SALEM, Ore. -The Oregon Department of Justice is issuing a warning about scammers who try to gain remote access of computers belonging to Oregonians.
The department says it has received more than a dozen complaints about scammers contacting consumers by phone or email. The scammers claim to work for a computer company and that the computer's owner is at risk of being infected with viruses or malware because of heavy internet activity.
The Department of Justice says scammers then offer to walk the consumer through security measures to protect their computer, but what they are actually doing is getting the consumer to download the very malware they are warning about, giving them access to the consumer's personal information.
The department says last year, Oregonians reported losing nearly $2 million to scams. Attorney General John Kroger says there are some things people can do to avoid being a victim:
-If you receive an unsolicited email or phone call saying that your computer needs attention, hang up or delete the email. Do not open attachments or click on links from suspicious emails.
-Keep your computer's anti-virus software up to date and perform virus scans on a regular basis.
-Do not click on any pop-up ads because they often carry malware. Also, do not provide any personal information through such ads.
-If you think your computer may be infected, stop shopping, banking and any other online activities that involve sensitive information like usernames and passwords.
If you receive something suspicious but are unsure whether it is a scam, call the Oregon Department of Justice Consumer Hotline at 1-877-877-9392.
Source : Kptv
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