Don’t Fall for the FAKE Tech Support Pop-Ups
This is an addendum to my recent post about fake vendor tech support phone calls.
Many of our clients have reported pop-ups on their computer, warning of a serious issue and instructing them to either click a link or call a phone number to have the “serious issue” resolved.
Worse, many times the pop-ups can’t be closed, so clients think they must call the number, just to regain use of their computer.
These pop-ups are FAKE, do not call or click. Just restart your computer. (if the computer won’t restart normally, hold down the power button for at least 10 seconds, until you see all the lights go out on the computer. Then push the power button to start the computer).
Most of the time, after a restart, the pop-ups will go away. If the pop-up keeps coming back, give us a call, and we’ll help you get rid of it.
Please remember that almost all bugs get into your computer through trickery. the bad guys TRICK you into believing that there is a legitimate software update that needs to be installed, or that your computer has a serious issue.
If you call them, they will ask to remotely access your computer, where they will generally (but not always), show you that there are problems (FAKE), and install some worthless fix-it/security software. They will ask for credit card or bank account information to bill you $200-$500. (Do I need to mention how risky giving out this information can be to your finances and identity?).
Virtually ANY phone call, and most pop-us you receive about your computer are scams.
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Other Important News
1. Disable Windows 10 Upgrades from Windows 7 or 8. We have stated many times that we don’t recommend upgrading your computer to Windows 10. Our friends at Microsoft are pushing the upgrade very hard, and often, the upgrade is happening automatically.
Recently, we have come across a free software program that will disable the Windows 10 upgrade pop-ups and stop the upgrade. Installation takes just a few minutes.
We are not going to give out the name of this program here, because incorrect installation could cause problems for your computer. If you’d like us to install the program on your computer, (or if you want to try installing/configuring the program yourself) please give us a call. In most cases, we can do the installation remotely.
2. Uninstall Apple QuickTime from your PC. There is a serious security issue with apple QuickTime, that Apple is not going to fix. In fact, Apple has discontinued support for QuickTime, and recommends PC users uninstall the program. We don’t think uninstalling QuickTime will have any negative affects on the vast majority of computers.
Uninstalling QuickTime is easy if you want to do it yourself. Go to Control Panel, and choose Programs. Find the QuickTime program in the list and click Uninstall.
We are here to assist if you need help. (925) 283-5666