It’s back to school season in the time of coronavirus, and for many families it means more working from home and attending school from home. Scammers will take advantage of this to scare people into thinking their device has been attacked by malicious software – a nightmare for workers and students alike.

The “tech support” scam typically involves a phone call with someone claiming to be with Microsoft, Dell, or another well-known tech company, claiming they have identified a virus on your computer. Or, you will see a pop up message on your computer with a phone number to call right away to deal with a virus. In both scenarios, the scammer’s goal is to get you to allow them to access your computer remotely in an effort to steal financial and personal information. If tech support calls, it’s a scam. If you get the pop up and your computer freezes, simply shut down and restart your computer and it should go away.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork or call the AARP Fraud Watch Helpline at 1-877-908-3360 and speak to trained staff or volunteers for help with a fraud encounter.