phishing scams

Bernie is having issues logging into Facebook. He gets a popup that says he needs to give them some information, including a credit card number. Leo says that's definitely not Facebook. Facebook will ask for identification from time to time, especially if your account has been compromised, or you've lost access to your account, but Leo says to never do that with a credit card. Use other options like a utility bill. Here's some information - https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/183000765122339. Leo says it's likely a scam.

Robert got bit by a phishing scam about being a workshop presenter. He clicked on a link to download an attachment and nothing happened. He realized what he had done and disconnected his desktop. Now he thinks he needs to reinstall? Leo says Nuke from orbit. Do not install from in-place. He should want to back up data, wipe the hard drive, and then reinstall Windows from a known, good source. But he should make sure to know if he actually has malware. If he has a WInMail.dat file attachment, that's from Microsoft and older Outlooks use it. 

Jim got an email from Google that stated he had put in a request to terminate his account, which is something he never asked for. Leo suspects this is a phishing attempt. He should hover over the URL for the link they offer to contact them and see if it's legit. Chances are, it isn't.

Justin's mother-in-law has a MacBook Pro that has ransomware on it. She just gets a blue screen. Leo says that Macs don't get blue screens, they kernel panic. It's likely an exploit in Javascript that is locking up her cursor to make her think the computer is frozen. She can press ALT + TAB to get out of the browser and she'll probably be fine. Then, she should turn off Javascript. Leo says it will not happen after that.

John's friend got bit by the popup that said she had a virus and then when she called "Microsoft support" they wanted $300 to fix it. Leo says it's a phishing scam. And once you give someone access to your computer, not only will they not fix anything, but they make the infection even worse by installing other malware. The only way forward now is to backup the data, format the hard drive, and then reinstall Windows.

Bill has had a problem with a popup saying he needs to update his Flash. Leo says that's a phishing scam designed to get him to install Malware. Luckily, Windows Defender usually sees it and removes it because it's an old tactic. But if it didn't, it may be really difficult to get rid of the malware. Usually, the best thing to do is backup his data, format the hard drive, and then reinstall and update Windows. Never accept gifts from strangers. He shouldn't download from someone he doesn't know. He should always go directly to the source if he thinks he needs to update something.

Cynthia cut the cord for a Roku about eight months ago. Now everything has stopped working and she has to pay to turn it back on. Rich says that Cynthia may have been bit by a phishing scam. He suggests having the credit card company charge it back. She shouldn't have to pay to reauthorize the box. She'll pay for the subscriptions to Netflix, Hulu, HBO, etc. But not for the box itself since she already bought it. Then she should do a factory reset on the Roku. That will make it work like the first day she bought it. She should try to watch out for scams in the future.

Brad's mother has been getting calls from "Microsoft" saying that her computer may be hacked. Is that legit? Leo says it's a scam. They use a robot dialer to randomly call numbers out of the phone book and will try and get victims to install something or give them remote access to the computer. Once they have that, the game is up. Microsoft will NEVER call you.