NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
Is my Wifi extender and network security now compromised?
First time poster here.
I *think* I fell for a remote access tech scam issue recently. Couldn't get my extenders to work, was on the genie page (think that's what it was from memory). Was told a tech would call me. Ok cool. The usual motions in trying to help me. Couldn't get extenders working (I have in the past).
Next step was "we need remote access:. Yup sure (at this point I still thought I was talking to a legit tech person), they did a ping test, showed me a bunch of connected devices to the network & told me they were "foreign"/shouldn't be there. Then asked to see what extender looked like via camera access and asked to see the back, telling at the same time to be aware there were scams of that kind re Microsoft etc. I showed them the back of the extender and then they told me they couldn't get the router working because my complementary service had expired, then began the selling spiel. I'm not in a position to be saying yes or no for paid tech service and told them that. They said that was fine, call back when I could but until then I wouldn't be able to use the extenders. The guys name was Mike.
Got off the phone and thought it was all a bit weird so did a bit of googling, which brought up many similar issues, all of them having spoken to a guy called Mike.
SO.
1: Wondering if any of the info they could have obtained off the back of my Netgear WN3000RP wifi extender, such as serial number, WPS PIN etc would now allow them remote access to my extender account and settings in any way, and
2: Does this mean my extender is now compromised security wise and I can no longer use it when accessing the internet, could they have done anything to it while remote connected.
In the meantime I have changed all passwords via another device, not using wifi network and have had the machine that was remote accessed, offline since that call, I have also not used the extenders but my Pa hassling me about using them. Obviously I don't want to use them while I think there's any possibility of potential security breach via them and I don't know enough about this sorta stuff to figure it out on my own.
Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to provide.
I *think* I fell for a remote access tech scam issue recently. Couldn't get my extenders to work, was on the genie page (think that's what it was from memory). Was told a tech would call me. Ok cool. The usual motions in trying to help me. Couldn't get extenders working (I have in the past).
Next step was "we need remote access:. Yup sure (at this point I still thought I was talking to a legit tech person), they did a ping test, showed me a bunch of connected devices to the network & told me they were "foreign"/shouldn't be there. Then asked to see what extender looked like via camera access and asked to see the back, telling at the same time to be aware there were scams of that kind re Microsoft etc. I showed them the back of the extender and then they told me they couldn't get the router working because my complementary service had expired, then began the selling spiel. I'm not in a position to be saying yes or no for paid tech service and told them that. They said that was fine, call back when I could but until then I wouldn't be able to use the extenders. The guys name was Mike.
Got off the phone and thought it was all a bit weird so did a bit of googling, which brought up many similar issues, all of them having spoken to a guy called Mike.
SO.
1: Wondering if any of the info they could have obtained off the back of my Netgear WN3000RP wifi extender, such as serial number, WPS PIN etc would now allow them remote access to my extender account and settings in any way, and
2: Does this mean my extender is now compromised security wise and I can no longer use it when accessing the internet, could they have done anything to it while remote connected.
In the meantime I have changed all passwords via another device, not using wifi network and have had the machine that was remote accessed, offline since that call, I have also not used the extenders but my Pa hassling me about using them. Obviously I don't want to use them while I think there's any possibility of potential security breach via them and I don't know enough about this sorta stuff to figure it out on my own.
Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to provide.
