Am I being scammed?

[NJoB]

I'm concerned I may be in touch with a scammer who wants me to pay thousands to clean up and secure my IP address.  He worked with me for hours a few years ago to get my HP printer to scan.  I connected to him through HP.  I then spent a few hundred dollars for 5 years of security.  He called me this week to say they had been getting security alerts for my laptop.  He had a technician call me who ran a scan of my laptop which took nearly 24 hours.  He then called back and showed me lots of scary errors and said my IP address was being accessed and used by scammers from China and Russia.  When he offered me fixes, it was options to pay several thousand dollars to clean up and protect my IP address.  I wanted to contact HP to see if these men work for them but couldn't find a link to them.  Advice?

[Dragon-Fur]

@NJoB 

Welcome to the HP Community --

Unfortunately, scammers are like fleas -- they are pretty much everywhere.

Scam sites are common, cleverly disguised,  and are run by professional con artists.

It's easy to be trapped -- I'm sorry this happened the first time and is continuing to happen today.

-- Important --

You were never talking to HP -- HP is not in the business you describe. 

No legitimate company would do this.

Next...

Having let the thieves into your computer creates an extra layer of threat.

Change every password to everywhere -- including your wireless password to your network since it's been compromised.  How do I know?  It's easy to find when you know where to look.

You need to scrub any monitoring software from your computer and remove any "security" software that was installed by the scammers.

You will very much want to run a deep scan on the system using your own security software.  Windows / Microsoft Defender is a decent place to start -- it is written by Microsoft, is built for Windows, and is free.

Contact your bank.  Block any more charges from these people.

Consider getting a new credit card especially when your bank recommends it.

Did they have access to your email?  Consider it possible, especially if you stored your passwords where anyone could find them. 

Yes, some people make clear text copies of their passwords and then store the file with the passwords on the computer.    People also use silly passwords that anyone can guess.

Report the incident to the authorities.

Talk to someone -- a friend, colleague, family, clergy -- for practical advice and personal support.

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READ – Be Informed – Be Aware

 HP Fraud Alert: Protecting Yourself from Scams | HP® Official Site

 HP Fraud Alert: Protect Yourself from Scams, Report Suspicious Calls

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Important

Never post private information in the HP Community!

Thieves are waiting - do not just hand out your privacy to their keeping.

HP Support does not free-post phone numbers for HP Support on the Internet.

Your computer is not full of bugs and you do not need to pay a fee for driver support.

Pay attention to where you are going.

Do not wander around on the Internet looking for help –

When looking for help, start only at legitimate web sites for your product

• HP Support  HP Support - Region

•  Store/HP.com USA HP Sales and Customer Service

Not your HP store? 

Scroll to the bottom of the store website and click the Flag to change regions.

• HP products, start here in the HP Community or at the HP Website
• Microsoft / Windows - start at Microsoft Web Site 
• Printer Software - 123.hp.com - Printer setup from the HP® Official site
• Combined Printer, Support, and Ink Subscription Service -  HP All-In Plan - Printer / Ink / Support
• Help with Instant Ink / Contact Information - HP Instant Ink Support - Website 
• Out-of-Warranty > Paid Subscription or One Time Help: -  HP SmartFriend Services | HP® Official Site
  • Open the SmartFriend Data Sheet - Contact Information 
  • Scroll down to section “Service by Region” and check the contact options in your region / location.

Do not be a victim.

Remain vigilant.

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