mskestrela's Journal, 18 January 2017

Well, yesterday was interesting. (TL;DR I almost got scammed!)
I was on Facebook at 6:30 in the morning, and in the sidebar was a pic of Tom Hanks, with the caption that said, "The family is shocked and saddened by the sudden...."
I thought, "Oh no! He died!" Without thinking, I clicked on it, and all hell broke loose! Screen went black, then came up on a page with Microsoft Corporation in the address bar, in green (which usually means certified safe site...) There was a robot voice saying that my computer had been infected, and not to do anything until calling the number in the warning. I tried to close the window, but it wouldn't close, and the robot kept repeating its drone. So I called, and someone named Nigel Stag (with a definite Indian or Pakistani accent) said he would walk me through it. There was a code in the warning, which I gave him, and the next thing I knew, he was in my computer, controlling it. He said the problem was a Trojan Horse, and that it was trying to access my data. He managed to close the warning window, and before I knew it, I was signing up for tech support for 2 years, for "only" $249.99! WTF? But he said that my "windows license" was expired, and that the charge was for renewing the license. I entered my debit card number, and address, but the card wouldn't go through. Tried several times, but it wasn't working. So he says he'll go ahead and start the "fixation", and sent detailed instructions one what to say when I call the bank to instruct them to allow the charge to go through when they opened at 8. and immediately starts doing stuff in the registry, deleting all my history, clearing caches, and then deleting my antivirus and malware software! I figured it was something he had to do to be able to do the "fixation".
I had to leave for work, but not until I called the bank and told them to unblock the charge. They told me it would't go through until their system updated at 1:30 this afternoon, which I relayed to Nigel.
I got to thinking about it while I was at work, and it just felt fishier and fishier, so I decided to google it. Sure enough, it's a scam to get you to spend $$$$ on "tech support". I made it home before the update went through, and immediately called the bank and told them to block that transaction permanently, and explained what it was about.
I thought I'd give you all a warning about this scam! If you get a page you can't close warning about Windows, TURN OFF THE POWER TO THE COMPUTER! (I have since learned that you can ctrl+alt+del out of it) You do not have to renew any license for Windows...EVER.
My guardian angels were truly watching over me, and blocking that transaction until I could get the info I needed.
I've reinstalled antivirus and anti-malware (and run full scans), changed passwords on critical sites, and it appears they've given up on me. I expected a call or email asking me to resume the session, but so far, not a peep. I'm pretty sure all he did was a thorough cleanup of my hard drive, as I was watching everything he did. He put some extensions on Chrome, which I have removed, but he didn't install any programs that might be a Trojan Horse.
Anyway, have a good Wednesday, buddies!
~Kes

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889 kcal

Fat: 55.54g | Prot: 52.36g | Carb: 47.60g.   Breakfast: Pyure Stevia Sweetener, Coffee (Brewed From Grounds), Half and Half Cream. Lunch: V8 Original 100% Vegetable Juice (11.5 oz), Atkins French Vanilla Shake. Dinner: Kraft American Cheese Slice, Chi-Chi's Thick & Chunky Salsa (Mild), Great Value Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese, Ole Extreme Wellness High Fiber Low Carb Tortillas. more...

3133 kcal

Activities & Exercise: Hanging Laundry - 35 minutes, Blowdrying hair - 30 minutes, Cleaning - 45 minutes, Cooking - 30 minutes, Washing Dishes - 30 minutes, Sleeping - 6 hours and 30 minutes, Resting - 3 hours and 47 minutes, Housework - 30 minutes, Showering - 8 minutes, Driving - 1 hour and 15 minutes, Watching TV/Computer - 9 hours. more...