08/23/2021
If you get a message claiming to be from your bank, social security, the irs, fedex, ups, your nephew etc please do not do what it says. Go to your account yourself by visiting your normal banking website or calling your bank, fedex, whatever and confirm with them whether or not there is really a problem with your account. An email pretending to be from the institutions or people you know will be very clever and look just like one from that institution and may likely include your name and address to trick you. At Cambria Computing located at 1059 Main St, I literally see variations on these scams nearly every day, often multiple times. They seem to prey on older people the most. And remember also, that no legitimate organization or person is ever going to ask you to purchase gift cards! :)
These people also claim that your computer has some sort of problem and that they need to connect to it to fix it. Don't. Your anti virus software will not prevent this because they use common off the shelf remote software just like I use at the shop and millions of people use legitimately around the world every day. Don't respond to their emails, don't talk to them when they call you and please, don't call their phony numbers that flash onto your screen while browsing the net, or appear in emails.
I literally spend hours helping people reset all of their financial passwords and security questions after these things happen. It causes a huge amount of 'life upset' for people who have fallen for these scams which are called phishing or social engineering hacks. They are hacking YOU. They are convincing YOU to do something. They do not depend on key loggers and trojan horse software anymore because it takes too long. Tricking you is quicker for them. Don't be a victim.
