Letter to the editor

As we move into the holiday season, telephone scammers are growing more aggressive. I received a phone call last evening. Caller ID said "Private Caller" but the man on the other end said he was from "Windows Tech Support", apparently in India, based on the accent. He was most insistent that they had discovered "multiple red flags" coming from my account and needed remote access. I laughed at him, and you should too.

I pointed out to him that Microsoft was richer than God, and didn't care about a single customer. He then said, "We're not Microsoft: we're Windows; Microsoft is a company: Windows is software." That is partially true. But Microsoft makes Windows, and they most certainly do NOT call their customers. As for seeing "multiple red flags," they don't do that either, which I told him I knew.

His reply: "Oh, yes, madam, we know everything about you." I laughed again, and asked, "What operating system am I using?" He blustered a while, so I told him I didn't have any more time to waste with him, and hung up.

He called back.

Before he had a chance to say anything, I asked, "Are you really stupid enough to call me back?"

He replied, "Oh, yes, madam."

Now, THAT I believed.

The point is, scammers are aggressive, and persistent, and polite, and charming--and they lie. They will do anything to gain access to your computer and data. Think about the transactions you make online and the data you have stored on your computer: banking; medical; insurance; work documents; passwords; emails-both private and business; and the list goes on. Giving scammers access to "fix" your computer also gives them access to all of that data. It can also give them an opportunity to plant malignant spyware to siphon off more data or to lock you out of your computer.

1. Microsoft will NEVER call you--you're just not that important to them.

2. NEVER allow someone to take control of your computer by remote access unless you initiated the call and you know it's a valid number.

3. As a safety precaution, change your passwords often, and don't save them in a file on the computer called "passwords." Keep a notebook next to your computer if you must. This is especially important since Equifax lost control of so much personal data.

4. Report the call to your IP provider so they're aware that the scam is out there. If they don't know, they can't warn others.

5. If it walks like a duck.... In other words, if the call seems suspicious, or the caller seems too pushy, trust your gut and hang up.

Maxi Morgan