Over 37,500 complaints concerning phoney tech-support scams were filed in the United States last year alone, resulting in losses of over $924 million, according to the latest FBI's Internet Crime Report.
In this piece, we'll look at how these scams work, the risks they bring, and how you can prevent them.
Modus operandi
In this scheme, scammers generally mimic technical or customer-service representatives from prominent corporations, most often in the tech industry. This allows fraudsters to utilise impressive-sounding phrases and technical information that the common user cannot understand.
The most typical pretext used by fraudulent tech-support scammers to contact potential victims is claiming to have discovered a problem with the latter's computer. For example, fake employees of a software developer or a well-known antivirus company call you and tell you that they have discovered malware on your computer, you should be suspicious.
Scammers therefore overwhelm their victims, creating panic and a sense of helplessness. The fraudsters then use these emotions to gain trust; these techniques are typically designed to make the victim feel compelled to trust them. It is this trust that the scammers ultimately use to achieve their objectives.
Prevention tips
If someone approaches you claiming to be from tech support, warns you of a danger, and insists that action be taken immediately, it is most certainly a fake tech-support fraudster. Try not to panic and avoid doing anything you'll regret later.
It is preferable to share what is going on with someone else, as this might help you discover inconsistencies and flaws in the scammer's story. To buy time, tell them you're busy, have another call, your phone's battery is running low, or simply pretend to be disconnected.
Furthermore, to protect yourself from scammers, you can take the following steps:
- Install a reputable security solution on all of your devices and heed its warnings.
- Never enter your login information while someone else is viewing, such as while screen sharing or when someone has remote access to your computer.
- Avoid installing remote access software on your computer, and never provide access to outsiders. By the way, our protection can alert you to such threats.
It's also worth noting that the elderly are particularly prone to tech support frauds. They may not be very cyber-savvy, therefore they want reliable security more than anyone else.