Consumer Traps & Tips--A weekly service of the Palm Beach County Consumer Affairs Division

Topic: Computer Viruses and Repair

Trap--Susan in Delray Beach won a car, at least that’s what her computer pop-up showed. However, after clicking the link, her computer became very sluggish. Susan also noticed lots of new pop-ups. She had no virus protection, and all her data and pictures were on the hard drive, so she called the first computer repair company she found. They wanted $175 in cash just to open and diagnose the computer problem.

Tips--Computer viruses cost consumers millions of dollars and many hours of lost time. Viruses such as malware, adware, spyware, worms or trojans steal information, send you advertisements, or wreak havoc on your computer. Here are some ways to avoid computer problems and choose a computer repair company:
• Keep your computer’s anti-virus software current. Some Internet providers offer free anti-virus software. There are legitimate free anti-virus software companies like AVG (http://free.avg.com/ ) or Malwarebytes (http://www.malwarebytes.org/). Free anti-virus software usually doesn’t provide the full-spectrum of services and protection as the paid versions do.
• Don’t open e-mails or attachments from unknown sources – delete them. Don’t visit Web sites you don’t know. Be very wary of “you’ve just won” pop-ups.
• Before having someone repair your computer, make sure all computer and power cables have tight connections (This is the cause of 70 percent of all computer problems.)
• Avoid paying cash for computer repairs. You have more recourse and options when paying by a credit card. Request a guarantee – and get it in writing.
• Ask friends about their experiences with computer repair companies. Ask computer repair workers to list their experience. Ask for and check references.

Call Palm Beach County Consumer Affairs at 561-712-6600 (Boca/Delray 888-852-7362 toll free) or visit http://www.pbcgov.com/consumer to see if other consumers have had complaints against the computer repair company you are considering.
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To ready my story in Sunday, July 26 Sun-Sentinel CLICK HERE

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