A 75-year-old man clicked on something that said ‘free elderly grocery card.’ He said a lot of pages opened up and then quickly closed. Then a siren went off and flashing lights appeared, so he googled Microsoft support and called them. The ‘Indian sounding man’ told him to give him the password from his computer to help him. He did. The full story is unclear, and it’s hard to get much from him. He called Amex on his own and froze his cards. I’m having him do the same for any other bank accounts he has. The scam started on Thursday, and the ‘Microsoft customer service guy’ keeps calling him back. Luckily, he’s tired a lot and has told the guy he’s not getting out of bed to deal with it just yet. The guy keeps calling. So far, nothing has happened to his accounts or credit. What else can I do to help? I just know this is a scam, but I’m unsure how to help further. He’s changing all the passwords that were on the computer. Please help.
Hey, just a heads up, this forum gets a lot of scammers messaging new users. They’ll say they know someone who can help recover your money for a fee. Don’t take advice from private messages. Always ask for help here in the open so the community can keep an eye on things. If you get a message like that, report it! Remember, no personal info should be shared. Be civil to each other and follow the forum rules. If you need help understanding the rules, just reach out to us!
Reformat the hard drive.
jordansmith said:
Reformat the hard drive.
And make sure he’s disconnected from the internet too. Older folks often get tricked by these scams.
They could have downloaded something like AnyDesk or a similar program. If that’s the case, the scammers might have access to his computer. Cut off the internet and check if anything suspicious was downloaded. Run a virus scan, and if needed, wipe the drive clean.
@lexy
Hi, AutoModerator here to explain more about tech support scams. These scams usually start with a random call, pop-up, or an ad that looks like legitimate support. If you’re ever unsure, hang up and double-check the number. If anyone asks for gift cards, hang up right away. If someone you know fell for this, you can watch this video by Jim Browning, who exposes these scammers: https://youtu.be/FO9mWvJAugQ
@lexy
Yeah, almost every tech support scam I’ve seen involves downloading AnyDesk.
Try Malwarebytes. Download it and run it on the computer to check for any issues.
Carl said:
Try Malwarebytes. Download it and run it on the computer to check for any issues.
This is the right move. Malwarebytes has a great chance of resolving the problem.
Assume the worst, and take steps to protect the system as if it’s already compromised.
Take the computer away for now. Otherwise, he might end up in a worse situation. We went through this with my mother-in-law.
You can install https://www.seraphsecure.com/. It’s an app made by a scambaiter, KitBoga, to stop scammers. It’s especially helpful for older people. It blocks things like AnyDesk and warns them about scams before they can even see them. The app also removes scam-related programs already on the computer. They even offer a family plan for people who can’t afford it. It’s really worth checking out, especially for seniors. It could prevent more scams in the future.