ALERT: Computer repair scam & impostor scam linked

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ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - The caller identified himself as a New York City Police officer, claiming her deceased husband's lifelong best friend needed help. Apparently he had gotten himself a DUI and needed to be bailed out. She quickly went to a local pharmacy and wired $1,870 because, "no one else in the world could know they had been friends for all these years- it had to be real."

Unfortunately someone else did know: her personal computer.

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Months after becoming the victim of a computer repair scam, one Roanoke woman has now been the victim of an imposter scam. It appears scammers lifted information from her computer's email history and contact list during the first scam, and then used it to convince her to send the bail money. BBB is warning consumers that scammers will often return to victims, hoping to strike again.

"Criminals love to return to the scene of the crime if they believe they can steal even more money or information," said Julie Wheeler, President and CEO of BBB Serving Western VA, in a written statement, released on Friday. "The computer repair scam is especially dangerous as it exposes a variety of personal information that can be used in future scam attempts."

Often con artists will target the elderly using a variation on the scam often called the "Grandparent Scam" where they say a family member, often a son, daughter, or grandchild, is in trouble. Victims are often tricked because the caller knows personal information on family members such as names, schools they attend, and ages.

This information can easily be stolen if the person has been a prior victim of a computer repair scam. The information is also frequently made public by oversharing on social media without implementing sufficient privacy settings.

Here's how you can protect yourself:

If you've been the victim of a scam and have given out personal information, be prepared for subsequent attacks.

Tell your friends and family members about the scam. Often people are embarrassed to tell anyone that they fell for the scam. It's vital to let others know as these criminals may use the stolen information to target a victim's friends and family.

Have a family plan. Be prepared for the "Grandparents Scam" and other impostor scams by having a plan in place that your entire family is aware of. This can be a secret word, a story only they would know, or simply a promise that you'll hang up and call the family member directly to see if it's legitimate.

If you get the computer repair call:

Don't give control of your computer to a third party who calls you out of the blue.

Don't rely on caller ID alone to authenticate a caller. Criminals spoof caller ID numbers. They may appear to be calling from a legitimate company or a local number, when they're not even in the same country as you.

Never provide your credit card or financial information to someone who calls and claims to be from tech support. Microsoft and Windows will never call you.

Never give your password on the phone. No legitimate organization calls you and asks for your password.

If You've Responded to a Scam

Get rid of malware. Update or download legitimate security software and scan your computer. Delete anything it identifies as a problem.

Change any passwords that you gave out. If you use these passwords for other accounts, change those accounts, too.

If you paid for bogus services with a credit card, call your credit card provider to dispute the charges.

Update your software regularly. The regular reminders to update your browsers and other software are annoying, but they are for a good reason. These updates protect against the constantly evolving viruses and system vulnerabilities.

Enable popup blockers. Popups are regularly used by scammers to spread malware. Prevent them by adjusting your browser settings.

Start With Trust. Contact BBB first, especially if the caller uses the BBB name! BBB receives calls on computer scams every day and know their methods and tricks. You can also search for a reliable, trustworthy BBB Accredited Business for your computer repair needs by going to www.bbbsearch.org.

BBB is a nonprofit, business-supported organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. The BBB provides objective advice and free BBB Business Reviews on more than 4 million companies and 11,000 charities, dispute resolution services, alerts and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. Please visit www.bbb.org for more information.

If you need more information, contact the BBB at (540) 342-3455 or (800) 533-5501. You can also visit www.bbb.org.  Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/BBBWesternVA and on Facebook at facebook.com/BBBWesternVA.