That Phone Call You Thought Was Legitimate
It’s time to talk about the dreaded phone call you thought was legitimate.
Recently, I had a customer who simply wanted to get wills prepared for himself and his wife. Like most people, they searched online until they found a company they believed could help them.
The first red flag was that the company emailed them what they claimed were documents to print. They weren’t documents at all—they were files that installed software giving someone remote access to their computers.
After that, they began having printer problems and couldn’t print anything. This is where the scam took another turn. They were given a different phone number to call for “HP Support” to fix the printer issue. It wasn’t HP, and that’s when the nightmare really began.
The fake support representative instructed them to install software and perform various steps on every computer they owned. Fortunately, my customer eventually became suspicious and ended the call, but not before the damage had been done. One laptop was left stuck in Safe Mode with no internet access and remote access software installed. The second laptop also had remote access software installed.
When the laptops arrived at my shop, both required cleanup and repair. The remote access software was removed, the systems were restored to proper working order, and everything is now functioning as it should.
Thankfully, they also contacted their bank and credit card companies in time to stop any unauthorized transfer of funds.
The sad part is that all they wanted to do was put a will in place. Instead, they ended up paying for computer repairs and dealing with a great deal of unnecessary stress and frustration.
The lesson is simple: if something feels off, trust your instincts. Hang up. Never give an unknown person remote access to your computer, no matter who they claim to represent. If you’re unsure, call a trusted local computer technician or contact the company directly using a phone number from its official website—not one provided during a suspicious call.
A few minutes of caution can save you days of frustration and potentially thousands of dollars.