Hi there, Ngunguru and Tutukaka community.
Continuing last week’s theme of Terrors of Tech…
This week: SCAMMERS! 👻
Scammers can be very convincing. They may pretend to be from your bank, Microsoft, your internet provider, a government department, or even a company you already deal with.
They can sound professional, friendly and genuinely concerned about helping you. But their real goal may be to get your money, personal information, passwords or access to your computer.
They may tell you that:
- There is something wrong with your computer when there isn’t.
- Your bank account or email account has been compromised.
- You need to make an urgent payment.
- You need to install software so they can “help” you.
- Your account will be closed if you don’t act immediately.
DON’T BE AFRAID AND DON’T LET THEM RUSH YOU!
If something doesn’t feel right, stop and check before doing anything.
A few simple rules:
- Check their credentials. Don’t assume someone is genuine just because they sound professional.
- Use official contact details. Find the organisation’s phone number yourself rather than using a number provided by the caller or in a suspicious message.
- Never install software because a stranger tells you to. Remote-access software can give someone control of your computer.
- Never give out passwords, security codes or banking information.
- Don’t click links in unexpected messages. Go directly to the official website or app instead.
- If in doubt, DON’T DO IT. Take a moment to check.
When dealing with your bank, always use the bank’s official website, app or contact number to check what you need to do. If someone contacts you unexpectedly and creates a sense of urgency, that’s a good reason to stop and verify it independently.
And remember, you don’t have to deal with it on your own.
If you’re unsure whether something you’ve received, been told or seen on your computer is legitimate, you can always ask a qualified technician to take a look before you do anything.
It’s much better to spend a few minutes checking than to spend weeks trying to recover from a scam.
More Terrors of Tech coming next week! 🎃
Call me with any of your technology problems or if you’re just not sure what to do next.
All the best to the community,
Tom
RD3 Tech
