Posted: Thursday, November 14, 2013 7:00 am
Q: On Saturday, my phone rang with a name and number unknown according to caller ID. The caller, in a very urgent voice, told me he was with my Internet service provider and they were receiving “multiple error messages” from my computer, and he was going to help me correct the errors if I would let him have access to my computer remotely. I told him where to go. Then later, I received another call. I told him his scam was not new and that we were wise to his tactics, and I hung up. I’m sure there are some people who would believe these calls.
— B.E.
Answer: You were right to be suspicious. Scams like this are nothing new, and in some cases the alleged tech support employee may even be trying to install a virus on your computer.
“The caller tells you that your computer is sending error messages, and they’ve detected a virus on it,” according to report from the Better Business Bureau. “He says only a tech support employee can remove the virus, but first you need to grant him access to your machine. If you give the OK, the caller will run a scan of your files and actually point out how the virus has infected the computer. The scammers then offer to remove the virus…. for a fee. Of course, they need your credit card details first.”
Here are some tips from the Better Business Bureau on avoiding trouble with “tech support” callers:
u Never give control of your computer to a third party unless you can confirm that it is a legitimate representative of a computer support team with whom you are already a customer.
u Never provide your credit card or financial information to someone claiming to be from tech support.
u Take the caller’s information down and report it to your local authorities or the FTC.
u If you did allow a caller to access your computer: Change the passwords for your computer, email and online banking/credit card accounts.
u Be sure to run a virus scan.
u Consider placing a fraud alert on your credit report if you shared personal and banking information with the scammer.
Q: I have gotten several solicitations from charities saying they are donating to disaster relief for the recent typhoon in the Philippines. How can I make sure they are legitimate?
— R.A.
Answer: Your best bet is to check with a charity watchdog such as Charity Navigator, which has set up a page about organizations that are taking donations for Super Typhoon Haiyan Disaster Relief and giving tips for people interested in making donations, explaining what to look for in a reliable charity. You can find a link to that report on the site’s home page, www.charitynavigator.org.
PACKING PEANUTS
Here’s a question we usually hear about in the opposite direction, from people wanting to get rid of packing peanuts.
But a reader named Scott Ertl, who lives in Winston-Salem, wrote in to SAM asking if we know of “any businesses where I might be able to collect packing peanuts to recycle for my own use instead of filling up our landfills with them.” If you have any you want to get rid of, you can get in touch with him at scott@playshops.com. He said he could come pick them up.
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Thursday, November 14, 2013 7:00 am.