Emergus Technical Support emergus.com Pretends to help w/ anti-virus software problems. They use TeamViewer to gain access to your computer, then steal information from your email. The tech "mike" has heavy accent and is rude. Internet

On 2.28.12, I called 888-621-0786, after it appeared on google as the phone number for Kaspersky Anti-Virus. A woman answered, heavy accent, and I explained that I needed tech support to help me find out why my anti-virus had not automatically renewed after I purchased renewal through the Best Buy PC Portal as directed by my Kaspersky software. I was transferred to "Mike"; also heavy accent.

He told me to open Internet Explorer and go to TeamViewer website. (I didn't record the URL and my browser history has since been erased by Mike.) Through TeamViewer, he gained access to my computer desktop and asked me to show him the receipt for my Kaspersky renewal. He was unable to open it through Adobe.

He opened Notepad and asked me to type my email addresss and password. when I asked him why, he became agitated and said it was necessary in order to solve the problem. I typed it in, then he told me not to touch the mouse at all. He became increasingly rude and demanding over the course of the call.

He went into my email and changed my best buy account email and password during this time. I know this because the email alerts popped up on my iPad (a separate computer) during this portion of the call. I did not ask him why he did this. He told me that he found the problem and pulled up a list of warnings that I didn't understand and I'm not sure where they came from. He said only a microsoft-certified tech could resolve the problem. According to him, this is why my anti-virus renewal was not operating.

I thanked him and said I would take it to a technician at Best Buy but he objected, saying he was able to do the work on the spot. He used the same Notepad document to type out the cost of his service: 550 (five-hundred fifty dollars). I said no and he was irritated. He reduced the price, erasing the "550" and re-typed 250.

I declined and said I would take it in to Best Buy instead and he told me the computer was at risk, and that people could steal my banking information and other important information if I did not fix it at once. I said no and connect me to a supervisor or someone who could refund the Kaspersky renewal fee I paid. He objected again but gave me a phone # for "billing" (877-232-4588). Before he would transfer me, he uninstalled TeamViewer, trashed the Notepad document we had used and emptied my Recycle bin at the end of the call. He also deleted my browser history. No one answered at "billing" after he transferred me.

I then called Best Buy directly and spoke with them about what happened. They confirmed that what I experienced was not Kaspersky protocal and that my anti-virus was still working, just not renewed (until current subscription expired in two weeks). Best Buy confirmed that my account info had been compromised and that I would need to cancel the card immediately before they use it.

I cancelled the card and nothing was charged. I also immediately changed my email password. I've reported this to the FBI Internet Complaints division.