Scam Alert from Taylor County Sheriff

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****SCAM ALERT****

Elderly citizens have been receiving scam calls, being told they will cut off benefits, social security, retirements, if they don’t pay money.

This is a scam, do not fall victim.

Here are some common tactics a scammer may use to try to get money and/or sensitive information from you:

• ask you to give them remote access to your computer and then make changes to your settings that could leave your computer vulnerable

• try to enroll you in a worthless computer maintenance or warranty program

• ask for credit card information so they can bill you for phony services — or services you could get elsewhere for free

• trick you into installing malware that could steal sensitive data, like user names and passwords

• direct you to websites and ask you to enter your credit card number and other personal information

What to do if you get a call from someone claiming to be from tech support:

• Don’t give control of your computer to a third party who calls you out of the blue.

• Do not rely on caller ID alone to authenticate a caller. Criminals spoof caller ID numbers. They may appear to be calling from a legitimate company or a local number, when they’re not even in the same country as you.

• Online search results might not be the best way to find technical support or get a company’s contact information. Scammers sometimes place online ads to convince you to call them. They pay to boost their ranking in search results so their websites and phone numbers appear above those of legitimate companies. If you want tech support, look for a company’s contact information on their software package or on your receipt.

• Never provide your credit card or financial information to someone who calls and claims to be from tech support.

• If a caller pressures you to buy a computer security product or says there is a subscription fee associated with the call, hang up. If you’re concerned about your computer, call your security software company directly and ask for help.

• Never give your password on the phone. No legitimate organization calls you and asks for your password.

• Put your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry, and then report illegal sales calls.

https://www.donotcall.gov/

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