BlackCloak Client,

There has recently been a massive increase in scams hitting mobile devices and computers.  These scams occur in the form of pop-up ads and telephone calls, and they are specifically targeting private wealth individuals. 

Mobile and Desktop Scareware

If you ever receive a pop-up message, webpage, ad, or image that looks like an alert saying something is wrong with your device, we want you to do absolutely nothing.  It is fake.  If you click, call the number, or download anything, the cybercriminals will have bypassed your security and gotten onto your device.

How Does It Work?

Every website (and some apps) have advertisements or links that appear on the page.  Without clicking on them, your browser will show them to you.  When these appear, they are so large that they take up your entire screen or look like a system error message.  They are sometimes impossible to close or hard to bypass.  Often times they try to "scare you" into taking action by saying you were on an inappropriate site, they are the FBI/police, or have images of you.

But It's a Trusted Name . . . 

Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google will say that you are compromised, hacked, or have viruses - it's simply not what they do.  They are not protecting you, so any communication from them is fake.  And just like the scam below . . . anyone can say they are "Apple Security." (Clicking "Clean Device" this morning would have stolen all of this person's data, pictures, emails, and personal banking details.)

What Should You Do?

1. Do not click on any links or buttons.
2. Do not call any numbers.
3. Do not download any tools or apps.
4. Do not accept any incoming calls from anyone saying you are hacked or infected.  Hang up.  No one should be calling you except for BlackCloak.
5. Never "Google Search" for an Apple, Amazon, Google, or Microsoft phone number.  The ones on the search pages are fake, and they rotate every day.  They are just a way to dupe you into calling the scammer directly.
6. Just take a picture or screenshot of the message and send it to us.  We'll walk you through the steps you need to take.

Please note, if you have clicked on a link, downloaded tools, talked to the cybercriminals or done anything else in response to these alerts, we are here to help.  But time is of the essence, so don't delay.  We will not pass judgment; instead, we are here to give you peace of mind. Additionally, if you are ever in search of a phone number for a company like Amazon, Google, etc. reach out to BlackCloak and we can assist you to ensure you obtain the correct contact details.

As always, if you have any questions, please let us know by emailing us at ask@BlackCloak.io. We are happy to help!

Thanks!

The BLACKCLOAK Team