Serious Tech Support Scam Returns

http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-09-2012/tech-support-scam.html?sf6164632=1

by: Sid Kirchheimer | from: AARP Bulletin | September 18, 2012

The notorious Tech Support Scam is back.

In this ruse, you get a phone call or email from someone claiming to be from Microsoft, a well-known computer manufacturer such as Hewlett-Packard or Dell, or an antivirus software provider such as Norton, Avast! and McAfee. Your computer's been infected with a virus, you're told, and it's been sending out error messages to our security center over the Internet. But don't worry, we're going to fix the problem.

Don't believe it. There's no virus. These folks are scammers — usually foreign-based — whose typical goal is to get you to visit a shady website that will supposedly fix your nonexistent problem, but will in fact infect your computer with identity-stealing software. Or they may try to get you to follow instructions that give them remote access to your computer … and everything on it.

Sometimes, these scammers attempt a second gotcha. They try to bill you for their phony services or sell you "special" antivirus program for as much as $600 — more than 10 times the price of most reputable software.

What's actually provided, if anything, is software that will enable future identity theft. And if you give your credit card number for payment, they can make fraudulent charges to your account, or sell your number on the black market.

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