Why You Shouldn’t Trust Suspicious ‘Call Tech Support For Assistance’ Texts & Pop-Ups
While the nitty gritty varies from scam to scam, the basic idea remains the same. Victims call the scammers after seeing the fake pop-ups, after which they are charged money for the fake services. That’s not all, though, as some scammers might steal your personal data and further harass you.
Tech support scams can happen in a variety of ways
After getting on a call, scammers convince you that they are authorized representatives from Microsoft or other organizations. Next, the scammers ask for access to your computer viaremote desktop appslike AnyDesk and TeamViewer so they can better diagnose the issue. Once inside your computer, scammers run bogus scripts to show how your computer has been infected by malware and how they have fixed it. Finally, the scammers ask you to pay them for their services. However, some particularly nasty scammers can steal your personal data or threaten to delete your files in exchange for more money.
In another variation known as refund scams, fraudsters may send you bills for products you didn’t order. Once you contact them for a refund, they trick you into thinking they refunded you much more than they initially owed. In reality, no money has been transferred yet. Scammers then ask you to pay them the remaining amount, and victims who can’t recognize their trickery fall prey to losing thousands of dollars.
What to do if you have been scammed?
As an internet user, your best shot is to stay vigilant and avoid fake pop-ups in the future. Remember, organizations like Microsoft never ask you to call them for tech support. If you have been scammed, your first priority should be getting your money back. For this, inform your bank about the scam payment if you paid via credit or debit cards. You should also block your cards if scammers have gotten hold of your card details. Some scammers may also ask for payments via gift cards to hide the money trail. Nevertheless, you may still contact the issuer of the gift card and ask for a refund.
Next, you should protect your computer by ensuring there is no room for backdoor entry. For this, remove the remote access software that the scammers made you install and scan your computer for malware using anytop-rated anti-virus program. Additionally, change all your login credentials that may have been compromised during the scam. Finally, report the incident to the FTC to notify the authorities. Unfortunately, most of the tech support scammers operate from developing countries out of the FTC’s jurisdiction. That’s also why many tech support scammers are almost never caught for duping innocent folks.
