I took my laptop to Staples for their free check up to see if they could get my old computer to work faster on Facebook.
The tech at Staples called me after a couple hours and said their software couldn’t finish the check up because my computer had a virus, but for $150 they could clean it up.
I told him I use the Avast paid version. He said maybe it wasn’t updated. I said I update automatically. He said maybe the scan wasn’t current. I scanned Sunday (this was Wednesday).
When I brougth the computer home I did a scan and Avast found nothing.
How can I be sure there is no virus? Is this a common Staples scam?
You can try running Malwarebytes for a second opinion, download - update - run a quick scan and let it remove anything found.
We don’t have Staples here in Australia but is there anything like Officeworks then it seems to be a common tactic used to scam/scare clients into coughing up their hard earned cash.
$150 for claimed necessary virus clean up is ludicrous, you could buy three top rated security suites for that sort of money which would do as good a job as anything they’re likely to be using.
This stinks of dodgy sales practices, I wonder how many other gullble peopIe have been taken in? I simply wouldn’t trust them, walk away and go somewhere else.
Why pay Staples when you can get better service right her on the Avast Forum ?
(FREE of charge.)
Simply follow the instructions outlined in the Virus & Worms section: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=53253.0
Attach the requested logs and wait for a Malware Expert to assist you.
It’s that simple.