Chesa Keane, an Associate member of Global Travelers, is a long-time consultant in many aspects of IT. As members of a virtual Rotary club, we are all, by definition, on-line to various degrees. And, like many things in life, being on-line comes with risk. Chesa has generously agreed to create a web series for our members with tips for helping us avoid becoming the victim of online scams. This is her third installment, focused on tech support scams.
One day I was working on my computer and suddenly there appeared a large banner across the screen warning me that my computer had been hacked. The banner provided an 800# to call to fix the problem. The messages may vary but will look like one of these:
- “Access To This PC Has Been Blocked for Security Reasons”
- “Windows Defender – Threat Detected”
- “Firewall Notification – Credentials Compromised”
- “Call Support Immediately – Computer Disabled”
My first inclination was to not respond, but I was curious. HINT: Control your curiosity; this is a costly hack so do not call the number.


Then I called the number. The person on the other side of the call told me that they could remove the warning and the virus that had been implanted on my computer. They could fix this problem for only $200 and just needed me to give them a credit card number and remote access. When I asked, “Who are you?” I was told that they were working closely with computer companies like Apple to fix these hacks (they knew I had an Apple computer).
Knowing now that this was definitely a hack by them, I told them thank you, but I would call AppleCare directly. These hackers are by far the best salespeople you will ever engage and if you don’t know how to shut down a salesperson, don’t make the call. They are very, very good at what they do. Remember, they always play on the emotions of fear and fear of loss. At this point the message sinks in: I’ve been hacked! And all your documents, your work, your photos, etc. are in danger of never being seen again.
After being pressured to give them a credit card number and access to my computer again, I thanked them for their concern and explained that since I have an AppleCare policy, I would call Apple directly. They continued the sales pressure, but I already knew they were the culprits, so I thanked them and hung up.

When I called AppleCare, they knew all about this hack/scam and were able to get me out of the screen and remove the virus. This particular scam fits into the category of Tech Support Scams. The point is to scare the computer user, possibly lock their computer with an implanted virus and then ride in on a white horse to help fix the problem. These scammers will impersonate reputable companies like Apple, Microsoft, Norton or McAfee. Not only will they try to sell you the $200 tech support service of removing the virus, but they will generously offer to help keep you safe in the future by selling you a malware protection or security program as well. And, of course, that little vacation to the Bahamas you just paid for with your credit card.
These scammers have become more and more sophisticated as they add identity verification by sending codes to your cell phone or by giving you callback numbers that often match the real companies online contact numbers by masking their numbers with the real company numbers.
Let’s look at the actions to watch for and what you might do:
- If you encounter a pop-up window, an email or a web page suddenly showing up on your computer with dire warnings of a hack, it is a scam. Period.
- No reputable company will ask you to call them about a hack on your computer. You will be the one to initiate the first contact – always.
- If this is a message presented to you on your computer, close the tabs that are open with this message if you can.
- Do not call the number. Manage your curiosity.
- If the warning is delivered via email, do not reply or call any number provided.
- If the message is delivered via text message, click on the sender’s Info and after blocking the call, delete it, reporting it as junk if that option is available.

A co-worker in my office did call when this message appeared on her computer. She paid them the $200 and gave them remote access. They also sold her some fake software to prevent future hacks. When I heard this, I told her to immediately contact her bank to deny the charge. While she was able to get her bank’s help to do deny the charge, the next bigger concern was that now they had access to her credit card for future bad activity. Therefore, she also canceled that card and was re-issued a card replacement. Credit card companies and banks are very happy to help to do this and, in fact, will insist on replacing your card. Finally, watch your statements closely in the future in case they were able to use the account before you changed the number.
Here are some useful links to further protect yourself.
- There is an app you can download, which is free for basic protection, called Malwarebytes. Go to malwarebytes.com and download the free version. You can use it for free indefinitely or pay a relatively small fee to purchase more thorough protection.
- This link provides a more detailed look at Tech Support Scams and the means of removing the problem if your computer gets locked due to the intrusion: https://malwaretips.com/blogs/remove-tech-support-scam-popups/
The main message to take away on Tech Support Scams is that no company will ever call you offering to help remove malware from your computer. Think of the logic of this – what company has the time to do this? No company stays spending time one-on-one to help you with random bad behavior by hackers.
Do not panic. Do not call the number provided. Do not give them personal information of any kind – name, phone number, address, financial info, etc. You don’t have to be a victim of scams if you pay attention.
Looking for more? Read Chesa’s other informative articles: