Victim Location 93030
Total money lost $45
Type of a scam Tech Support
Got a warning message on my IPad that I might have a virus and to call the tech support number listed. When I called, I asked if they were the official Apple support people, and I was told that they were not the Apple co. but they are the official support service for the Apple computers. I told the guy I feel like I have to call Apple to make sure they are legit, and he told me that if they are not legit, they will not be able to correct the problem with my computer. Then he asked for the serial no. of my IPad so they can check what is wrong with it. I was told that my firewall has completely crashed and they need to install a new and improved firewall for $45. I told him I will not give my credit card # over the phone and he said that he will not ask me to give him my credit info over the phone, but rather, I will receive an email with the invoice. After supposedly installing the new firewall, he told me that my computer should now be working properly. When I tried to open Facebook again, their notice was still there and would not close. He asked me to turn on and off my computer three times, and when the issue was not resolved, he asked me to wait for his supervisor. When the supervisor was on the line, he asked me to remove the Facebook application from my IPad and reinstall it. When that was done and I was able to access my Facebook account again, the supervisor got me back to the original tech support I was talking to. That guy then asked me to open my email and pay the bill they sent with my credit card on their website. I was told that the firewall will cover my other Apple devices at home, too, and if I need more support, to just call their number again.
After finishing my conversation with them, I called Apple’s official site to make sure that this service company was indeed connected to them. I was told that it was a scam and I should report it to authorities. I called Apple again a second time to confirm that it was really a scam from another tech support.
I called the number of the scammers and told them what Apple told me about them. The guy is now denying that he ever indicated that they were officially connected with Apple. I told him to cancel the service and give back my money. He said he was going to ask the supervisor to speak to me again, but this time, the supervisor did not speak to me. The guy said they will give my money back.
I called my credit card company to report the issue. The charge is pending and has not been posted. The cancellation has not been recorded. My credit card company is going to send me a new credit card and cancel the compromised one.
Note: Names of people I spoke to from the company being reported:
Tech support : Vicky Sentos
Supervisor: Shane Williams