Don't Do Online Tech Support

KSav said:
That exact same thing nearly happened to me a few years ago when I tried to access help for a temporary Facebook account I'd set up.

As soon as the person I was speaking with suggested downloading an app on my phone I hung up because I knew I was talking to a scammer.
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Yep. Seniors on this forum and even senior visitors are big targets so I hope many people see these stories.

It is so much safer to deal with local support companies, even if the cost is higher.
 
officerripley said:
I've gotten good computer help on YouTube.
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True. I've gotten a lot of device advice on YT.

The 2 sure paths to a tech scam are 1) calling the phone number on an ad you see when you do a search for tech support - I'd say only 1 out of 3 of those is legit, and 2) when a scammer calls you saying they're from Microsoft and got an alert that your device has been hacked, which doesn't happen; Microsoft doesn't get alerts and they don't call customers.
 
You may want to ditch the computer and buy a tablet. They are simpler to maintain and less prone to computer bugs, and give you everything you can do on the computer, plus touch screen and the ability to magnify things. I love them. Personally I prefer an Android based one.
 
KSav said:
That exact same thing nearly happened to me a few years ago when I tried to access help for a temporary Facebook account I'd set up.

As soon as the person I was speaking with suggested downloading an app on my phone I hung up because I knew I was talking to a scammer.
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In some cases one needs an application on a phone to do things on Facebook. I found this out (through Facebook articles, not some support person helping me) when I needed to post videos to the Facebook account used for the company. There wasn't a way to post them from my computer.

I'm not saying you weren't being scammed, I'm just saying sometimes that is the correct information.
 
asp3 said:
In some cases one needs an application on a phone to do things on Facebook. I found this out (through Facebook articles, not some support person helping me) when I needed to post videos to the Facebook account used for the company. There wasn't a way to post them from my computer.

I'm not saying you weren't being scammed, I'm just saying sometimes that is the correct information.
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This guy was using a VOIP, which set off my suspicion straight away. Plus, I should have clarified: As soon as I said I was about to hang up, he ended the call.
 
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officerripley said:
I've gotten good computer help on YouTube.
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That's what I was going to suggest Officer. My son and I have found many fixes using "You Tube University". If it's something YT can't help with, then we go the next route. I used to take my Macs to Micro Center, because that's where I bought them. But now I have a Dell that I bought from Costco, so I'd have to contact Dell if I needed tech support or a repair.

Years ago, I got a notice on my computer that it was infected with a virus and to call a number. When the man at the number told me to allow him access to my computer, I refused and hung up. I found a way to check it out and ways to get rid of a trojan virus. I didn't have any more problems after that. It's too bad that gentleman lost so much money that cannot be recouped.
 
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I call a local computer tech shop who help me over the phone freely, but they can't always answer my questions. And they don't know Microsoft word that I need.They charge a minimal rate if you bring in your computer, but these places don't work on tablets and cells. Avoid the microsoft customer service numbers.
 
Getting tips on YouTube for using your computer is one thing. Allowing some complete online stranger access to your computer or accounts is another thing entirely.

And scare tactics like “Your computer is infected” is a common trick of scammers. If you see that, you should shut everything down asap! I have even just pressed and held the power button to quickly turn off (to prevent any installs) and then restarted in safe mode to do a system restore to a previous date when this happened.
 
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With the amount of computer experience most people have, using online tutorials or youtube should give one the knowledge to resolve most issues. It may take some effort and research, but this could be a valuable learning experience that will come in handy later.

Microshaft Windows is particularly vulnerable to glitches/problems or viruses, choosing a Linux operating system is far less work and stress after making the commitment to change.

I have several inexpensive mini PCs and laptops all running Linux, so in the very rare event that something does mess up I can deal with it at my leisure without being stressed out.

That being said I usually use my degoogled Lenovo Tab M9 for consuming content, but banking, purchasing, actual work, accounts, and anything security sensitive is done on Linux only.

Considered a "budget" tablet the M9 is quite responsive and multitasking capable after removing all the Google spyware, tracking, services, and bloated apps.
 
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