Scammers can be some of the most indigenous people, and these days they are having to work harder than ever to catch people out. One scam which is still catching people out these days, despite it having been about for a while, is the technical support scam.
Read on to find out more about scams involving fake technical support.
Scams involving technical support
Technical support scams involve the use of malware (software intended to damage or disable computer systems) in order to trick unsuspecting victims. They lure you into contacting a fake tech support team by telephone, message, or email.
Fake assistance
After a while you will be contacted by fake support staff who claim they have detected the issue with your computer or laptop. They may claim you have a number of issues ranging from licensing issues to system errors, and they may even convince you by displaying a blank screen on your computer. The scam comes into effect when they attempt to get you to pay them to fix the problems they claim your computer has. They might even ask you to give them remote access to your computer (at which point all of your secure information will be available to them).
Website technical support scams
The most common scams are hosted on websites; you might be browsing when a pop-up message comes up, or your screen suddenly goes blank, and you are led to believe you have a virus and need technical support. These scams tend to rely on pop-ups posing as messages from apple or windows which ask you to call a specific number. These numbers may be telephone numbers charging super high fees, or may lead you to a fake technical support individual who attempts to get details and/or access to your computer.
So, what can you do if you have fallen afoul of scams involving technical support?
- Turn off or uninstall all remote management tools you may have.
- Clean your computer with antivirus software
- Make sure your computer is up to date (especially in terms of security updates)
- Change all passwords.
- Check with your credit card provider and report a scam
- Be vigilant; watch for unusual activity
- Restore your computer to a previous state
Have you ever been caught out by a scam involving technical support? Let us know in the comments section below to warn other readers.
Reference: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4013405/windows-protect-from-tech-support-scams
