Mr. Technology Computers and Networks

12/20/2022

More Scams of which to be wary -

In an earlier post I mentioned some prevalent scams targeting consumers this time of the year. Here are a few more:

Holiday Mail Scams – Some scammers will send fake delivery notifications, in an effort to get you to share your personal information. It is important to know when you’re expecting a delivery to reduce the chance of falling victim to this scam.

Shopping Scams – When you buy gifts online, make sure the website from which you are ordering is reputable. Check the reviews and feedback ratings. Look for a secure web address, starting with “https”.

Charity Scams – These I hate the most. With so many people worldwide in need, and so many of us wanting to share at this time of year, i find it utterly despicable some scammers will try to pressure people to donate to a fraudulent charity. You should ALWAYS research any charity before donating.

Gift Card Scams – Selling expired or empty gift cards is a common scam this time of year. If you want to buy gift cards try to buy them directly from the store or vendor. Then check the card for any signs of tampering before checking out.

Gift Exchange Scams – These are “pay it forward” gift exchanges claiming you’ll receive many gifts in exchange for sending one. (Yeah, right!!) These are illegal pyramid schemes often found on social media. Be sure to report the post if you see them.

A really good rule of thumb is - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you or somebody you know were scammed or were the victim of a scamming attempt, contact your bank immediately and file a complaint by reporting it online to the Federal Trade Commission or by calling 877-382-4357.

12/20/2022

BECAREFUL AND DO NOT FALL FOR SCAMS
This is the time of the year when scams become more and more prevalent. They can be a phone call, a text, an email, or hacked computer. They can come from a nefarious site masquerading as a site where you did some online shopping. Some of the most common are:
Order Confirmation Scams - you are asked to immediately confirm or cancel an unauthorized purchase. You will be asked for banking information or to install software on your computer. Possibly you will be asked to buy gift cards.
If you receive such a request the first thing you should do is return to the site where you may have made a legitimate purchase to check your orders. You can confirm your order history there. Once you have confirmed this information you need to contact customer service, or possibly the business' fraud department about the contact you received.

Tech Support Scams - These are fake websites created by scammers supposedly to provide tech support for your devices and services. Customers who land on these pages are asked to contact the scammer and fall for their schemes.
If you get one of these sites popping up on your computer close the web page and go to the help section of the legitimate site for assistance.

Remember - legitimate businesses will not send you a popup offering services or requesting personal information.
The IRS, the FBI, Social Security, Microsoft, etc WILL NOT contact you through your computer of phone. Generally, you have to contact them if you need their help.
NEVER, EVER give someone you do not know control of your computer.

10/27/2022

Now that you can apply for Student Loan forgiveness you need to be aware of scammers trying to get your money. Read the message below and be vigilant about this process.

From FederalStudentAid:
Beware of Scams
You might be contacted by a company saying they will help you get loan discharge, forgiveness, cancellation, or debt relief for a fee. You never have to pay for help with your federal student aid. Make sure you work only with the U.S. Department of Education and our loan servicers, and never reveal your personal information or account password to anyone.
Our emails to borrowers come from [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected]. You can report scam attempts to the Federal Trade Commission by calling 1-877-382-4357 or by visiting reportfraud.ftc.gov.

05/05/2022

Again this is the time of year when scammers are out in force. Recently we have seen an increase in the number of Ransomware attacks where the client computer gets locked and the end user is told to call a phone number to get it unlocked.
DO NOT CALL ANYONE except a reputable and experienced IT Professional.

05/05/2022

Mr. Technology has moved to a new location on the Southwest side of Fort Wayne. We will continue to provide computer and networking services in the same geographic area as always. The phone # is the same as is the excellent service you can expect.

03/20/2022

Beware of scams!! Do not fall for anything that pops up on your computer asking you to call some number. Under no circumstances should you allow someone you don't know access to your computer.

03/18/2019

Be very careful what you do on your computers and who you respond to on the telephone. This is the time of the year when the scammers are out in full force. They try to access your computer to gather personal information by fooling you into thinking the IRS, Microsoft or some other Computer support group has identified problems with your PC. The IRS will NEVER call you on the phone about your tax return. Microsoft will NEVER call you or contact you via your computer to "repair" problems. Customer support must be initiated by the customer. If you get such a phone call - hang up. If you get a message via your computer - close it. You should then have your PC checked for viruses, malware etc and to have your
security settings updated. When in doubt, call Mr. Technology or another Computer support professional.

06/12/2017

Here is a review recently left on the on the Mr. Technology Thumbtack page:

Bob made my computer like new. It had multiple problems and he solved them. He spent time going over everything he found, how he solved it, and left me written directions. He also indicated that I could call him any time with questions or concerns. He was reasonably priced and I had full faith and trust in him and his knowledge of repairing my computer. I highly recommend Mr. Technology for computer work. Rebecca Huffman

08/04/2015

http://fossbytes.com/beware-a-dangerous-windows-10-ransomware-scam-is-spreading-online/

A Windows 10 Ransomware scam has been reported by Cisco security blog. This phishing scam sends fake emails that look just like ones from Microsoft.

02/08/2015

Computer users need to beware because scam artists are using phone calls in an effort to break into your computer. When they call, they claim to be computer technicians who work for well-known companies like Microsoft, Dell or they will even say they work for Windows. Once they have your attention, They claim to have detected viruses, spyware, malware or some other nefarious infection on your computer. They are trying to con you into giving them remote access to your computer or to get you to pay for software you don’t need. If you get a call like this get off the phone as quickly as possible. Remember, these con artists are just preying on your legitimate concerns about viruses and other threats. They know that computer users know how important it is to install security software, but they have no intention of helping you protect your computer. Their only goal is to make money. NEVER, under any circumstances should you give these scammers credit card numbers, bank or personal information.

02/08/2015

In addition to providing computer and network support at several businesses in the area, Mr. Technology has been busy building new computers for several individual users and helping maintain PCs and laptops for many other clients.

11/17/2011

Welcome to the Mr. Technology Web Site. Here at Mr Technology we specialize in helping find affordable solutions for your computing and networking needs.