Happy Friday
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has issued a new warning about the surge in tech support scams targeting the elderly across the United States, convincing victims to conceal wads of cash within magazines and mail them to shady pickup spots.
How does this work?
First the tech support scammers target elderly victims with phone calls, texts, emails, and misleading pop-up windows that impersonate legitimate companies such as Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and even financial institutions.
Next the victim gets persuaded into downloading remote access software that allows the scammer to take over their computer. The crook then convinces the victim to log into their bank account, the scammer "accidentally" deposits a larger sum than intended, then acts outraged and upset, enticing the victim to send back the "extra cash" so they won't lose their job. These guys...
The Takeaway
The FBI advises elderly individuals who might be targeted by scammers to follow these 4 simple tips:
Never download software at the request of an unknown individual who contacted you.
Never allow an unknown individual who contacted you to have control of your computer.
Do not click on unsolicited pop-ups, links sent via text messages, email links, or attachments. Do not contact the phone number in a pop-up, text, or email.
Never send cash by USPS mail, UPS, FedEx or any other shipping companies.
Those who have fallen victim to this tech support scam are advised to report it as soon as possible by filing a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) by visiting www.ic3.gov.
Let's do our part to help protect our kupuna from these crooks!
Stay safe out there.
-Attila
New Friday Funnies!
ChatGPT's joke for today on the topic of a scammer who wants their victims to send cash:
Why did the scammer become a weather forecaster?
Because they were always trying to convince people to send them cash, rain or shine!
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