I’ve been rowing for the past few days to free my mother from an awkward situation, she bit the scammers’ bait. The case is not fully resolved yet, but here’s what we can conclude.
- Our connected devices extend the thugs’ hunting ground.
- We could strengthen the safety and security devices of our gadgets, but there will always be one flaw: our credulity.
- Age makes us more vulnerable and naïve, especially in rapidly changing areas, here technology and finance.
Here is the story, which received the maternal seal.
A pop-up like hook
Should I say that my mother is an elderly person? Claudette, that’s her name, lives alone with her dog. She is comfortable with technology as long as it works and sticks to the basics.
He has worked with computers for most of his life, now he uses an iPhone and an iPad like many people of his “silent” generation. He consumes the media on his tablet, we communicate via FaceTime and text messages several times a week.
Like this Tuesday, when I got the news:
“- Claudette, did you go to vote?
– I’m tired, I’m done pirate my bank account, Apple immediately sent me a pop-up. I just spent 3 hours with a technician who had me install a full surveillance system on my phone.
– Hey?
– He was very kind and patient with me, his name is James Baker, he works for Apple.
– Didn’t you share any personal information?
– I didn’t have a choice.
– Claudette, contact your bank now, block all your accounts, I’m on my way. the pirate, is the one you just talked to. ”
I had to turn up the volume a bit to break the “James Baker” spell. A professional flirt
I arrive at his house 20 minutes later. Then she waits on the phone, looking worried, waiting for a bank employee to get free. Only after three hours will we be able to speak to someone from the security service.
During this time, I was able to clarify the sequence of events.
Claudette says she saw a pop-up message that her bank account was being targeted by scammers. She called the number listed, which you should NEVER do. The Englishman on the phone pretended to be an Apple employee.
The boy made him install two apps on the phone. Note that. The first, AnyDesk, allows you to remotely take control of the phone. The 2AndShakepay, is used to trade cryptocurrencies.
The scammer managed to schedule recurring bitcoin purchases from his victim’s bank accounts.
(We have “James Baker’s” know-how to thank here. I have often tried to guide my mom remotely into much simpler “techno” maneuvers, but I rarely conclusively lost my temper.)
The bank’s response
I was about to go home when a bank security employee finally showed up on the phone.
After verifying that no transactions had been made, he locked out all accounts. Claudette did well because she had just paid the rent and her income had not yet arrived.
We were asked to delete both apps, reset the phone, change the email account password and Apple ID password, then go to the branch the next day with two photo IDs to unlock the accounts .
My mother writes down her passwords in a notebook, all those used for more than 10 years are recorded there, sometimes crossed out, otherwise noted … but the problem is that she does not know which ones are used for what, which ones are expired or not . Without being identical, they all look alike. After resetting the phone, re-establishing connections to various services proved to be an adventure in itself.
Unblock accounts
The next day, I take my mom to the bank to unlock her accounts, change her passwords, and set up new security questions. You don’t even have two recognized identity documents … No passport, no driver’s license, only health card, no photos. Poor mother … The contents of the portfolio, like the whole situation, testify to the misdeeds of the time; she takes out her hospital cards and her STM pass with her photo to certify her identity.
After endless discussions, the bank clerk agrees to recognize the social security card, which must be collected from her. This is resolved … Now we must ensure a close follow-up of his affairs.
My mother comes out of this surprisingly Zen experience.
Not me.
The inevitable will eventually catch up with me, one day I too will be overwhelmed and become the potential target of a fraud, somewhere, perhaps, in the metaverse.
