Just when you think it won’t happen to you, it does.
A few weeks ago my laptop almost crashed. Literally. It began screaming and sounding off alarms….do not shut off….do not close….call this number……
Had I known then what I know now I would never have called that number.
The guy who said he was ‘John” from Microsoft wasn’t. Or whatever his name was.
He had the drill down pat.
He was nice, professional and loved to be a Microsoft tech agent helping people gain their privacy back. Yeah, right.
Had I looked up the real phone number to Microsoft I would have caught him sooner than later.
My Dell was suffering.
He walked me through the process of repairing it all the while lying through his teeth.
According to Microsoft, the real one, these scammers are everywhere. The fraudulent phone numbers they sent to me was a mile long.
These scammers con people into ordering their tech support, then get the unsuspecting customer to give them access to their computer. Little did I know my virus protection had run out and that’s how “John” or whatever his name was, got access to mine.
They also lie to you and tell you to buy a Google Play card, call them back once you do so they can install it which helps to protect your PC and then use it themselves. NOPE. NaDa. Not happening.
Once it was fixed or I thought it was a few days later as I was surfing, all of a sudden I lost control of my mouse. Then all these porn sites began to appear on my screen. The mouse was obviously being controlled by someone else…..because I couldn’t move it. I would try and click the exit button to remove the sites and they would take it over again.
Checking my installed programs I found one, “logmein” that looked unusual. Google told me that was one of many, scammers use to scam into the most vulnerable laptops.
They don’t care; it’s all random.
Explaining this to my husband and daughter, we realized the guy who was supposed to be helping was the villain himself.
He continued to call me and leave me messages of which I didn’t respond to any.
Within the next 24 hours we had to change everything. Thank the good Lord, nothing was stolen.
Thanks to Experian, we now have Fraud Alerts on our accounts. Even if he tried to get a credit card in our name, the companies would get an automatic alert to stop it.
Hindsight is often a learning tool. Looking back, the signs were there.
Red Flags jumping like screaming cats.
Misspelled words in emails from this so-called Microsoft Tech Agent.
His constant stuttering on the phone and anxiety ridden words.
But….this is not about what John the Scammer did to me and who knows how many others but how God immediately told me to forgive him.
Outside of wanting to ring his neck, calling him back and placing the fear of God in him, my gut instinct just told me to pray for this guy.
Sure, he’s a criminal but God still loves him just like He loves me.
I truly believe in his mind he is so deceived that as he attacks unsuspecting victims. By invading their privacy he thinks he is really helping them. I only think that because either he was an extraordinary actor or he was a nice criminal if there are any.
However, I give him no resolve, just forgiveness and many prayers that God is convicting him of his lifestyle of sin.
Beware of these scams. They catch people off guard and can if one is not quick and smart to steal what they can.
And Forgive.
Ephesians 4 31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Did Jesus have a Facebook Page? 