Greetings Mac-Ave customers
My name is Jacquie Frederick, and I have owned Mac-Ave By Jessi Group for the past 28 years. In recent years, I have seen a number of you guys pretty much daily, LOL. Or sporadically over the years.
I want to thank you for coming into our store at one time or another. We really appreciate your business and your support, and we would like you to know that we feel as though you’re part of our family. With that said, remember you can pick up the phone and give us a call anytime. You know where we work, you know who we are, call us before you give anybody your information or allow a stranger into your computer.
Would you allow some random person who knocked on your door into your home? Then don’t let a stranger into your computer!!!!!!!
The reason for this email today is to educate and start a conversation about the scams going around stealing people’s information and money. It is breaking my heart what is happening to my customers, and just people in general, out there, and I need you guys to pass this letter along to other people in your email list, so this can stop. You need to reach out to your family members, your friends, and your neighbors and have a conversation with them regarding these scams. Please be redundant and to have multiple conversations once a month, so it is embedded in their brains.
We have been getting customers in here who claim they have been getting calls from Apple Inc., Microsoft, IRS, and more. The Caller ID is easy to fake, and it is a FAKE.
These fake calls are smooth scammers. They are people who are taking a ton of cash from your friends, family, and neighbors! Companies like Apple will never randomly call you and ask you to give them Walmart, Home Depot, Amazon, Google, Tops, or any other kind of Gift Cards!!!! Why would they?
Do not give anybody your credit card information over the phone. Do not give anybody your Apple ID or your passwords over the phone. And do not allow ANYONE into your computer over the phone. If someone asks you for these, put them on hold and give us a call, so we can remind you that companies don’t ask for this kind of information.
Phishing Scams: These are usually carried out via email or websites and sometimes by phone. They try to convince you that there’s an issue with your computer or account; they make you think that your computer and privacy are at risk and get information out of you while they’re downloading malicious software to steal even more information. If you let the scammers in, again they’re strangers, they will have access not only to your computer but your cameras as well. Microsoft, Apple, or Amazon will not call you!
Those old clichés: If it’s too good to be true, it’s not true; and stranger danger – hold true with technology – do not allow strangers into your computer.
These types of scams are a multi-trillion dollar business, and these people don’t care who you are, but I do! Fake charities, debt collectors, IRS, medical people, will all call you to get your information so they can steal your identity and your money. Please please do not fall prey to this. Anybody who calls you and asks you for something put them on hold or hang up and call somebody else and ask, don’t be embarrassed by it. It’s happening way too often people really are being taken advantage of, and this HAS TO STOP!
Call us please at 585-924-1920 and ask our opinion, you all know I have an opinion, and I do NOT want this to continue.
PLEASE have a conversation with your friends, family, and neighbors and Stop these people from Taking Your Money!!!
Helpful Links related to this topic:
- WHEC: “Did you get a call from Apple? It’s a scam and the caller is not trying to help you”
- Apple: “About Gift Card Scams”
- Apple: “Identify legitimate emails from App Store or iTunes Store”
- Mac-Ave: “5 tell-tale signs an email is a scam or fake!”
- Mac-Ave: “Be wary of fake tech support calls”
- Mac-Ave: Internet Safety Blog Archive
Great timing! I bought a used Mac from you about 3 months ago. I was trying to get a good some good protection for my computer…..so I called what I thought was Norton. Turned out the phone number that had the Norton name sold their over $300 protection scam to me and as they were “taking over my computer” I found out that it wasn’t Norton at all but another company. I stopped the downloading about halfway done and told them to stop. They never got my money….and I then had my computer protected by Bitdefender. I almost fell for it!
You’re lucky to have figured it out before it was too late! These scammers do a very good job of falsifying their identity, and that’s about all they do well. Always be wary of phone numbers that show up in internet search results. Try and find the actual website of the company and refrain from clicking on ads (usually the first few search results).