Previously, Walter had gotten a phone call from a “security company” claiming that his computer was hacked, exposing his banking info and social security information. The caller provided “proof” that seemed very real, and told him that he urgently needed
an anti-hacking firewall costing thousands of dollars.
That combination of fear and urgency had the desired effect. Walter paid several thousand dollars for software that promised to protect his privacy. When it happened the second time, Walter was desperate for help. I explained that unfortunately, he had been taken in by the
all-too-common “tech support scam” that often preys on seniors, and gave him my best advice.
Walter knows now that he was gullible and naive. And he wanted me to share this story as a warning to other AskBob readers.
But it made me wonder…
What avoidable privacy mistakes did Walter make that allowed this to happen? And what about you? As I mentioned in yesterday’s email, YOU might be the biggest threat to your own personal privacy.