Avoid Scams and Viruses

One day you turn on your computer and up pops this frightening message! It catches you off guard with various accusations of illegal activity. Next thing you know you have just given a scam artist $200 of your hard earned money. And to add insult to injury, your computer is still locked, slow or otherwise crippled!

So what now? This article is here to help you learn how to avoid such scams and viruses, and also what to do if you get a pop up like the one shown above.

Everywhere you go online there are ads about speeding up your computer; Download this, pay that, try it for free! These companies claim to be able to speed up your computer with a set of quick, simple scans. However, the truth is that every computer problem is a little different from the next. There are hundreds, even thousands of reasons why your computer might not be performing its best. The software that is provided to you by these ads is often built into your computer for free! The software that doesn't come with your computer is almost always unnecessary.

Do not fall victim to these ads! There are tools on your computer such as disk cleanup and disk defragmenter that provide the same functionality. Not only are these "cleanup" applications unnecessary, but they often include toolbars, adware and spyware that slow down your computer even more! Often you will end up with a pop up, like the one above, just by installing these programs.

Unfortunately, even the safest internet user around can still end up with a nasty virus on their computer, locking them out of the internet and their other applications. If this happens, do not click on it! Clicking on these programs will often make the problem worse, creating a bigger problem. Contact a trusted computer repair specialist immediately, such as TekStop! The sooner you have the virus removed, the better.

TekStop wants you to be as safe as possible while online. If you have questions or problems with your technology, call TekStop today to schedule an appointment!