OCPD Warning Citizens of Computer Repair Scams

OCEAN CITY, MD – : The Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) has recently seen an increase in reports of computer scams.

In each case, the victim reported being contacted in some way by an online computer repair company stating that their computer had a virus that needed to be removed. The victim would then pay the repair company hundreds of dollars through either a wire transfer, gift cards, or a fictitious online payment system. One victim lost nearly $1,000 before contacting police. In most cases, the scammer would gain remote access to the computer and rather than fix it, the scammer would create a virus.

Internet crime schemes such as these steal millions of dollars each year from unsuspecting victims across the country. The OCPD offers a few simple steps to spot similar scams:

• Be cautious of unsolicited offers. If you didn’t ask for computer repair services, a legitimate company would not have known that it was needed.
• Be wary if the seller only accepts wire transfers, gift cards or cash.
• When asked to pay with a credit card through a website, ensure the site is secure and reputable before providing your credit card number.
• Research the company before agreeing to the service. Most legitimate companies will have information about their company online, as well as customer reviews.

Any citizen that believes he/she may have been a victim of a similar crime should contact their local police department to file a report.