PSA: remote access scams

JeffL0 · 12-09-2024, 03:01 PM

I'm the "tech support" guy for friends, neighbors, and family. I've been screaming from a stack of soapboxes for years "NEVER let anyone remote into your computer!" and yet... here we are again.

I live in an "over 55" community, and sadly, most of the people in here don't know the first thing about safe computing. I just got a frantic call from a neighbor whose wife "answered the Norton email about an unauthorized purchase" and she let the bastards into her computer, and yep, they emptied her bank account.

You and I read this and we're like "how the hell can you let that happen???" but it does.. time and again. I've seen it personally in my community at least a dozen times, a few of those were massive amounts of monies lost.

Give your friends and family the gift of educating them about good cyber hygiene and safe computing. Don't let these dickheads scam your loved ones. /rant

UncleWede · 12-09-2024, 05:28 PM

Mom: Hi, where is Diego?
Me: Not sure mom, why?
Mom: I just got a call that he was in jail in Mexico, he called me grandma!
Me: Social media ties you to him and then they can find your number (unless you post it right there for them) so they tried to get you to buy gift cards, right?
Mom: Yeah, they wanted gift cards
Me: Diego is fine, no police agency in the world takes gift cards.

M_Six · 12-09-2024, 07:08 PM

My FIL has a contract with the Geek Squad. He was having issues once and Googled 'Geek Squad" to get their number. He didn't think to double check it, he just called the number on the first hit to come up. He let them into his laptop but got suspicious about some things they were saying, like trying to get him to cancel his current contract with the Geek Squad and agree to one with them. He finally called me and I had him shut down his laptop and take it physically to the nearest Best Buy to have the real Geek Squad guys go through it and make sure there were no surprise packages left over from the scammers. They didn't find anything and he never had another issue with it. But it goes to show that you can't depend on Google to give you the right phone number for anything.

dreamingat30fps · 12-09-2024, 07:19 PM

I had a similar issue with my mom and some "recruiter" offering work from home jobs. Like first of all how did some random recruiter find you and determine you are a great candidate? Do you have a linked in or do you work with other recruiter who are trying to get you jobs? No. Why would they send you a vague text with no real info about why they want you specifically or how they found you? Dunno. Why would they want you to contact them by fucking whatsapp???

Then she has the audacity to ask me what's the worse that could happen if she responds.

wizardofOz · 12-10-2024, 03:26 AM

My late uncle (intellectually canny) had one before and the other person on the mobile was saying that they were his son and that he got arrested and looking for bail money...My uncle just replied 'you idiot, how stupid do you have to be to get arrested? Hurry up home for dinner, we are all waiting for you'...

Like JeffL0 says, DONT get scammed..

I show all my family the Browning, SP, kitbog...Channels aswell as a reminder to them

12-09-2024, 03:01 PM	#1
JeffL0 Private 1747 Rep 93 Posts Drives: '25 X5 50e Join Date: Apr 2024 Location: Music City iTrader: (0)	PSA: remote access scams I'm the "tech support" guy for friends, neighbors, and family. I've been screaming from a stack of soapboxes for years "NEVER let anyone remote into your computer!" and yet... here we are again. I live in an "over 55" community, and sadly, most of the people in here don't know the first thing about safe computing. I just got a frantic call from a neighbor whose wife "answered the Norton email about an unauthorized purchase" and she let the bastards into her computer, and yep, they emptied her bank account. You and I read this and we're like "how the hell can you let that happen???" but it does.. time and again. I've seen it personally in my community at least a dozen times, a few of those were massive amounts of monies lost. Give your friends and family the gift of educating them about good cyber hygiene and safe computing. Don't let these dickheads scam your loved ones. /rant
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12-09-2024, 05:28 PM	#2
UncleWede Long Time Admirer, First Time Owner 18538 Rep 9,432 Posts Drives: G01 X3 M40i Dark Graphite Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Oxnard, CA iTrader: (0)	Mom: Hi, where is Diego? Me: Not sure mom, why? Mom: I just got a call that he was in jail in Mexico, he called me grandma! Me: Social media ties you to him and then they can find your number (unless you post it right there for them) so they tried to get you to buy gift cards, right? Mom: Yeah, they wanted gift cards Me: Diego is fine, no police agency in the world takes gift cards. __________________ I have romped on her and I giggled like a drunk infant the entire time. - Sedan_Clan
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12-09-2024, 07:08 PM	#3
M_Six Free Thinker 19583 Rep 7,558 Posts Drives: 2016 MB GLC300 4matic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Foothills of Mt Level iTrader: (0)	My FIL has a contract with the Geek Squad. He was having issues once and Googled 'Geek Squad" to get their number. He didn't think to double check it, he just called the number on the first hit to come up. He let them into his laptop but got suspicious about some things they were saying, like trying to get him to cancel his current contract with the Geek Squad and agree to one with them. He finally called me and I had him shut down his laptop and take it physically to the nearest Best Buy to have the real Geek Squad guys go through it and make sure there were no surprise packages left over from the scammers. They didn't find anything and he never had another issue with it. But it goes to show that you can't depend on Google to give you the right phone number for anything. __________________ Mark markj.pics "Life is uncertain, eat bacon now." -UncleWede
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12-09-2024, 07:19 PM	#4
dreamingat30fps Colonel 5997 Rep 2,039 Posts Drives: Miata, Cayenne, Model 3, F350 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: South Florida & NC iTrader: (1)	I had a similar issue with my mom and some "recruiter" offering work from home jobs. Like first of all how did some random recruiter find you and determine you are a great candidate? Do you have a linked in or do you work with other recruiter who are trying to get you jobs? No. Why would they send you a vague text with no real info about why they want you specifically or how they found you? Dunno. Why would they want you to contact them by fucking whatsapp??? Then she has the audacity to ask me what's the worse that could happen if she responds.
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12-10-2024, 03:26 AM	#5
wizardofOz Private First Class 1582 Rep 230 Posts Drives: M135i Join Date: Sep 2024 Location: Your Friendly Neighborhood iTrader: (0)	My late uncle (intellectually canny) had one before and the other person on the mobile was saying that they were his son and that he got arrested and looking for bail money...My uncle just replied 'you idiot, how stupid do you have to be to get arrested? Hurry up home for dinner, we are all waiting for you'... Like JeffL0 says, DONT get scammed.. I show all my family the Browning, SP, kitbog...Channels aswell as a reminder to them
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