Greg's Corner

Scam Round Up: Scammers entering seniors’ homes and more

By Greg Collier

This week in the Round Up, we have an old scam that homeowners should still be aware of. We also have two new scams, with one of them having chilling implications.

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Do you know why we’re always talking about Windows pop-up scams and not Apple ones? It’s not because macOS is any more secure than Windows. It’s mainly because Apple only has 17.2% of the market share when it comes to computers. Essentially, it’s not worth it for scammers and hackers to target Mac users. That doesn’t mean that macOS is completely free of scams.

Recently, at least one Mac user has reported getting a scam pop-up on their Mac. It was disguised as one of macOS’ notification pop-ups. It was even complete with the system settings icon. The pop-up says that your iCloud account has been hacked and asks the user to click here to remove the virus. Your iCloud account being hacked and having a virus are two separate things. Never click on anything that says click here now when it comes to potential security risks on your Mac.

If history is any indicator, if you click the notification, you’ll either have malware injected into your device, or you’ll be taken to a scam site that will ask for your personal information.

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Minnesota’s homeowners are being warned about letters that tell them their home warranty is about to expire. These are scam letters which are trying to get you to divulge your credit or debit card information to the scammers. According to the Minnesota Department of Commerce, these scammers will try to tell you that they have some kind of arrangement with the mortgage company, HOA, or county deeds office.

If you receive a letter like this, just dispose of it. If you’re looking to purchase a home warranty, always check for reviews and complaints to make sure the company is legitimate.

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Lastly, the residents of Pulaski County in Virginia are being warned of a disturbing scam that’s targeting seniors. Authorities there have reported that a number of seniors have had scammers showing up to their homes posing as agents of the state’s Department of Health. Once inside the home, the scammers are asking victim’s for personal information and taking pictures of the homes’ interiors.

If someone like this approaches your home, always ask to see their identification. Also, don’t be hesitant to call police if they start pressuring you to enter your home.

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As always, just because these scams aren’t currently happening in your area, doesn’t mean they won’t come there eventually. Now you have the knowledge to protect yourself from them.