July 3, 2015 - A scam is currently being used on Shelby County residents involving computers and the suggestion the caller on the other end of the phone line is calling to help with a software issue.
A Shelby County Today viewer has received four phone calls, including two on their cell phone and two on their home phone. The person on the other end of the phone line spoke with a foreign accent and said they are from "Geek Central or Control" and told the viewer there is something wrong with the viewer's computer. They wanted the viewer to turn it on while the caller was on the phone.
The viewer immediately recognized this as a scam and kept the conversation going with the caller, trying to get the caller to reveal what the "problem" was. The caller had the IP address of the viewer and said the problem was with Microsoft Windows and they could fix the so-called problem. This "help" comes at a price via your credit card information.
Shelby County Today has also received a similar phone call. Microsoft Windows and any software company associated with Microsoft Windows is not going to make an unsolicited phone call to someone directly and offer to fix a problem on a computer. If you receive a phone call like this, do not provide the caller with any information.
The first line of defense for anyone receiving a call of this nature is to just hang up because it's a high probability that if you do what the caller says, the end result will be a messed up computer and you having to pay to get your computer back working. If you are able to glean any information from the caller, you may want to turn your information over to law enforcement.
A website at the following link suggests contacting the Federal Trade Commission and filing a complaint with that agency http://geeksupportlivescam.com/#maintext
Another website to learn more about scams and what to beware of visit online https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/cpd/frauds-and-scams
