A quick heads up on scammers out there.
Last week one of our clients took the very frequent “We’re from Microsoft and can see your computer is sending viruses out” scam phone call.
Our client had received these calls before and rejected the scammer, but for some reason listened to this guy. He said he worded it differently.
Sure enough, under the pretense of getting rid of the (non-existent) viruses my client downloaded a program that allowed the scammer complete control of his computer.
The scammer could then do anything from:
- lock him out,
- download every file on his computer,
- put on keystroke logging software (a way to steal his bank passwords),
- and lots more.
Today’s Scammer
Today’s scammer made an online purchase from a client’s store. From Nigeria.
Our client rang to see if it was a dodgy sale because all looked fine her end – the credit card had been accepted.
But the default view is this – if someone from Nigeria buys online from you then it’s guaranteed to be a scam.
A quick call to my client’s bank and they confirmed that before the credit card was accepted for this purchase, 15 other stolen cards had been tried by the same person!
And yes, this latest one had since been reported as stolen.
Keep Safe
Keep safe out there.
Scammers are smart as hell and use all sorts of tricks to part you with your hard earned.
- One client almost fell for the excess shipping refund scam (to the tune of $4,000).
- 2 clients have been caught by the “we’ve changed bank account details scam”
Top 2 Tips To Avoid Being Scammed
- If you have the tiniest doubt then get a 2nd and 3rd opinion from others (such as your bank)
- Do not take any action from an unsolicited phone call
Cheers
