As technology continues to play a central role in our daily lives, it's important to be aware of scams that are associated with the technology that is used daily. One of the most common scams is the Fake Tech Support Scam. These scams will target people and claim that their computer has a virus, has been hacked, is being used by someone else to hack, or has been involved in fraud. Whatever issue the scammer claims is the problem, they will have the solution - for a price.
Scammers will contact their targets via a pop-up window in their browser, an email, a phone call, or a text message. These messages will all claim to be coming from a well-known company. The most common ones used are Microsoft, Apple, or Google. All of these methods will have the same goal: to get someone on the phone with them so they can access your information.
Once the target is on the phone with them, the fake tech support person will relay how pleased they are that they've received this call. They will claim to have been trying to reach out previously and inform the target of whatever issue they have manufactured. There will be a sense of urgency associated with this, usually forcing the target to cooperate in order to resolve things easily.
This resolution will either require an up-front fee to be paid or they will offer a non-existent support subscription plan to protect the device in the future. If they do not request payment up-front, they will usually gain payment through the eventual access they will receive to the computer or will request payment after they have completed their fake support.
The scammer's way to fix any of the fake issues they have manufactured will be to instruct the target of the scam to download software in order to allow the scammer to access their computer remotely. This will give the scammer full access to the computer allowing them to do whatever they want.
Here are a few things that these scammers can do while they have access to someone else's computer:
- Access passwords and online banking
- Install additional software to track future computer use
- Install malware to cause additional issues in the future
- Access all files: images, documents, software
- Completely lock the computer with a password, holding it hostage for a fee
It's important to know that legitimate companies will NEVER contact you via any means to inform you of issues with your personal devices. Most companies have no way of knowing what issues you may or may not be having. No matter how convincing the email or phone call seems, there is never going to be a time that a technology company will reach out directly to a person in order to offer support.
If actual issues are happening on a personal computer, seek reputable tech support through official methods of contact. Visit trusted websites of actual companies associated with your personal devices. If you are ever unsure of a company offering services, search for reviews or ask family and friends for recommendations.
- If you contact a tech support company and the representative becomes agitated, frustrated, or angry with your questions or need for clarification - end that interaction immediately. Legitimate companies have customer service skills and are taught how to manage any issue without escalation. Scammers often want their targets to act quickly and will use tactics to elicit a response faster so they can move onto their next target sooner.
In order to lessen your exposure to vulnerabilities that hackers can manipulate, ensure your software is always updated and current. Scammers will often target outdated software, knowing those weaknesses.
Enabling Two-Factor Authentication can eliminate many issues if a password is leaked or stolen. By adding a second level of protection, a user will be notified if someone is attempting to access that account. That notification can allow someone to deny that access and then update their password.
Scams like these can impact an individual's devices, their time, their finances, and create distrust in technology. It's important to know that technology is meant to assist people in solving problems. If the technology ends up being a problem, find solutions you are comfortable with and never accept support that you don't trust.