In a world where technology is everywhere, it’s not surprising that tech support scams are also on the rise. While many people know that phone scammers often pose as Microsoft Tech Support or other trusted service providers like Dell and Apple to get money from unsuspecting victims There may be some warning signs you can look out for to protect yourself against these types of scams.
Our article will cover the important question “How does the tech support scam work” so that you can spot a fraudster immediately.
A common ploy by scammers is to tell victims they have a virus on their computer and offer to fix it remotely for an upfront fee or through monthly payments. The scammer then accesses your computer without your permission, often hijacking the entire system and locking you out in the process. Once they gain access, scammers will usually install a virus to create a backdoor for themselves.
Not only do these scams leave you with a computer that’s inoperable until you pay the “repair fee,” but it is also widespread for scammers to steal private information from your computer and use it for identity theft or other fraudulent acts.
If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from Microsoft or another trusted service provider, be on your guard. Although there are legitimate ways of repairing computers and protecting against computer viruses, scammers will often try to convince you the problem is severe to reap enormous profits.
Other possible warning signs include:
- The “technician” on the phone is rude and impatient.
- The scammer attempts to force you into making a quick decision before you have time to think about it or ask questions.
- They refuse to give their name, their company’s name, or a direct contact number you can call back later to verify authenticity.
- The “technician” starts asking questions about your computer and its settings that an untrained individual would have trouble answering, especially if the scammer pretends to be from a well-known company or organization.
- If you do receive a call from someone claiming they are from Microsoft, Dell, Apple Inc., etc., and insist on accessing your computer, you have the right to refuse them access. It’s essential that you do not give away any personal information and even call a brick-and-mortar store location of the company to verify authenticity if possible.
You should also be on the lookout for pop-ups or ads on websites stating they can fix your computer or provide security if you share your credit card information.
Always remember that Microsoft, Dell, Apple Inc., etc., would never call their consumers to fix or update their system remotely without their permission, and they will not ask for your credit card information over the phone.
If you do not want to go through the trouble of uninstalling this software, make sure it is disabled first. Go to the task manager, find the app and uninstall it through there. If you are unable or do not want to use this method, make sure you block the software from running on startup by opening up Task Manager again, finding the app, and checking “disable on startup.” Note: The above method does not work on some computers.
Because this is a more dangerous piece of software, you should immediately protect yourself if your computer has been infected with this virus. Ensure you have up-to-date anti-virus software on your system and do not download programs or apps from sites you are not familiar with.
A common ploy by scammers is to tell victims they have a virus on their computer and offer to fix it remotely for an upfront fee or through monthly payments. The scammer then accesses your computer without your permission, often hijacking the entire system and locking you out in the process. Once they gain access, scammers will usually install a virus to create a backdoor for themselves.
Not only do these scams leave you with a computer that’s inoperable until you pay the “repair fee,” but it is also widespread for scammers to steal private information from your computer and use it for identity theft or other fraudulent acts.
If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from Microsoft or another trusted service provider, be on your guard.
Although there are legitimate ways of repairing computers and protecting against computer viruses, scammers will often try to convince you the problem is severe to reap enormous profits.
Also Read: How To Differentiate Between Scammers And Legit Investors You Can Follow?
How To Avoid a Tech Support Scam
- Never give out private information over the phone, including your credit card number or personal details like your social insurance number.
- If someone says they are from Microsoft, Dell, or another tech service provider, do not let them remotely access your computer under any circumstances. Always ask for their name and contact information before agreeing to anything. If they cannot provide you with a name and contact information, your request for remote access is not legitimate.
- Keep all anti-virus software up-to-date to avoid scams that try to scare you into believing your computer has many problems when it does not have any serious ones at all.
- Never download software from ad websites or torrent sites. These are the two most common places where viruses can be found.
- Be very wary of pop-ups that tell you to have a virus on your system and offer to fix it for money upfront or through monthly payments.
- Never give away personal information over the phone, even if you call a “support center” yourself.
- If your computer has problems, do not download any suspicious or unknown programs that may come from questionable websites or emails.
- Remember to always practice safe browsing practices and stay away from ad websites, pop-ups, and torrent sites to avoid viruses on your system at all costs.
The scammers will usually convince you that your computer has critical issues and needs immediate attention. By repeatedly telling you this, they hope to persuade you into giving them full access to your device so that they can “repair” it or install malicious software to gain access to your private information.
They may also request money upfront or through monthly payments to cover the “cost of repairs.”
Another common scam is for the scammers to ask you to open your Task Manager and go through several steps, claiming it will help unlock access on your system.
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This is usually done to install a virus that allows them to gain access differently every time. However, there are some cases where the task manager will stop or pause an infection already on your device.
If you’re worried someone may have installed a malware program on your system, the safest thing you can do is to backup all of your data, restart your computer in safe mode, and use anti-virus software to scan for any malicious programs.
Unfortunately, the only way to unlock your system if you gave away your password may be to reformat your device or wipe it completely and reinstall all software from scratch.