Earlier this week, a Yucca Valley woman fell victim to a remote desktop scam and is now out $5,000. These scams are common, in which scammers will claim to be from a big company like Amazon, Google, or Apple, and then reach out to you to resolve a matter on your account. They claim the only way to fix the problem is to give them remote access to your computer, and before you know it, your money is gone. Reporter Joshua King has some tips on how to avoid remote desktop scams…
The caller could say there is something wrong with your computer or internet connection, even your account payment options. They may say your computer is infected with malware or that it has been compromised in some other way. They will often use technical language to scare or intimidate you into following their instructions, then the caller convinces you to install an application or give them remote access to your computer. Once they have access to your computer, the caller may say they have confirmed the problem and ask you to pay a fee to fix it.
To protect yourself from this scam, make sure to keep your computer software up to date. Remember, everyone can be targeted, and scammers can obtain your phone number fraudulently or from anywhere it has been publicly listed. Never give your credit card or online account details over the phone unless you made the call, and you are using a phone number from the trusted source like the organization’s official website. And finally, never give a stranger remote access to your computer, even if they claim to be from a well-known business.
