5 Warning Signs That You’re About To Be Scammed

As we are beginning to return to a more "normal" way of trading, so we are starting to resume our regular emails again! One trend that we did notice with more people working from home was an increase in enquiries relating to scam calls. While they all may have slightly different scripts, usually they all have similar warning signs. Here are just a few to look out for if you get a call you are unsure about.
 

They Request Access To Your Computer
 

This should be a huge red flag to anyone who receives a phone call they are unsure about. They may claim they need to remove software from your computer, run a virus scan, or even log into your internet banking to perform a "refund". You should only allow remote access to your computer if it is from someone that you know (such as one of our friendly technicians!).
 


They Will Claim To Have Over-Refunded You


This is another very common part of the scam. They will say that you have been refunded too much money, and will ask you to either send money to a bank account to make up for this, or they will ask you to buy them gift vouchers. If they ask for gift cards, they will instruct you not to mention it to the staff in the store, or to lie about the reason you are purchasing them. 



They Will Create A False Sense Of Urgency
 

One of the big parts of a scam involves trying to get it past you as quickly as possible. They may tell you not to call your friends or family about the situation and not to contact any other company (such as your bank). They will deliberately give the impression that you need to act quickly to resolve a problem, to avoid others alerting you to the scam.

They Claim That They Will Lose Their Job

Most scammers will try to play on your emotions as a big part of making the scam work. Quite often they may play out a well rehearsed script with their "boss" saying that they will lose their job because of an error they have made. This is not how any legitimate company would operate and you should not fall for this ploy. 
 


They Will Continue To Contact You
  Once you have received a call from the scammers, they will likely see you as a target and call you... a lot! However, once you tell them that your friend/family has told them that it was a scam you will find they quickly divert their attention to someone else. However, do not try to antagonize them if they have had access to your computer. It is common for them to try to damage your files or your system as revenge after they realize their scam has failed. 

If you are worried that either yourself of a loved one have become the victim of a scam, you should contact your bank, then contact us to get the computer professionally cleaned and inspected.

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