Attorney General Jon
Bruning issued an alert Thursday for Nebraskans to be wary of scams related to
computer tech support.
The Attorney General's Office Mediation Center has
received more than 10 reports this week regarding scam phone calls from those
falsely claiming to represent Microsoft in order to gain access to sensitive
information stored on victims' computers.
"Tech support scammers
pose as legitimate business representatives to turn the victims' desire for
security against them," said Bruning. "You can't know who is on the other end
of unsolicited phone calls, regardless of what they claim. Nebraskans should
never provide access to personal or business computers to people they don't
know."
Here's how the scam
works:
- Consumers receive phone calls from
individuals posing to be with Microsoft or another legitimate support group
(Dell, McAfee, Norton).
- Scammers claim an imminent security
threat has been detected with the consumers' computer.
- Callers may direct consumers to utility
areas of their computers (such as the system log) to demonstrate how the
computer is infected.
- Scammers request to "verify" consumer
information so they can help correct the problem.
- The caller offers software available for
download or offers to directly update the consumer's current system.
- Consumers may be routed to dummy
websites that allow scammers to remotely access their computers.
- Once the scammer gains access to the
consumer's computer, they can either install fraudulent software directly or
may request bank account information to charge for installing fraudulent
security "upgrades."
- Tech support scammers can then use
personal information gained from the transaction to perpetrate identity theft
or make fraudulent charges to the victims' accounts.
This week, the Federal
Trade Commission launched an international crackdown on this type of scam,
mostly based in India. According to the FTC, the bulk of these calls are made
from telemarketing facilities utilizing 130 different phone numbers and 80
different web addresses.
If you or someone you
know has been targeted by a tech support scam, file a complaint with the
Attorney General's Office at (800) 727-6432 or www.ago.ne.gov.
For more information on this and other scams, contact the Federal Trade
Commission online at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov
or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).
Courtesy- Attorney General Jon Bruning
