Well I fell for a phone scam yesterday saying that they were AT&T, and calling to help me fix my network. They said someone tried to change my email password multiple times because my home network has been hacked. I was caught off guard (I never perceive situations quickly). I said, “how do I know this is real?” The tech told me to write down a number. Then I followed the steps they gave me to locate this same number in my computer. I could see all of the recent intrusions in a list that they showed me next. Obviously my network has been hacked. I left a scan on for 7 hours, but the progress bar never moved past about 20%, so I shut down my computer and went to bed. Today, my computer asked for my password in a strange box and my Windows password didn’t work. I pressed restart because it was the only other button on the screen. Now something called Start up repair is repairing disk errors.
Calgon take me away. . .
Written by
TracyBelle
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
21 Replies
•
Do not feel bad it happens hope your computer is working now.
That is my fear that someday I will fall prey to these scammer leeches. I hope that you have someone that you trust that can assist you. Let us all know when you do, and I wish that I could offer you advice on what I did in this situation but I cannot.
So I called AT&T while on the phone with the scammer and let them talk to each other. My computer will have to be taken to Best Buy or somewhere now, because I am so gullible. I feel like I don’t have enough sense to be part of the world
It's really hard to know who to trust. I try not to answer the phone unless I recognize the caller. But if it had said at&t, I would also have answered it.
I've gotten caught too. it was a phone call talking about my computer being hacked. I gave my email to them and somehow access to my computer so they supposedly would help me. they got enough info that I needed to change some passwords etc. its an awful feeling. time will help
Thank You for sharing. This is exactly what happened to me and it helps me feel SO MUCH better to know that I am not the only person to fall prey to these professional con artists.
I called my dad and cried my eyes out. He took my 17 year old son and they came back with a new tower! The crashed one is from 2012 so it was running on Windows 7. This made it extremely vulnerable because older versions of Windows are more easily hacked. This lady even tried to bluff the AT&T guy, giving him her badge number (something I had asked for). He told her all of our badge numbers start with a letter. She continued to bluff him telling him she was with some fake division of AT&T. Then she hung up and locked me out of my computer.
I had told this scam artist that my mother had recently passed away and I had been collecting pictures of her for the photo slideshow. She replied “don’t worry we will get all of your pictures protected from the hackers!” I spent hours scanning in pictures of my mom as a child and teenager the 2 days before this happened. As dumb as I am I never saved that file to a thumb drive, even though I looked at one in the drawer I know has nothing on it. But I have no follow through. Does anyone else have trouble finishing things, especially when something trips you up? I tried to install an external hard drive that I recently bought to save myself this headache. The plug was massive and when I plugged it into the surge suppressor it switched off the power button. I had to unplug everything and rearrange the power cords. By the time everything was back plugged in- life happens. I used to finish important things but now I quit and forget.
I needed to replace that 7 year old Dino anyway, really.
I'm sorry this happened to you TracyBelle I get sidetracked A LOT lately! Glad your dad was able to buy you a new computer to get you back up and running.
Hugs,
Jessie
The crooks are getting better and better at this. It's scary.
Sorry this happened to you. But unless you're a specialist in the information technology field generally you're easy prey for these but holes.
Here are some tips for everybody:
1. No one from a legitimate company will ever call or email telling you that your computer, phone, tablet, or any other electronic devices have been hacked into. You call them when you notice you have an issue. When someone calls you making these claims, hang up and block them. Report what happened to your phone provider and their security team will help you with the next steps to take. They may already be investigating similar issues.
2. Have 2 separate accounts on devices that allow them. One has your administrator rights and the other regular user rights...lock those rights down as much as possible. Do not identify the administrator account as that in any way. Disable any default administrator account. Those are the first thing that hackers look for. If you need help doing that, go to the company's website then search the support pages. Most of the big companies have very robust self help support pages.
3. Make sure to keep your antivirus/malware software updated. Most now do autoupdates at least once a week. Go into the settings to ensure that it is set that way as a minimum. Make sure that autoscan is also set to check all websites and incoming files from downloads and opening emails.
4. Do not trust email attachments from anyone you do not know or that you were not expecting. Email systems are getting better at stripping off infected attachments but no system is perfect and there are always new viruses that antivirus software doesn't know about yet. If you get something from someone you know but you weren't expecting it, call them to make sure they actually sent it. Email addresses are very easy to spoof (the address is a lie).
5. If your internet provider allows you to change the default password for your router, do it. You may need to call the provider to ask them for assistance. They should ask you for answers to security questions that you and the company already agreed on. If they don't ask the questions or they don't ask the right questions, hang up and call their alternate number.
Those are all the ones I can think of off the top of my head.
I used to be so much smarter about these things. I think that is what hurts the most. The old me would have just hung up. I thought I about it but I still got snared.
Sorry you had to go through that! That same thing happened to a friend of mine over a year ago and she is still having trouble. Then someone called from "AT&T" telling her she needed to update their phone system. She thought it was AT&T but it was a company that contracts with AT&T and they were using that tactic to sell her new equipment by the time she realized it they had some of the equipment installed. My husband was the one that told her it wasn't really AT&T & she got so mad that she just cried. So the lesson is AT&T won't call you to upgrade your equipment.
I had a virus attack from FB one day. It scared me at first because my screen had a red flashing banner across with a windows logo and a message to call the number on the the screen. Then this loud voice came on telling me I was infected with a pornographic virus and to call the number and not to do anything else because it would take over my computer. I went in the other room to get my husband. I was pretty sure it wasn't windows but rather a ransom virus. Sure enough, my husband saw it and unpluged my laptop and then took the battery out withouth turning it off or touching any of the keys. I asked him why he did that and he said it would starve the virus. Basically cut it off before it could get into my computer. I have had that happen twice from FB. They post stuff that looks like it came from one of your "friends" so you will click on it. I don't click on stuff anymore!
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Funny Story
Just mad and confused
The Ocrevus insurance (UHC) approval saga continues...
How do you manage your day
