Watch out for Tech Support Scams –

Nowadays, you should be on high alert whenever you�re browsing the web. The cyber scammers are counting on you to have an average (or below-average) level of knowledge about cybersecurity threats so they can trick you into downloading malicious applications.� Tech Support scams are prevalent right now.

The attack usually goes like this: First, you receive a fake Windows Alert pop-up message claiming �Your PC might be infected� and to �click OK to do a quick 10-second scan�.

?When you click OK, a very realistic-looking�but very fake��system scan� runs within your browser. The scan looks almost identical to your antivirus software�s real system scans.

Once the �scan� ends, you�re told that your PC is indeed infected and that you need to download and install an update to the antivirus software. Don�t do it! This �update� is actually an unwanted application that will install onto your computer.

?Consider the following to protect yourself from this type of scam:

• Never trust internet pop-ups. They often use scare tactics to get you to call a number for tech support or download an application to “fix” the problem.
• DO NOT CLICK ON A LINK IN THE POPUP OR CALL THE NUMBER
• Go to your IT administrator (if at work) or a reputable computer repair company (if at home) if you think something is wrong with your computer.