Knox County Sheriff Mike Smith would like to warn residents of a scam circulating in the area regarding fake computer technical support assistance.
The call shows up on caller ID as “unknown”. The caller has a foreign accent and says he is with a technical support group specializing in computer updates and viruses. He then asks for your computer password and other information regarding your computer.
Listed below are suggested tips if you receive a similar call:
• Don’t give control of your computer to a third party who calls you out of the blue.
• Do not rely on caller ID alone to authenticate a caller. Criminals spoof caller ID numbers. They may appear to be calling from a legitimate company or a local number, when they’re not even in the same country as you.
• Never provide your credit card or financial information to someone who calls and claims to be from tech support.
• If a caller pressures you to buy a computer security product or says there is a subscription fee associated with the call, hang up. If you’re concerned about your computer, call your security software company directly and ask for help.
• Never give your password on the phone. No legitimate organization calls you and asks for your password.
