FLASHING LIGHTS AND SIRENS AND TALKING HEADS - OH, MY!

So you're happily scrolling through your email or Facebook and suddenly flashing lights, loud sirens and maybe some talking heads start coming out of your computer. Then a message pops up telling you of the devastation that's befallen your computer and instructing you to contact some official-looking support company for immediate help. What now?

Shut off your computer. Hold the power button in for about 10 seconds and it will go off, I promise you. DO NOT CALL ANY NUMBER THAT POPS UP ON YOUR COMPUTER SCREEN. It's a scam - it's a scam - it's a scam, all day - every day.

Many of us are tripping across the scam triggers lately, and some call the number because:

1. We're scared
2. We want to believe someone wants to help us
3. We want instant gratification, and calling someone we trust would take too long.
4. We think we'll get it fixed cheaper 

If this happens to you, don't panic. Shut off the computer, then contact someone you trust. I have talked with at least a dozen people about this already this week and have charged none of them to tell them how to handle it. If I need to connect to your computer to clean it out, that's a different matter.

If you want to clean it out yourself, go to Nick Francesco's excellent step-by-step instructions here: http://securitytango.com/windows.php. Or, at least update and run CCleaner, AdwCleaner, SuperAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes, removing anything they find.

Or contact me and I'll help you. Cathy Contant 315-573-4905

Please help your friends and family - tell them not to call numbers that pop up on their computer screens and not to give out any personal information to unknown callers. You'll be helping all of us.