Is there a "fake" Norton website out there...or..?

[Pete!]

My wife bought a Norton Key from our local Staples store for the computer she uses at her business (no CD, just a card with a key number). Up until now, she'd been on her son-in-laws Norton "family plan, it expires in seven days....

When she entered it on the "Norton" site, she got an error message with a toll free number to call.

The "tech" had her install a program that allowed him to take control of her computer. He fussed around for a while and said he'd call her back. He got (at least) the key number and her phone number....

When he called back, he gave her a line of BS? that she didn't understand about how compromised her computer was, and tried to sell her at least three other programs to clean it up.

When I realized what was happening, I stopped her before any credit card information was exchanged, and told her to hang up.

I uninstalled the remote control program, and told her, I'd find a replacement AV, and deal with it in the Morning.

Is there a fake Norton website that a Google search could have sent her to?
Is there any chance this was a legitimate Norton tech?

My tentative plan:

1. Uninstall her son-in-law's Norton 360.

2. Activate the Windows Firewall and AV.

3. She has a "security package", from her ISP, that includes McAfee, that she never installed. I'll check out what it includes, and then we'll decide whether to use some or all of it.

4. If I don't like what the McAfee package includes, we can continue with Windows, or go with free AVG or Avast & possibly supplement the windows firewall with  "Windows 10 Firewall Control" (makes configuring the Windows Firewall for "two way" control a lot easier).

5. Run scans with whatever AV we choose, as well as MBAM, Superantispywae, and adwCleaner.

I suggested, she try to return the Norton package she bought, if my suspicions are correct, the key may have just been pirated.

[Corrine]

I wouldn't be surprised, although I haven't search for one.  This is the verified site:  http://us.norton.com/.  Can you tell from browser history what site she was on?

[Pete!]

I won't know until I go over there (lots of other honey-dews also scheduled today).
By the time I started looking at things she had been redirected to the so-called help site..
I was in such a hurry to get rid of the program that gave him control, I didn't take the time to make notes.

I guess the question I should have asked, is "Is this how Norton techs work?"

BTW: I've heard that uninstalling Norton can be difficult... Is there a procedure posted somewhere?
Considering the current "spyhunter" scandal, it seems a bit over the top. 

[winchester73]

You can get the Norton Removal Tool here:  https://support.norton.com/sp/en/us/home/current/solutions/kb20080710133834EN_EndUserProfile_en_us

[Pete!]

You can get the Norton Removal Tool here:  https://support.norton.com/sp/en/us/home/current/solutions/kb20080710133834EN_EndUserProfile_en_us

Thanks:
Strange....On her computer, your link opened a blank page in both IE & Edge. Now that I'm back home on mine, the link works fine.

I uninstalled Norton via a normal uninstall, I'll put the uninstaller on a thumb drive so I can clean up the remnants later.

Scans with Mcafee, and MBAM didn't find any issues.
SuperAntiSpyware found 177 tracking cookies (not unusual on her machine).
I found, remote access turned on, Winpatrol, SuperAntiSpyware, and MBAE were no longer "startup" programs (easily fixed).

[satrow]

Strange....On her computer, your link opened a blank page in both IE & Edge. Now that I'm back home on mine, the link works fine.

Check the hosts file.

[Pete!]

....Check the hosts file.

Good idea, thanks