Don’t be taken in by the Alexa scams!
Alexa and its rival Google Assistant are taking the world by storm. Alexa keeps expanding its functions every month to include calling and messaging, news and information, smart home, playing Alexa’s games and voice shopping. Alexa can tell you the weather, the time, the day, set an alarm, make a list, etc. The list is becoming endless and so Alexa is becoming an important adjunct to one’s life.
People, however, are having problems setting it up because they are not computer savvy or they have connection problems with their home network.
Simple Set Up for Alexa
To set up Alexa, one must go to Alexa at Amazon. The link is: https://alexa.amazon.com/spa/index.html#cards. Once there, one can navigate to settings and select device to set up a new device. One is give four options depending on what you have like echo or echo dot.
One can also go to help and feedback in the Alexa app for more information on setting up Alexa. If one wants to connect their phone, there is information on this kind of connection. One can also download the Alexa app on their cell phone for certain kinds of connections such as smart home. Again, the list is endless.
Skills are an important part of Alexa and can be found in the Alexa app. One must enable a skill, for example, before one can set up a smart home. These skills will be listed under smart home skills. Also, you must purchase special equipment, some of which can be costly, for smart home skills.
The Alexa Scam
Now if you are having connection issues, one might go to Amazon or search for Amazon on Google. Warning, there are scammers out there waiting for you. Doing a search and thinking you are connecting with Amazon help, you are connected to a scam that will pretend that they work for Amazon.
How they trick you
They will ask you to punch into your browser a link which allows them to come on your computer. Then they will use your command prompt, for example, to show you foreign addresses that they claim have infiltrated your network. In reality, their claims of foreign addresses are local addresses of devices already on your computer. They claim that their software which you have to pay for will remove them.
This is a scam pure and simple to take some money from you. Worse yet, once on your computer they may steal your passwords and other important information. Or they will ask you for your Amazon password which thinking you are talking with Amazon, you give them. Never give anyone passwords!
Another claim is to use event viewer and show you errors that you have on your computer. They will sell software which will take care of this problem. Every computer has these errors on it which are trivial in nature.
Alexa Malfunctions
An Alexa malfunction has been reported as a disembodied woman’s laugh suddenly in a quiet house. This can be creepy if you are alone and are suddenly surprised. Amazon is aware of this and is working to fix it.
So if you are having problems with Alexa, call Perry’s Computer Repair at (443) 783-2269.
