A senior citizen fell victim last week to a computer scam that cost her $500.
The elderly Kenly woman was on her computer last Wednesday when a popup appeared on her screen claiming there was a problem with her computer and to call a number listed on the popup. The victim called the number and was told her computer needed to be repaired immediately.
The scammer said because the victim was a senior citizen they would offer her a 70 percent discount, but the repair would still cost $500. The woman provided her credit card number but was told another form of payment would be required. They instructed the victim to purchase five $100 pre-paid credit cards and call back with the card numbers.
The victim did as she was told. Later, the woman realized she had been scammed when the popup didn’t go away.
Greg Narron, owner of GooRoo Computers in Pine Level, cautions everyone to be wary of any pop ups on your computer. “You will never get a message on your computer to call Microsoft. If you get a call and someone says they are from Microsoft or they say you have malware, viruses, or have been hacked, just hang up the phone. If you allow the person in your computer, you need to carry it to a reputable computer shop to remove the software they used to gain access to your computer. Please call your bank and ask them to watch your account for any future suspicious activity.”
“Keep in mind, once you allow access to your computer, the access for them stays on your computer for them to watch and gain access anytime until it is removed. If you receive a popup on your computer to call, most of the time just rebooting your computer will remove the pop up,” Narron told WTSB.
