IDENTITY UNDER ATTACK · EPISODE 14

The Person Who Said They Were Support

The caller said Aarav's computer had been flagged overnight and needed a small support tool, right now. Aarav's hand was already on the mouse.

Identity Under Attack, episode 14: The Person Who Said They Were Support. Fragment 14, the caller.

The caller sounded competent, knew the technical words, and had a reason to hurry. All he needed was a small tool on Aarav's computer.

10:12 AM. Monday.

The caller was polite, a little rushed, and clearly knew his subject. He was calling from the company's IT support provider, he said. A security system had flagged Aarav's computer for unusual traffic overnight, and it needed cleaning before it spread to the rest of the network.

"I'll talk you through it. Just open the address I'm texting you. It installs a small support tool so I can see your screen."

A call from someone claiming to be the IT support desk, and a text asking Aarav to install a remote support tool and read out a session code.

Aarav had his hand on the mouse. Then a basic question came to him, the kind he was good at asking.

"Sorry, which IT company? I don't think we have one."

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