Park Forest, State Crime Reports

Attorney General Madigan: Hang Up on Phony Computer Tech Support Scams


Madigan Issues Alert After Increase in Scam Calls to Illinois Residents & Attorney General’s Office Employees

Chicago —(ENEWSPF)–February 3, 2017.  Attorney General Lisa Madigan today alerted Illinois residents to a current wave of phone scams in which callers pose as computer security experts in an attempt to gain access to computer networks to download software that may contain viruses.

Madigan’s office has seen a recent increase in complaints about these scam calls from Illinois residents and employees in her office.

Callers inform people that they have identified a problem on their computer and direct people to call a toll-free number for assistance. If people call the toll-free number, they will likely be prompted to unknowingly allow remote access to their computer. This allows scammers to access personal information and allows them to install malware, viruses or keylogging software to record personal information.

“If you receive a call claiming your computer has a problem, hang up immediately,” Madigan said. “I encourage people to contact my office if they want to determine whether a call or message they received is a scam.”

Contact Attorney General Madigan’s office by visiting her website or by calling her Consumer Fraud Hotline:

1-800-386-5438 (Chicago)
1-800-243-0618 (Springfield)
1-800-243-0607 (Carbondale)

Source: http://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov

 

 


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