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Just lost $200 to a fake antivirus pop-up...
Got a scary looking alert on my laptop last week saying my files were encrypted. It looked so real and had a timer counting down. I panicked and called the number on the screen, paid the $200 'fee' over the phone... only to realize it was a total scam after I hung up. The 'virus' was just a webpage I could close. Has anyone else fallen for one of these? What's the best way to know what's real?
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the_luna2mo ago
Ugh that's the worst, I saw a tech news story about these exact scams last month. They said the pop-ups are designed to trigger panic so you don't think clearly. The real antivirus software on your computer would never ask for payment over the phone like that. A good rule is to never call a number from a pop-up, always close the browser completely with task manager if it won't let you click off. Did your bank help you get the money back at all?
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carter.terry2mo ago
Reminds me of a friend who fell for one last year. The pop-up locked his browser and a fake "Microsoft" number told him his files were encrypted. He paid them $500 in gift cards before calling me in a panic. His bank couldn't do a thing because he authorized the payments himself.
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fox.derek2mo ago
Yeah, that panic is exactly what they want.
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