Cyber fraud is on the rise: Carson City's DeBug Computer offers class to protect yourself
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Wed, 06/19/2019 - 6:41pm
Event Date:
June 25, 2019 - 9:30am
CARSON CITY — Every week at DeBug Computer, we receive reports from community members who have been scammed into giving money to both cyber and telemarketing frauds, some for thousands of dollars, sometimes under the pretense that the victim has “won” a prize or money, and simply needs to pay a processing fee. Or that a loved one is in danger, and they must transfer money immediately to help them.
To help people protect themselves, we are offering a class on how to protect yourself from Cyber Fraud on Tuesday, June 25, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Carson City Senior Center, 911 Beverly Drive in Carson City. The class is free and open to the public.
Microsoft, Yahoo, and other companies will NOT call you to tell you that you have a virus, or offer to clean it up remotely. It’s just a ploy to get access to your computer, and possibly extort money. There are many variations on these scams. Just remember, if it’s too good to be true or a threat requiring money, it’s most likely a scam.
Here are some warning signs of fraud:
— “You must act ‘now’ or the offer won’t be good.”
— “You’ve won a ‘free’ gift, vacation, or prize.” But you have to pay for “postage and handling” or other charges.
— “You must send money, give a credit card or bank account number, or have a check picked up by courier.” You may hear this before you have had a chance to consider the offer carefully.
— “You don’t need to check out the company with anyone.” The callers say you do not need to speak to anyone including your family, lawyer, accountant, local Better Business Bureau, or consumer protection agency.
— “You don’t need any written information about the company or their references.”
— “You can’t afford to miss this ‘high-profit, no-risk’ offer.”
If you hear these or similar “lines” from a telephone salesperson, just say “no thank you” and hang up the telephone.
The FBI’s website has numerous resources on how to deal with fraud against seniors, cyber fraud, and telemarking fraud. See: https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-fraud-schemes/seniors
There’s also a link on their page to file a report if you’ve been a victim.
Here’s another FBI site you can report any suspicious activity to:
https://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx
Remember, if anyone asks you for money, personal identification or access to your computer, just say “no” and hang up the phone.
About DeBug Computer:
DeBug Computer was launched in 2000 by Carson City resident Keith Barham to provide quality, friendly, professional, guaranteed IT service. Serving both Carson City and the Carson Valley, DeBug provides IT support and consulting services for home users as well as numerous industries in northern Nevada, including medical, dental, real estate, legal, business offices, manufacturing, and more. Our professional and knowledgeable team can design and maintain systems to assure compliance with HIPAA, HUD, proper date encryption, backups, support, and more.
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