money is still there because only your bank has the power to lock your account. It’s called “Theft by Forfeiture” and they don’t even need or use any of your account information to pull it off. They’re counting on you being seized with fear and doing what they tell you. This whole thing actually did happen to someone I know, but they didn’t fall prey to the scam. While the scammer was talking on the landline, they called the fraud department at their bank on their cell phone. As soon as the scammer heard those conversations and found out he’d been exposed, he hung up, and that was the end of that.  

     They say to be forewarned is to be forearmed. Having a computer or using a cell phone to go online seems to be a necessity these days. Far too many enjoy the benefits but fail to take steps to avoid the hidden dangers. Also, a lot of people lack the technical knowledge of how they operate, and scammers are counting on that. My bank has issued a two-page flyer on the common scams and how to avoid financial fraud which I have taped near my computer. I also have an acquaintance who owns a computer repair and support business. By combining the input from both these resources I’m listing some tips and practices that could help you avoid being scammed.  

1.  Microsoft doesn’t provide any number to call for tech support because they don’t offer it. Any communication to them is by email, and after you buy their product, they don’t care what happens.
2. If a screen pops up saying your computer is locked or anything that tells you to call a number, just press the F11 key and it will disappear. DO NOT CALL the number!
3. It’s impossible to hack an I.P. address so don’t believe it if someone tells you that.
4. The only way hackers and scammers can gain access to your computer or personal information is if you open the door and let them in. Be careful what you click on.
5. Never type anything on your computer if requested by an unknown person
6. Always look for websites that have https:// and a padlock symbol which indicates a secure site. Not http:
7. Gift cards are for gifts, not sending money. Once purchased and sent there is no way to get your money back.
8. Don’t save and store your passwords on your browser. Use a separate password manager app and a master password. Utilize 2-step verification whenever possible on your financial, medical, email and other important online accounts. Never use the same password for everything and change them often.
9. Slow down and think before you act under duress. Verify as much as possible by asking questions that could tip you off if being scammed.
10. Register all your phones on the government Do Not Call list to help prevent unsolicited robo and marketing calls and texts. There are several great apps you can also download. NoMoRobo and Robokiller are quite effective.
11. Hang up on or don’t answer unsolicited phone calls especially if the person has a foreign accent. Don’t press any number button to speak to a person, unsubscribe, or call a number back. Don’t say “Yes” to any question as they can record that and use it against you.
12. If you have a landline, check to see if your phone provider offers a feature called Selective Call Acceptance. When activated you input phone numbers of people you know, and they are the only ones who will be able to call you. All other calls won’t even ring in. Mediacom Extreme offers that service, and it is 100% effective in eliminating unwanted calls.
13. If your mouse is moving on its own without you touching it, someone has control of your computer. SHUT IT OFF immediately and have it checked for malware.

There is a whole lot more you can research on the latest popular scams and how to prevent them. The sad reality these days is that you just can’t trust everyone. There are evil, devious thieves out there whose life ambition is to either take or have you forfeit to them your money. They’ve never worked a day in their lives and have no conscience or remorse for destroying the livelihoods of others who have labored hard to get what they have. Being the scum they are, they possess no sense of right and wrong. They are sons and daughters of Satan and delight to do his bidding, having been scammed themselves by the master of all scams. They are liars to the core. Need I say more? Actually, yes I do, and my next blog will focus on what the Bible has to say on this subject.