"Warning" Ads

Beware of “Warning" Ads

Our natural instinct is to quickly react when we see or hear warning signs. For example, when a security alarm goes off, or your car’s check engine light comes on, you take action. Online scammers take advantage of this natural instinct – they buy Internet ad space and run banners that say your computer has performance issues, has been hacked or has a virus, and often include loud noises or voice recordings to really grab your attention.

Fight your instinct to click on “warning” banner ads – they are click bait!

Don’t be fooled! If you click on the banner ad, the scammer can take control of your computer – which you will not be able to exit out of – and essentially hold you hostage.
In most cases, the victim will be directed to make a telephone call to a call center that can be anywhere in the world. The scammers will claim that they are providing “computer technical services” on behalf of well-known companies such as Microsoft or Apple. Then, they persuade the victim to pay them hundreds of dollars to remotely repair the computer. In reality, the scammers won’t repair anything at all. Instead, they will pretend to perform diagnostic tests on the so-called compromised computer, all the while making devastating or unneeded changes.

Stay safe online this holiday season.

Now that the holiday shopping season is upon us, scammers are out in force on the Internet. Here are some tips to stay safe while online:

• Never click on popups or banner ads about your computer’s performance or health.
• If you notice a pop-up ad that doesn’t look right, close your browser using press Ctrl + Alt + Delete to open your Task Manager, and click “End Task.”
• If you use a Mac, press Command + Option + Q + Esc to “Force Quit.”
• Do not be fooled by legitimate looking phone numbers from caller ID.  It is not uncommon for scammers to spoof caller ID numbers to appear to a legitimate company or a local number when they’re actually located outside of the U.S.
• If you need tech support, look for a company’s contact information on their software package or on your receipt.  Avoid locating tech support online as many scammers pay to get higher rankings to look legitimate.
• Never give your credit card, financial information, or password to someone who calls and claims to be from tech support. Remember, no legitimate organization will call and ask for your sensitive information.
• If you start to feel pressure from a caller to buy a computer security product or say there is a subscription fee associated with the call, hang up. If you’re concerned about your computer, call your security software vendor directly and ask for help.

And if you think a scammer has had access to your computer, start by getting rid of malware that might have been installed. Update or download legitimate security software and scan your computer frequently. Delete anything the software identifies as a problem. Change all passwords. And always back up your data with an external hard drive.
If you see a scam, please report it and make a claim to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).