 Sherry
Nash, Bonners Ferry, Idaho, received a phone call this morning
that sounded so insistent and sincere, she almost fell for it
... (not!). She stayed on the line, computer off, writing down
details so she could report a potential crime in progress.
Sherry is astute, and her story needs read from sea to shining
sea.
"They sounded very professional," she said, "and came across as
if they were very serious about helping me."
The person on the line, she said, informed her that her computer
had been hacked and that she needed to take immediate steps,
like now if not sooner, to protect herself. If she didn't do
just what he said, right now, he said, everything she held dear
could be at risk.
"Are you logged onto your computer?" he asked.
"Yeah, sure," she said, gathering pen and paper.
"Good! Now do this and you will be protected ..."
Editor's note; I'm making up the quotes.
Convinced she was actually at her computer, eager to save
herself untold trauma, he walked her through a series of steps
and told her to enter a very specific series of numbers.
"Sure, yeah, okay," she replied, raking a finger across an idle
keyboard just to sound convincing.
Assured that she'd complied, the unnamed and unidentified
caller, who spoke excellent English but with a foreign accent,
bid Sherry good day.
Sherry immediately called the police and filed a report; they
encouraged her to spread warning as fast and far as possible.
"That's why I called you," she said in her next phone call.
(Editor's note: I didn't make that one up.)
Just because her caller sounded so convincing, she fired up her
computer and ran it through a series of trusted scans ...
nothing wrong.
Had she actually followed the directions of her concerned
anonymous caller, she, police and I believe, she'd have hacked
her own computer, giving the caller and his cohorts complete
access.
"I knew better than to fall for it," Sherry said, "but this guy
was good. He sounded concerned, and he was convincing. If I
didn't know better, I might have believed him and done what he
said."
Local law enforcement, as much as they'd love to bust these
creeps, can do very little ... the perpetrator of the crime
could be sitting in his or her underwear in Mom's basement a
world away and reach right in your pocket to rob you blind,
leaving little or no trace.
But there are ways to protect yourself to fight back.
Number 1: Suspect anything you receive on the Internet from
anyone you don't know, and even then, be wary. If your computer
has already been hacked, the hacker might well "know" everyone
you do, and those names can be used to convince you. Look beyond
the message; at the URL (web address) or email address of the
sender. If you don't know it, don't trust it.
Number 2: If it's a phone call purporting to know anything
about your computer, assume they found your number and personal
information on the 'net,' and that the only thing they care
about is ripping you off.
Number 3: If you feel you've been a victim of internet fraud,
report it to police. Don't be ashamed or think you were stupid;
people have ever been victims of the scams of the lazy clever,
and the internet has opened doors to them to victimize honest
people in ways never before imagined.
Number 4:Never think that calling local police or law
enforcement is a waste of time. Don't expect resolution, but
know that every scrap of information you can provide is part of
the puzzle that will eventually be used to shut down this
scourge.
Number 5: File a complaint with IC3,
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx,
the FBI clearinghouse on Internet fraud and scams. |
