{
 "@context": "https://schema.org",
 "@type": "FAQPage",
 "mainEntity": [
  {
   "@type": "Question",
   "name": "Does Microsoft or Apple ever call people about viruses?",
   "acceptedAnswer": {
    "@type": "Answer",
    "text": "No \u2014 never. Neither company monitors personal computers, neither can detect \"error signals\" from your machine, and neither makes unsolicited support calls. The same goes for legitimate antivirus vendors. Every unsolicited call claiming a company detected problems on your computer is a scam, without exception. Real support only happens when you initiate contact through official channels."
   }
  },
  {
   "@type": "Question",
   "name": "A virus warning locked my whole browser with an alarm. Is my computer infected?",
   "acceptedAnswer": {
    "@type": "Answer",
    "text": "Almost certainly not. Scare pop-ups are webpages using full-screen mode, autoplaying audio, and dialog loops to feel like system takeovers \u2014 but they have no access to your files and install nothing by displaying themselves. Force-close the browser (Ctrl+Alt+Del on Windows, Force Quit on Mac), decline to restore tabs on reopen, and run a scan with your real antivirus for peace of mind. The \"infection\" was an advertisement."
   }
  },
  {
   "@type": "Question",
   "name": "What happens if I already gave someone remote access to my computer?",
   "acceptedAnswer": {
    "@type": "Answer",
    "text": "Treat the machine as compromised until cleaned. Disconnect it from the internet, uninstall the remote access program (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, or similar), run a full antivirus scan, and \u2014 from a different, trusted device \u2014 change your passwords, starting with email and any financial accounts, enabling two-factor authentication as you go. If they viewed or touched your banking, call your bank's fraud line and monitor statements closely. If they had access for an extended period, a professional cleanup or OS reinstall is the safest route."
   }
  },
  {
   "@type": "Question",
   "name": "Why do these scams target older adults so heavily?",
   "acceptedAnswer": {
    "@type": "Answer",
    "text": "FBI IC3 data consistently shows tech support fraud among the top loss categories for victims over 60. The scripts deliberately exploit lower confidence with technology \u2014 a confident voice explaining scary technical \"evidence\" fills a genuine knowledge gap, and the fake-refund variant adds a moral hook by making the victim feel they owe money back. Sharing how the scam works with older family members, before it arrives, is one of the most effective preventions available. The rule to share: real warnings never include phone numbers."
   }
  },
  {
   "@type": "Question",
   "name": "Is what I describe here stored anywhere?",
   "acceptedAnswer": {
    "@type": "Answer",
    "text": "No. Per our Security Policy Framework \u00a73.1, nothing you submit is stored in our database. Your description is processed server-side, analyzed, and discarded immediately after your result is returned. We never retain, sell, or train on your submissions."
   }
  },
  {
   "@type": "Question",
   "name": "I paid a fake tech support company. Can I get my money back?",
   "acceptedAnswer": {
    "@type": "Answer",
    "text": "It depends entirely on the payment method. Credit card: dispute the charge \u2014 you have strong chargeback rights. Bank transfer or debit: call your bank's fraud department immediately. Gift cards: call the card issuer's fraud line right away to try freezing remaining balances. Wire: request a recall through your bank within hours if possible. In every case, report at reportfraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov \u2014 reports drive takedowns of these call centers, and documentation helps any recovery claim."
   }
  }
 ]
}