Saturday May 14 2016  A REAL LIFE STORY

ALERT TO ALL MY READERS:

Last evening when I was going through emails I clicked on a website and up popped a red screen with a voice speaking loudly above the din of siren like noise.  It warned me I had been invaded by a malware virus and that I was not to shut my computer down or I would lose all my files.  The voice and screen gave me a phone number in big print to call IMMEDIATELY.  It said that I would reach Microsoft and they would walk me through the steps to get rid of the malware virus. 

Immediately I thought this was a SCAM with capital letters.  I called Dave in and told him what happened.  I said regardless of what the screen is yelling at me I will not call that number.  I quickly called the GEEK SQUAD which is the I.T. section at Best Buy.  The Geek Squad is a service I subscribe to that comes to my rescue when I hit the wall with computer problems.  They have been a lifesaver to me in the past just as they were last night. 

I was informed that it was a BIG TIME SCAM and if I had called the number on I would have been locked into their scheme for future PHISHING SCAMS.  The phone messenger would inform me that I would need to pay by credit card online to have them repair it and then I would never hear from them again, nor would it be repaired.  But, they would now have my credit card number and I would be on their list forever.  Unfortunately for me it meant taking my big tower into Best Buy so it could be worked on to clear the malware.  The website that took control of my computer has some way of locking up computers which renders them unusable.  In reality it was not a malware virus but rather a website.  That is how it gets around all the anti-virus programs like Norten or Webroot.   It does not register as a virus but registers as a website.  I was able to get an appointment as the last customer of the day and took my tower into Best Buy.  I was able to pick up my tower today.

I tell you this story so if this ever happens to you that you will not call the number given on the screen.  Assuming you do no know how to fix it yourself, the most important thing to do is to unhook your computer, and get it to a reputable place that knows how to deal with this type of problem.  It was my desktop PC that was infiltrated and not the laptop computer I use for my blog writing.

I left the house at 8:30 a.m. today and arrived home about 6:30 p.m.  While I was out I did a bit of research on a new computer as I need to update my Apple computer so it can handle my updated camera which I used on my trip last year.  I still haven’t seen any photos from my trip other than those on my IPhone.  My older Apple computers will not accept the new technology of my newest camera.  One thing led to the other and it took all day to do what I had to do.

A REAL LIFE STORY

By Kathleen Martens

May 14, 2016

Consternation

With a great big “C”

Are what computers

Are to me.

Can’t live with them

Can’t live without.

But Geek Squad membership

Gives me great clout!

All said and done,

My computer is now well.

Such a good ending

For me to tell.

The Best Buy Geek Squad

Came to my aid.

On many occasions

My days they’ve made!

And one day later

Back at home.

And now I have

No need to moan.

So a real life story

Comes in bits and pieces,

And because it is late

My writing ceases.

This was just a day in my life.  Sorry I didn’t have anything more interesting to write about.  My computer problems took up my day, my energy, and any work I may have accomplished.  But, it was all worth it!  

God, thank You for allowing me the energy that I needed today.

Thank You Lord for the beautiful glimpse of the sky as I was taking clothes off the clothesline this evening.

Thank You Lord for placing a smile in my heart through this long arduous day.

Thank You that my computer is home safe and I actually (with Dave’s help) got it all back together and working.

Thank You for the “before pictures” I took of everything plugged into the back of my computer.  It helped a lot in getting it all plugged in correctly.

Thank You for cherry tomatoes.

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU.