Watch out for this common internet scam

Internet scams are unfortunately part and parcel of the digital world and are something all internet-users need to be aware of — seniors especially, as they are the main target of such scams.

One of the most common internet scams occurs in the following way:

1. A scammer posing as a tech support employee contacts you by phone (they often say they work for Microsoft).

2. They tell you your computer is infected with a virus and offer a free security check.

3. They ask to be allowed remote access to your computer: they give you the steps to do this.

4. Once given remote access, the scammer installs software on your computer, allowing him or her to steal from your accounts. Alternatively, ransomware — a particular type of software that locks your computer—is installed, and the scammer then demands payment to unlock it.

A survey done by Microsoft showed that 15 percent of computer users have received a call like this.

Protecting yourself from this scam is simple enough. If someone calls to offer tech support, don’t under any circumstances trust them. Tech support should never call you: when you have issues with your computer, you always need to call them.