There’s a simple saying from a man who I admire (Jocko Willink, retired Navy Seal, podcaster, author, jiu jitsu black belt, among other things): “GOOD.” He’s got an inspirational YouTube video on it. I like his perspective. Life is full of tragedies and hardships. Many people in the world have real problems like famine, lack of clean water, no electricity, human trafficking, illiteracy, and corrupt governments. I feel like here in America the majority of us are more fortunate. Our problems are often deciding what to eat for dinner, where to vacation, which car or home to buy.

I faced a crisis this week. The term crisis, I suppose, is relative. I want to share it because I felt suckered, violated, taken advantage of. And I’m a little embarrassed to admit that it’s one of the scariest things that’s ever happened to me. I felt scared, doomed, like an innocent person on death row. I’ve always heard of online scams / scam phone calls but earlier this week, I felt like a sheep being led to slaughter. Looking back now, I can’t believe I let it get as far as it did. I’m sharing my story here (despite some embarrassment at the fact I didn’t recognize it as a scam sooner) because I want to help others avoid it. I’m not a tech-savvy person, so maybe my experience can help others who aren’t so tech-savvy either. And, I’m trying to see the GOOD that happened despite this experience. 

A few days ago, while looking up a local restaurant menu on my laptop (I clicked on one of the first options that came up in the search result), after a second attempt at opening it (it appeared to be a pdf file), a stark warning appeared. I think there were at least three pop-boxes that took over my screen. One of the boxes, at the top, was black, and said in white letters not to ignore the warning, that doing so could have serious repercussions. The most central box had the 1-877-671-7562 phone number and said it was for Microsoft support and that I needed to call them to get the issue with my personal computer resolved. There was also a voice warning stating that my computer had a virus or had been hacked (something to that effect). The design made it look like I could not get out of the pop-up screens. The warning seemed valid. I feared that my laptop would be damaged / compromised if I didn’t call the number. I figured a quick 15 or 20 minute call to Microsoft would sort things out. Little did I know.

I called the 1-877 number and was first asked what I saw on my computer. Almost instantly, things happened. It seemed the scammers could access my computer remotely, but I am not sure how much they could see / control. They seemed to download one or two apps (one was Ultraviewer, the other seemed to be called Run). If I remember correctly, there was an option for me to click to allow remote access (unfortunately I did). Everything moved so fast. At some point during all this, a few boxes popped up for me to see. They seemed to be running data. I was told that my information had been hacked, essentially. The fraudsters told me I needed to check my email account, bank account, retirement accounts, etc. — they specifically told me to check ALL of my accounts to make sure everything looked okay. And this was while they had remote access (but again, I’m not sure what they were allowed and not allowed to see). During all this, my screen looked a little bit fuzzier than normal. I was told specifically to check accounts on my laptop, not on my phone. I asked if my laptop was safe to use and they said yes. Also, at the beginning of all of this, when I was told I’d been hacked, I was also told not to call anyone because my phone lines had also been hacked and that people could listen in (I thought this was odd, too). At some point I was asked to enter a few things in while they were “scanning” my laptop. I had to do “CTRL+ALT+Q (or another letter – I don’t recall)” a few times. 

I was told to hang on a few times as the scammers ran some things. I don’t remember the exact order of how all this happened: A report/box came up that seemed to have a yellow background/some colors. It said that personal information had been compromised. Sometime during all this, one of the scammers said, “Oh my god.” At one point a red report appeared on my screen stating there were people in several states and countries who had purchased the worst imaginable thing on my accounts. I was told by the scammers that people had used my debit/credit cards to purchase “illegal activity.” At one point the scammers asked me to read the red report that came up, indicating that illegal purchases (and egregious things at that!) were bought with my information. They asked me what my screen read and I read it aloud in sheer panic. My laptop showed a black box at one point that seemed to be running a bunch of random letters and words. I remember in this box, the “representative” “helping” me was listed as Danny George, extension 709, employee ID: M5112532, phone number: (205) 205-1400. The scammers did at one point ask me to enter my address and date of birth (following the listing of the representative’s info). When I did not enter a year, the scammer said, “You did not enter a year.” So I did. On two instances, two different scammers told me about IP addresses, what they are/what they mean. They showed a gray box that had my location listed (city and state) and asked if that was correct. I was told that my case would be forwarded to the Fraud Bureau / Fraud specialists. At some point I was told that my laptop could be secured for 24 hours. The fraudster told me to Google and read Wikipedia’s article on “SpyEye” and that this was how my credit cards could be used without my knowledge. At one point I was asked very generic questions like do I game online or pay bills online. I was asked if I have a credit or debit card starting with either 2, 3, or 4. I was asked if I’d ever purchased certain things on my computer or if anyone living with me had. Eventually I was transferred to the “senior” person. 

A few times during all this, I was referred to by my first name, without disclosing it. Later, one of the scammers called me by a different name, though (I did not correct him). 

After about an hour / hour and a half of getting nowhere (I thought this was odd), the senior scammer told me what I “needed to do.” He asked if there was a store like Rite Aide or Target nearby. I was told I needed to go there with both my credit card and debit card. When I asked what I needed to buy, I was told that I didn’t need to buy anything. The scammer seemed to really push the issue of me going to a store. He asked how far one was. I went to Wal-Mart, thinking the whole time en route that I was going to be arrested. The scammer stayed on the phone the whole time (going on about an hour and 40 minutes total at this point). I was asked if I was in the parking lot or in the store yet. I was told I needed to obtain an Apple gift card. He said if I was asked what the gift cards were for, I was supposed to say “for a party.” When I explained that there were no Apple gift cards available, I was told that a Wal-Mart gift card would do. And while in the store, the scammer told me not to let anyone hear me talking to him. He said “the hackers could be anyone” (this was like something out of a horror movie). The scammer asked about the amount on the Wal-Mart gift cards. I told him they were not labeled. He told me to get two of them and to use my debit card to put $500 on each one. This is where I dropped the cards and hung up the phone. I called my (very knowledgeable) mother-in-law in a panic and she told me the whole thing was a scam. The scammers called me back about 11 times in 10 minutes – they called from the number: (205) 205-1400 (which was shown to be from Birmingham, AL). I blocked the number. 

I drove to my bank to check on things and thankfully everything looked okay. I was told to monitor my account for the next 48 hours and to notify them of suspicious activity so that a new account number & checks, etc. could be assigned. I then went to a relative’s home and changed the username and passwords of my important accounts. I later shut all the bogus windows on my laptop, uninstalled Ultraviewer, disabled remote access, ran a McAfee scan, and disconnected from WiFi. I also purchased a Chromebook and have not used my old PC for accessing any important info. I removed / deleted any documents with sensitive info. 

What a nightmare. I should have known better here. I did have some suspicions during this whole fiasco, but I did let it go too far. The scammers seemed legit. I have not felt that afraid in a very long time. I could feel myself trembling – at the idea of my future being ruined. I thought of my career going up in smoke, my husband’s also; attorney’s fees, dealing with police, going to jail.

I hope this doesn’t happen to someone else. I’ve shared the above information with both Microsoft and the Federal Trade Commission.

The Good: I now am on my guard. I can spot fraudsters a little better. Passwords are super strong; there’s 2-step authentication on many accounts; I’m more informed about how computer software works. And, I mean this in all seriousness, this is an opportunity to pray for my enemies, as Jesus said to. Sure, I’d love to see these criminals smashed and brought to justice. But I do pray for their repentance and deliverance from darkness. And maybe a drop of mercy (urrrrr).

Stay alert, folks. Don’t be suckered. Check out the Federal Trade Commission website (it’s legit) for more info on how to stay safe. ~