If you aren’t familiar with how tech support scams work, this is a typical example, however it was mis-labeled as ransomware in the story. It’s not always clear to the media what actually happened, but there is a lesson there. This was a textbook social engineering attack that you can learn from and use as an example for friends and family.
Erich Kron is the Security Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4, and has over 20 years’ experience in the medical, aerospace manufacturing and defense fields. He is the former security manager for the US Army 2nd Regional Cyber Center-Western Hemisphere.