What Should I Do After My Mom Almost Fell for a Tech Support Scam?

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Asked By OceanBreeze84 On

My mom recently almost got scammed after seeing a pop-up claiming her device was 'hacked.' The scammer pretended to be from Microsoft and had her type in some Netstat commands, but I'm unsure exactly what she entered. I ended the call, shut down her laptop, and ran a Malwarebytes scan, which came back clean. I'm keeping the laptop off for now, but what should I check next?

3 Answers

Answered By TechWizard42 On

First, check if there are any remote desktop programs installed, like TeamViewer. You can find these in the Control Panel under 'Programs'. If you see anything suspicious, uninstall it. Also, use an antivirus with real-time protection, like Bitdefender, and ensure it's updated. Keeping Windows up to date is essential too!

Answered By SafeComputerGeek On

If the scammer didn't have her install any remote access software, she might be okay. Try to get her to describe everything she did and clicked on during that call. For complete peace of mind, a secure erase and reinstall of Windows is the best way to be safe.

ConcernedSon88 -

Thanks for the advice! I think that might be the best route to take.

Answered By ScamBuster2020 On

Kitboga, a YouTuber, talked about this scam in one of his videos. They often run Netstat and lie about what it shows. Unfortunately, there's no foolproof method to figure out if they managed to infect the PC. The safest plan is to back up your mom's data and do a full reinstall of Windows to wipe everything clean.

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