A red warning fills the screen with a phone number to call. Or someone phones saying they’re from Microsoft and your computer is sending out viruses. Both are scams, and both are built to sound official enough that careful people fall for them.
The rules that catch almost all of them
- Real tech companies don’t call you. Microsoft, Apple, Dell, your internet provider: none of them will phone, text, or email out of the blue to say something’s wrong with your computer.
- Real warnings don’t come with a phone number. A pop-up that says you’re infected and tells you to call is fake. The security warnings built into Windows don’t ask you to call anyone.
- Nobody legitimate wants gift cards. Gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, payment apps. Scammers ask for these because the money is almost impossible to get back.
- They want into your computer first. The whole scam hinges on getting you to install a remote access program so they can “show you the problem.” Never do that for someone who contacted you.
The fake pop-up, and how to get rid of it
Most of these are just a web page dressed up as a system warning. It’s often full screen, sometimes with a voice or an alarm. It can’t actually see anything on your computer.
- Don’t call the number and don’t click anything on the page.
- Close the browser. If it won’t close, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, select the browser, and click End task.
- When you open the browser again, don’t let it restore the pages from last time.
If it keeps coming back, or you notice new programs or toolbars you didn’t install, something got onto the computer. That’s when it’s worth having me look. See virus and malware removal.
The fake invoice and the “refund” call
Two other versions show up a lot. One is an email about a subscription renewal you never bought, usually antivirus or a computer support plan, with a number to call to cancel. The other is a phone call offering a refund for a service you paid for years ago. Both end the same way: they get into your computer, “accidentally” refund too much, and ask you to send the difference back. Don’t call the number in the email. If you’re unsure about a charge, look at your bank or card statement directly.
If you already let them in or paid
Don’t be embarrassed. These people do this all day. Move quickly.
- Disconnect from the internet. Unplug the network cable or turn off WiFi so they can’t get back in.
- Call your bank or card company. If you paid, or gave them account or card numbers, ask the bank to stop or reverse the charge. If you paid with a gift card, contact the company that issued it right away and keep the card and receipt.
- Change your passwords from a different device. Start with email and banking. If you used the same password anywhere else, change it there too.
- Get the computer checked. Scammers often leave their remote access program, or something worse, behind so they can come back.
- Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
How to check a real repair shop
Look the number up yourself instead of calling one from a pop-up or an email. A local shop should have a phone that a person answers and reviews you can read, and it shouldn’t mind you being careful. I’ll never call you out of the blue about your computer, and I’ll never ask you to pay with a gift card.
Get it sorted
I serve Magnolia, The Woodlands, Conroe, Montgomery, Spring, Tomball, Woodforest, Lake Windcrest, and Westwood.
Nearby but not listed? Give me a call.
Call (346) 291-7330, or send me a message and I’ll get back to you within 24 hours.
