You may have heard reports of tech support scams from your friends or family recently, or perhaps you’ve experienced one for yourself. Scammers are attempting to get money, personal information, or access to files with this increasingly popular scheme.
A pop-up appears, or you receive a phone call or message saying your computer has a problem. They may purport to be from a well-known tech company, such as Microsoft, and might use a plethora of technical lingo to convince you your computer really has an issue. Often, they try to get you to give them remote access to your computer and open some files or pretend to run a scan on your device and then tell you they see a problem.
Next, the scammers may:
– Ask you to pay in gift cards, with a credit card for their so-called services, or direct you to websites where you enter bank account information
– Covertly install malware, giving them access to your computer and sensitive data, such as usernames and passwords
– Attempt to sell you software or repair services that are useless or available for free elsewhere, or enroll you in a bogus computer maintenance or warranty program
In short, if you receive an unexpected tech support call or a caller says your computer has an issue, it’s a scam. Hang up, even if the number appears local or legitimate—scammers use fake caller ID info to fool folks into thinking they’re credible.
Stay safe out there and reach out to us if you have any questions!