The La Plata County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of a scam that took place last week in which someone claimed to be a CenturyLink technician, but was really trying to gain access to the potential victim’s computer.
The so-called technician calls a household and explains the person needs to reboot his or her computer because of a power outage that occurred in the area. The victim is then asked to download an update from a website called ultraviewer.net.
But ultraviewer.net allows people to control a computer remotely, which then allows a person to access documents and passwords on that computer, said Chris Burke, spokesman with the Sheriff’s Office.
“The fear is that one would have their accounts hacked, their banking information and things like that,” Burke said.
Incidentally, there was a power outage the day a La Plata County resident was called, which lent legitimacy to the scam, he said.
The potential victim became suspicious and hung up without downloading the site, Burke said.
The Sheriff’s Office reminds residents to be on high alert when someone is trying to walk them through navigating a website or downloading links.
“If it’s somebody either online or over the phone asking you to download a site, we would encourage the homeowner to hang up,” Burke said.
If residents need to speak with a technician, they should call the company directly, he said.
shane@durangoherald.com
