Since writing the last article about online scams some things have changed and scammers have become more brazen. It’s not uncommon for customers to bring in computers and tell us stories. In the past six months we’ve changed our game and basic process to match wits with the latest phase.
My first experience with the new wave of scams came when I was using the standard Windows add/remove process with a piece of not-so-legitimate software. The fine print in the uninstall utility included a check box opting me in to installing another piece of software when the first uninstalled. That second title added another hour to my work forcing me to remove additional viruses.
PC Optimizer Pro is one of the biggest titles of the new scamware we see. A couple companies make similar products, but no optimization utility is worth installing. Even paid for utilities are worthless. In any event, PC Optimizer Pro comes bundled with a handful of other tools and is sucked into the computer by the operator authorizing its install.
Some websites advertise needing the latest version of FlashPlayer. No, I didn’t make a typo, and I didn’t mean to type the Adobe product “Flash Player.” I’m not sure the manufacturer’s name, but I have seen the popup directing me to download the latest version of FlashPlayer and it looks legit. In fact, I’ve come close to clicking on it myself.
Early this week a customer brought to my attention that had I clicked on it I would have installed a half dozen utilities including PC Optimizer Pro. Here’s where the scam worsens: Using the Windows add/remove feature to remove PC Optimizer Pro installs the FBI virus on some computers. It’s happened to me at the shop many times. It’s always a coin toss deciding whether to manually remove it or use Windows.
Another major scare tactic currently being used by scammers is to pose as a Microsoft agent and actually call people using a telephone. Usually the call sounds completely legitimate and instructs the victim there’s infections on their computer and those infections are being broadcast to Microsoft. Scammers further instruct the victim to pay an outrageous $200.00 to $400.00 for them to fix the problem.
Microsoft will never initiate a phone call to end users. They simply don’t have the time or reason to call computer users. Companies like mine have no way of knowing what your computer is sending out or how it’s being used. I’m sure some legitimate repair companies probably make outbound sales calls, but they have no way to know how you’re using your computer.
Scams don’t just happen nationally, they can also happen locally and these are the scary ones. Recently a woman walked into one of my stores and explained her computer turned on in the middle of the night. She went into her office and watched the mouse dance from personal folder to personal folder before turning off her computer. My suggestion was to install a small counter intelligence utility and report the findings to her local police. She did and the repair facility was reprimanded.
Scams are becoming bolder as they request and almost threaten people. $400.00 is a lot of money and groups that shake down unsuspecting victims should be prosecuted. The current process seems to border on extortion, holding them ransom until they provide a credit card number. The worst part of the latest group of scams is real people are starting to make contact with victims which takes social engineering to the next level.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can text him directly at (978) 413-2840 or visit www.LocalComputerWiz.com.)