Knox Sheriff warns of scam artists pushing computer tech support

Knox County Sheriff Mike Smith is warning residents of a phone scam involving computer tech support.

Deputy William Stewart, the department’s public affairs officer, said the perpetrator(s) claim to be with a technical support group specializing in computer updates and viruses.

“He then asks for your computer password and other information regarding your computer,” Stewart said.

Stewart said calls from the scammer(s) are coming from an unknown number. The individuals are speaking with a foreign accident.

Smith offers the following tips to residents who receive such calls:

• Don’t give control of your computer to a third party who calls you out of the blue.
• Do not rely on caller ID alone to authenticate a caller. Criminals spoof caller ID numbers. They may appear to be calling from a legitimate company or a local number, when they’re not even in the same country as you.
• Never provide your credit card or financial information to someone who calls and claims to be from tech support.
• If a caller pressures you to buy a computer security product or says there is a subscription fee associated with the call, hang up. If you’re concerned about your computer, call your security software company directly and ask for help.
• Never give your password on the phone. No legitimate organization calls you and asks for your password.