Tech Support Scams

Tech Support Scams – How They Work

Recently, some unscrupulous people have been trying to break into the computer of unsuspecting victims using tech support scams. They do this by placing a scam call claiming to be ICT employee of companies such as Microsoft. Most times, they will tell you that your computer system has been attacked with a form of malware, while in actual truth they just want to find dubious ways of accessing your computer or make you pay for an unnecessary software, without you suspecting a thing.

What this set of individuals do, is to act on your natural fear of your computer being attacked by virus. They are fully aware that PC owners have been advised time and again to get a strong anti-virus that will protect their computer system. Even though they will appear genuine the first time they call you, all they want to do is to sift money from you

Working Principle Behind These Tech Support Scams 

For quite some years now, fraudsters have been selling dubious anti-malware software. To achieve their aim, they go as far as setting up fake websites, send disturbing messages that can make you act even if you don’t want to, and then offer security scans that are free. After telling you 101 things that are wrong with your computer, they will then offer you a solution to the problems. As a matter of fact, software they offer is either useless or free. In some other case, what they offer are viruses capable of extracting sensitive details from your computer.

The newest form of tech support scams nowadays is phone calls. They consult public directories to get your contact details, after which they will call and make a guess to the security software running on your system.

Should you take their calls, they will do all they can to win your confidence by hiding behind a well-established techie company, or either try to get you confused by telling you a lot of technical jargons. Once they have your trust, next is to give you some set of instructions to follow. As different as their techniques may be, what they all have in common is that they will try to strike fear into you, and then manipulate you.

After gaining your confidence, the likely things they will do are:

• Try to gain remote access to the control panel of your system in the pretense of making some changes


• Try to make you sign up for a computer maintenance program that is totally useless


• Request your credit card details so as to process your billings for some crazy services


• Deceive you and then make you install malicious software that is capable of extracting your password and username


• Send you to a particular website where you will be asked to key in your credit card details and other sensitive details

No matter the trick they may come with, their end goal is to sift money out of you

When you get a call from them

Should anyone call you and claim to be calling from a particular tech company, end the call immediately and call the company via their legal customer support line. If such a caller is trying to make you take immediate action by putting high pressure on you, ending the call is the best thing to do.

Please bear the following points in mind

• Never release the controls of your computer to any phony caller


• Caller ID isn’t enough to know how authentic a call is. Scammers are good at faking caller ID. A call that appears to be coming from a company within your locality might actually be coming from a distant country.


• Going on Google to find technical support or get the contact details of a company isn’t the right thing to do. Shady individuals also do place online ads so as to win your trust. They go as far as spending money so as to make their website be the first that will appear once you make an online search. When in need of the contact details of a company, look at the package of the product you bought or the receipt you were issued.


• No matter the situation, on no account should you divulge your credit card details to any person that asks for it over the phone


• Should you receive a call that mounts pressure on you into purchasing any computer security software, end that call immediately. If your computer develops some issues, it is best you contact the company you bought the security software from.


• On no account should you reveal you password to an unknown caller. Real companies will never ask you for that


• Put your contact details on National Do Not Call phone register. File a complaint in the event you receive sales call

Actions to take if you have responded to a scam call

Don’t lose your cool if you end up discovering that you have fallen for tech support scams or downloaded a malware. Instead:

• Uninstall the malware. Then go get an authentic anti-malware and scan your computer with it.


• If you have divulged your password, change them immediately. Change the password as well if you use it on another online account.


• If you have made payments via you credit card, contact your credit card company and request for cancellation and reversal of payment. Go through your account statement to know if deduction which you are not aware off were made.


• Should you suspect that your personal and financial details have been compromised, go to FTC’s website. There, you can reduce the chances of future damages and also fix anyone that might have been done.


• Go to FTC’s website at ftc.gov/complaint and make a case

Reporting a scam

Let’s say you paid for security software only to receive a call later telling you about a refund, never divulge sensitive details like your bank or credit card details.

This is how you know a scam refund: Someone calls you a couple of months after buying a software and offers you a refund if you didn’t like the software, or tells you the company is shutting down and giving refunds to their customers.

They will then request you bank details in the pretense of paying you a refund, while in actual fact they will end up sifting money from you.

Should you receive a suspicious call, immediately go to ftc.gov/complaint and file a complaint.

 

Tech Support Scams