SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – Most of us have software on our tablets or computers to protect them from viruses. But as one Springfield woman discovered, crooks are posing as actual software companies. She lost hundreds of dollars.
Donna Davis loves to play games on her tablet. She knows not to click on strangers’ links and doesn’t go to unsecured sites. To be extra careful, she has antivirus protection software.
“I had just renewed my Norton,” she said.
As bad luck would have it, she got a call from what she thought was Norton Security. The person relayed his employee ID and said he was calling about a $470 charge on her account. Davis did not recall paying that much for the program.
“I panicked,” she said.
She was offered a deal.
“They had the money. If I needed to get the money back, in order for me to get the money back, I needed to send them this $500,” she said.
Davis was instructed to go to Walgreens and purchase a $500 gift card. She relayed the numbers on the back.
“I was definitely scammed,” she said.
It wiped out her bank account. She got behind on bills.
“Then I tried to call him back. I was never able to get a hold of him,” she said.
Norton, Microsoft, and Apple do not make cold calls.
Remember, you should never have to pay money, especially in gift cards, to get a refund. Report these scams to the Attorney General, Better Business Bureau, and On Your Side.
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