'You've been' hacked, I'll tell you how to
fix it!'
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December 6. 2013 |
 Sherry
Nash, Bonners Ferry, 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.
"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
underwear in his 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. |
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