Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County Seniors Falling Victim…
BY: 24/7 CRIME DESK | BocaNewsNow.com
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2023 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Law enforcement across South Florida is warning residents — especially senior citizens — that the emails claiming that your anti-virus protection has expired are fake. In fact, more likely than not, you don’t even have a subscription for virus protection to expire.
Several South Florida residents have fallen victim to the scam, with at least one paying tens of thousands of dollars to overseas scammers to solve virus issues that never existed. Police continue to investigate local attacks on a local senior citizen.
The emails look like they are coming from Norton, MacAfee, Best Buy’s Geek Squad, and others — including Apple. They are not. The originate overseas and are often backed by sophisticated call centers that sound legitimate but are boiler room operations.
Here’s the how the scam works: you either click or call to renew a subscription. The phone center may seek access to your bank account for a direct withdrawal, a representative may tell you that they need an Amex or similar gift card where you provide a specific gift card number and a pin, or — in some cases — the transfer of Bitcoin. In all cases, the scam continues for multiple rounds, where the call center tells the victim over several days, weeks, or months, that upgrades or renewals are required.
Apple users, by and large, do not need subscription virus protection software. PC users, for the most part, do not either. Any legitimate computer service provider will accept credit cards — and credit card charges can always be disputed.
If you feel that you were — or are — the victim of a scam, call your local police department or Sheriff’s Office. Do not provide payment information to any anti-virus or computer service provider over the phone or via email.
