I saw this story on WZZM and was impressed only because I can see so many grandparents falling for this “tech support” scam that the Attorney General is warning Michiganders about. My grandma ALWAYS needed something fixed with her technology - especially the VCR clock, I can't imagine if she would have had a new smartphone.

According to WZZM, the scam happens when you get a call, sometimes a person and sometimes it’s a robocall, who pretend to be employees from Apple, Microsoft, or another tech support company, offering help. Whether it’s your smartphone, computer, or tablet, they tell you it has been infected with a virus and they are tech support and can help you. They then help you help them into your device by setting up remote access, and that’s when they can then grab important info or access banking apps and actually take money from you.

Attorney General, Dana Nessel, said in her press release on WZZM,

“As more people are working and attending school from home, we are relying more heavily than before on our electronic devices. Scammers are crafty, and they are constantly identifying new ways to attempt to steal personal information, so Michiganders must be on the lookout for anything that seems suspicious.”

Her advice is that anytime someone calls and asks for remote access to your device, hang up. If you get an email soliciting help for you, delete it.   In the event you’re really needing tech support for your Apple or Microsoft device, make sure you’re initiating the call. Or at least doing some research into the company that you’re interacting with, to make sure they’re legit.

WZZM says there hasn’t been an “uptick” in these calls, but the Attorney General wanted to make sure everyone keeps vigilant about this scam as virtual learning picks back up. They even told a story about a lady who was called and offered help with a security update.  What the victim didn't know was, she was helping the scammer set up remote access to her phone, not doing a security update at all.  From there, the scammer was able to take money out of her bank account.

You can report any calls or emails you receive regarding the tech support scams or any other scam with the Michigan Attorney General’s office online HERE.  You can also make sure you’re on the National Do Not Call list by calling 1-888-382-1222.

 

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