How I Protected My Father from a Scam: Reporting a Hacker

Recently, I had a concerning experience that I believe many can relate to—navigating the dangers of online scams. My father, eager to check his Amazon orders, unwittingly found himself targeted by a hacker. Here’s how I stepped in to help and how you can report such incidents.

The Setup: A Familiar Trap

It all began when my father searched for “Amazon” on Google. Unfortunately, the search led him to a fake site that claimed his account had been blocked. The site provided a phone number for support, which my father promptly called. As someone with limited English, he handed me the phone to assist.

The “customer service representative” informed us that there had been suspicious activity on his account from Chicago and inquired about various tech items, including a Roku TV and an iPad. Given that my father doesn’t own any of those items, I quickly suspected something was off.

Catching the Red Flags

During the call, I noticed the representative had a heavy accent, which is not unusual in many customer service centers. However, when he instructed me to press the Windows + R keys to “scan for viruses,” my instincts went into high alert. I asked him to hold on and quickly talked to my father in our native language.

I discovered that the website my father had been directed to was not the legitimate Amazon site, but rather an elaborate scam with a URL resembling “rokutv.free.offer.” I immediately took action by navigating to the genuine Amazon website, changing my father’s password, and enabling two-factor authentication—all while keeping the scammer on hold.

The Final Straw

As I took these steps, the supposed customer service agent grew increasingly anxious, demanding that I follow his instructions to protect myself from hackers. I decided to have a bit of fun at the scammer’s expense. I feigned confusion, repeatedly asking for guidance on basic keyboard functions, which only served to frustrate him further. After several minutes of this back-and-forth, he finally hung up, clearly agitated.

Taking Action: Reporting the Scammer

This experience left me furious—not just for the danger it posed to my father, but for the many others who could fall victim to such scams. I decided to take action. If you encounter similar situations, it’s essential to report the scammer’s phone number.

In the United States, you can report fraudulent phone calls or suspicious