BEWARE OF POP UP ADS

Pop Up cams are nothing new on the Internet. But one that has become more prevalent recently is the “pop-up tech support” scam. For example, while browsing the Internet, a user sees a pop-up or a page that warns that their computer might be infected or malware might be installed on it. The pop-up will include a toll-free number to call for immediate support tech help or something similar.  Don’t call them It is a scam.

Here is a father’s report a worst-case scenario. His daughter, who was away at college, had fallen for one of these scams, and she called the number for “support” and gave them her debit card to pay for the “fix”. She followed instructions to download and install a third party remote access utility to allow them to “fix” the problem on her Mac. Hopefully she had a backup from before the support company’s “fix”, as an erase and install a program of their own that gives them access to her computer.  Precautions should be done in cases like this. It is another reason to have backups of your data. 

Never give anyone that calls you your debit card number. They can drain your account before you even know it.  With a credit card, they can’t control your credit card because the money will be transferred from your card to PayPal and then to the people who ae selling you the product.                                          

Of course users should never call any of these “support services”. If you see an instance of this, force quit the browser and if you’re using Safari, re-launch with the shift key held down and disable any extensions, remove website data/cookies and verify homepage settings. If you do fall victim to this, you should also change your passwords, notify your bank, cancel any used debit or credit card and monitor your accounts if you gave that information to the scammers and monitor your accounts regularly. 

Avoid installing any software/add-ons from any source other than the developers’ website as sometimes general “software download” sites may include adware or – even worse – installer packages for other software.

For users of older OS X versions (10.6.x, for example), Safari hasn’t been updated, therefore other browsers like Firefox should be considered as they’re updated frequently. But regardless of browser, you still should avoid installing software/add-ons from untrusted or unknown sources. And be aware that even some “trusted” sources such as Java have been reported in the past to have included bundled browser add-ons/toolbars.

If you suspect you have adware/malware installed, or search engine settings changed, pop-ups and redirects occurring, etc.,  here is a resource to help you remove it regardless of whether you have the suspicion or not. It is called, GURUAID. Their phone number is 1-855-487-8243-8243. They are experts at removing pop ups. They will fix anything that is in need of fixing. Their annual fee is very reasonable.  They have been a great help to me. They are available 24/7.

Another commonly reported concern for computer users is phishing emails that appear to come from what appears to be a legitimate source asking to verify account credentials (they often include a warning about your account being used for a recent purchase by a new device, etc. Don’t fall for that scam.

The company that you are connected with will never ask you to provide personal information or sensitive account information (such as passwords or credit card numbers) via email. 

I hope that this article in informative to you.