'You've been' hacked, I'll tell you how to fix it!'
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.