LogMeIn Phishing Scam Making Rounds on the internet

The scam

Lately, I’ve noticed an uptick in the occurrences of an old phishing scam recently making it’s rounds on the internet. The scam can begin in several ways including the following:

1.   .  A popup appears and indicates that your computer has a virus/malware and the prompt entices the user to click the link to clean their computer.
2.    . A program downloads in the background of your computer while surfing the web.
3.   .  Someone else uses your computer and inadvertently clicks a malicious link.
4.    . These type of scams can also be spread through e-mail.

Here’s how the scam works. Once you click on the link/popup it automatically triggers the LogMeIn application to install on the user's computer, followed by a message to call "tech support" and provides the user with a number to call. During the "tech support" call, the "technician" provides the user with a code to type into the LogMeIn software which then grants them total access to the user's computer remotely. After gaining access to the user's computer remotely, the attacker can do many things including take control of the user's mouse, browse through their files, access their computer from a remote location, and a myriad of other things made possible by the LogMeIn software. Lastly, the “tech support” person on the other end of the phone will return with a diagnosis that indicates the user's computer is infected and needs immediate repair accompanied by a quote in the price range between $300 or $600 (in my experiences) to rectify the "problems".

Tips to avoid becoming a victim

There are a number of things one could do to avoid being a victim and I’ll recommend some of the most common mitigation techniques here, but this list is not expansive so please do your due diligence and research to avoid becoming a victim. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
1. Install antivirus software. If you haven’t already done so, please make sure you have an antivirus installed on your computer. Many PCs come with a free trial which is good; however, at some point they normally expire and most users don't bother to renew it which leaves their PC in a vulnerable position. There are many free tools available online that do a decent job of protecting against malicious software on the internet.  Please see links below for some that I’ve used to help protect my PCs)
2. Install a software-based firewall. In addition to antivirus software, you may want to install a software based firewall to help prevent intrusions. In contrast to antivirus software, firewalls are proactive in nature as they aim to stop malicious software from coming in to the host system. Many solution combine antivirus software with a firewall so it may be prudent to find a good solution that offers both. Please see the Comodo Internet Security link below for an example of a solution that offers both antivirus and firewall capability.

2    3. Avoid clicking any suspicious or unknown links. If you have a good firewall, it will help with this problem. If you accidentally click a malicious link, prevention is always the best strategy.

3    4. Please do not ever call anyone, period. If you receive a prompt to call someone, it usually means it’s a scam, so I would advise against calling anyone that sends you a link that says call them for tech support.

Final Note

There are lots of scams floating around the internet these days preying on unsuspecting people. Please try not to fall victim to these scam artists as the damage could be bad (i.e identity theft, stolen money, etc.) and depending on where the perpetrator is there could be little recourse to recoup any time or money lost. Once again, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like more information.

Links - All of the links provided here are freely available on the internet

Malwarebytes – www.malwarebytes.org

Comodo Internet Security – www.comodo.com

Avast Free Antivirus – www.avast.com

AVG Free Antivirus – www.avg.com