Calling for support
When you run into a problem with the software on your computer, your first thought may be to call support. This is not a bad idea. If you still have the packaging in which your software came, there is often a support phone number or email address listed. This is an excellent way to contact technical support for your software.
One thing many people do, however, is type the name of the software into a search engine looking for a phone number for support. THIS is NOT a good idea. Many unscrupulous entities make their way into search engine results, so when you call, you are actually getting scammers who are likely to steal your data and/or mess up your computer worse in a bid for “ransom.”
If you do not still have the packaging for your software, you can be sure you’re reaching someone who can actually help you if you:
- Go directly to the manufacturer’s website. If you must go through a search engine to find it, be careful to look at the address bar of the browser before you call any numbers on the site. Be sure that it has the manufacturer’s name, followed by .com – and nothing else between. For example:
Notice that “intuit.com” is in the address bar. If there were anything between “intuit” and “.com”, it would be a scammer site… or if it said something else completely. For instance, this number does not match the one on the Intuit site, and it is not on the Intuit site (see the URL)
- Call your trusted computer technician. If you are not sure what number to call to reach the people you need to talk to, call your computer guy. If you don’t have a computer technician you usually reach out to, call Robert at 256-520-7327, and he will be glad to assist you.