Scammers try the same old tricks using different vectors of attack, all in an effort to try to persuade unsuspecting victims to pony over money for worthless software and unnecessary support.
And that’s among the very best of outcomes in this scenario!
Once a scammer has gained your trust, a brief couple of keystrokes from them can very quickly escalate to where they have complete control of your computer. They could now lock you out completely. If they disable the right power setting, and they will, they can keep your laptop awake and working in their hands while you think you got the better of them by slamming the lid shut. You wake up in the morning to a drained laptop that now sounds like an airplane taking off the moment the charger is connected and the power button is depressed. Not to worry; you just made someone rich. Check your bank account on that sucker; they sure did.
And now you are making them richer, courtesy of your burning-hot laptop cranking out complex mathematical equations to earn virtual currency for a person you’ve never met. They have a free computer (yours), free power, nearly unlimited access to the internet, your home network, and then what? Baby camera in the house connected to wi-fi? Is it private?
Are you sure?
How scary is that?!
Fortunately most people won’t have to worry about this because most people have security software that helps prevent this very thing from happening. I sell, use, and recommend Malwarebytes for protecting your Windows or Apple computer from the nasty stuff that is out there. $50/year for peace of mind.
Sleep well, junior.
Jay’s Computers and Repair Uses, Sells, and Recommends Malwarebytes
