Let me set the scene:  amidst the chaos and cacophony of  current news and concerns over Caronavirus and its impact on our physical and economic health, I have been taking Tears of My Heart through the final steps to publication.   Several frustrations in dealing with technical difficulties put me in a delicate state.  I was trying to hold it all together and remain calm as I spoke with an Amazon representative on the phone hopefully to work through the problem.

All of a sudden  WARNING!  WARNING! WARNING! appeared on a bright white screen accompanied by a blaring siren and the flashing message that my computer was in danger of being invaded and my information lost.  A booming voice cautioned me not to turn off my computer but to call the number on the screen to receive help.  My heart was pounding as I feared the loss of all the work I had done over the past several months as well as my banking and personal information.

I was skeptical, but it all looked official with the Windows icon and error message being displayed.   To ease the sensory assault, I muted the sound and called.  I explained to the person who answered with a heavy accent that I was suspicious, and he said he understood my concern and assured me that it was a legitimate emergency.  He gave me the name of the security company, his name (he even spelled it for me), his ID number, and where they were located in California. 

He didn’t ask me for any information but gave me a number to insert in a box on the screen.  He also kept asking me questions to elicit a “Yes” answer, but I had  previously learned of that ploy and did not give the response he was seeking.  As he continued, my suspicion and discomfort level heightened, and I used my cell phone to call my granddaughter, Claire, to seek her counsel. Fortunately I was able to reach her, and she told me to immediately hang up and unplug the computer; which I did.  

The situation was aborted before any damage could be done, but just to be sure I called my bank to let them know what had happened and made an appointment to have my computer checked for any virus.

When I recounted my experience I learned that several others of my acquaintance had been similarly scammed.  One woman admitted to have actually gone through the process.  Fortunately she was able to stop any repercussions, but had to change the  passwords to all her online accounts.

I thought I was too intelligent to be caught up in such fraud–too worldly wise, savvy and sophisticated to fall for such a scheme.  Evidently not. The good news:  no permanent harm was done, my computer received a good servicing, and I learned a valuable lesson.

LovEstelle

P.S.  Thanks to very knowledgeable and capable technical assistance, the manuscript of Tears of My Heart has been submitted for proofing, and publication is expected by spring.