The Helpless Need Help — But Sometimes You’re Not Allowed To

After leaving the Army, I stepped into telecommunications. With years of maintaining communication equipment and computer systems, it felt like the right fit. My secondary MOS had already trained me as a “cable dog,” running cables to satellites and pulling Ethernet in brand-new infrastructure.

Helping and teaching have always been passions of mine. I often say: if you can teach something, you’re already on the way to mastering it.

But there was one rule that bothered me in telecom: never touch customer computers. It existed for liability reasons — if anything went wrong, we’d be responsible. I understood it, but I didn’t like it.

The Couple Who Reminded Me of My Grandparents

One day, I was upgrading a wireless modem for an older couple. They were the kind of people who instantly reminded me of my own grandparents — warm, welcoming, and grateful.

As I worked, the gentleman mentioned their desktop computer was acting up.

“There are just so many pop-ups,” he said, “and some of them tell me to call a number.”

I glanced at the screen and immediately recognized it: tech support scams. Fake warnings designed to scare people into dialing a number and handing over remote access.

Everything in me wanted to jump in and help. But the rule was clear: don’t touch it.

All I could do was warn them: “This is a scam. Please don’t call that number. It could give someone access to your entire system.”

As I packed up, I debated leaving my number to help later. I really wanted to — but I didn’t.

Five Years Later: It Became Personal

Fast forward five years. My phone rings — it’s my grandpa.

“Hey,” he says, “you know that computer you built me? Well, I keep getting these pop-ups telling me to call. Grandma actually called one, and she almost gave them access to the computer. What should I do?”

The irony hit me immediately. The same scam I had warned a stranger about years earlier had now landed right in my grandparents’ home.

But this time, no company policy stood in my way. I explained it was a scam, reassured them, and headed over to clean up their system.

Why This Moment Stuck With Me

That moment drove home a few lessons that fueled my pursuit of cybersecurity training:

• Scams don’t just target strangers. They target the people we love most.
• A “small pop-up problem” can be the gateway to identity theft or financial loss.
• Rules and limitations might stop us at work — but knowledge lets us help in the moments that matter most.

The helpless truly need help, and I wanted to be equipped to give it. That experience became another building block in my journey toward cybersecurity.

Final Thoughts

Tech support scams are everywhere, and they prey on trust and fear. Whether it’s strangers or our own families, awareness is the first defense.

That’s why I continue to share stories like this — not just about the technical side of cybersecurity, but about the human side too.

✅ Call to Action:
Have you or someone you know ever been targeted by a pop-up scam? Share your story in the comments — raising awareness could save someone else