I’ve talked about this before, but we’ve never covered the bad news side, and what to do. Let’s get to this.
It happens: you’re online, browsing on Facebook or Amazon, when suddenly a loud noise comes from your computer with a notice that you’ve been hacked/have pornography on your computer/the FBI is monitoring your computer. You’re told, “Don’t turn off your computer, and call this number immediately!” What do you do?
Very simple: Shut off your computer and DON’T call that number.
“That’s all well and good, Ken; but I did what they asked…”
That’s bad, BUT you MAY be able to counter the problem. Time is of the essence, though.
The most important thing to do (outside of turning your computer off immediately) is to keep your head. When people panic, they start trusting anyone who seems to be an expert. In the very minute you receive an alarm or pop-up like this, there is no expert you can trust within reach.
Take your computer offline, unplugging it if you have to. Once the person on the other end of the phone/computer connection starts moving your cursor, everything you have on your computer is theirs for the taking. WHATEVER YOU DO, do NOT give them a card number or agree to send them WalMart gift cards/Bitcoin/whatever. These types of currency are all but untrackable.
CALL YOUR BANK or whoever issued your card to you IMMEDIATELY! Otherwise, you can be held liable for everything the fraudster does with your account, even if it’s well over the amount you can legally use your card for. The longer you wait, the higher that total can go.
If you have an account with one of the credit protection companies like Experian, go to their website and put a freeze on your credit score (It’s free to do.). This will make it harder for someone to use your credit card to open another account in your name.
Next, contact the Police. A police report can help protect you since it shows you were aware of the problem and moved quickly to prevent any further identity theft.
Last, but not least, do NOT use your computer online until it’s been cleaned by a professional (Most local banks will freeze your account until you do this.). Most of the time, one of the first things a hacker will do is load your system with a viewer program, which will send them a record of your keystrokes. Anywhere you go and anything you type, they’ll know.
It’s very important to report this to the bank/authorities as soon as possible. Don’t worry about how it looks to others: Computer fraud is a multi-billion-dollar business. Your main concern is making sure you don’t contribute to their bottom line.
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