Protect Yourself From Tech Support Scams
Article Provided by: Federal Trade Commission
Tech support scammers want you to believe you have a serious problem with your computer, like a virus. They want you to pay for tech support services you don't need, to fix a problem that doesn’t exist. They often ask you to pay by wiring money, putting money on a gift card, prepaid card, or cash reload card, or using cryptocurrency or a money transfer app because they know those types of payments can be hard to reverse. Tech support scammers use many different tactics to trick people. Spotting these tactics will help you avoid falling for the scam.
Phone Calls
Tech support scammers often call and pretend to be a computer technician from a well-known company. They say they’ve found a problem with your computer. They typically ask you to give them remote access to your computer and then pretend to run a diagnostic test. Then they try to make you pay to fix a problem that doesn’t exist. If you get a phone call you didn’t expect from someone who says there’s a problem with your computer, hang up.
Pop-up Warnings
Tech support scammers may try to trick you with a pop-up window that appears on your computer screen. It might look like an error message from your operating system or antivirus software, and it might use logos from trusted companies or websites. The message in the window warns you about a security issue on your computer and tells you to call a phone number to get help.
Online Ads and Listings in Search Results Pages
Tech support scammers try to get their websites to show up in online search results for tech support. Or they might run their own ads online. The scammers are hoping you’ll call the phone number to get help.
How to Protect Against Tech Support Scams
Follow these helpful tips on how to keep your computer and bank accounts secure!
- If a company is contacting you to request personal or financial information, or to provide technical support to fix your computer IT IS A SCAM! Legitimate tech companies won’t contact you by phone, email, or text message to tell you there’s a problem with your computer.
- Community State Bank will never contact you to gain access to your online banking or mobile app. You can set-up additional security features through CSB Alerts that will notify you when someone has logged into your account, changed a password and more.
- Never trust a company that is asking you to urgently wire payments, pay through bitcoin, cryptocurrency, or gift cards.
- Security pop-up warnings from real tech companies will never ask you to call a phone number or click on a link.
- Do not click "download" unless you absolutely know what you are downloading! Be wary of downloading software from third-party sites, as some of them might have been modified without the author's knowledge to bundle malware and other threats.
- Using an up-to-date browser will help block known support scam sites. You can also stop pop-up dialog loops in your settings.
What To Do if You Were Scammed
- If you paid a tech support scammer with a credit or debit card, please contact Community State Bank right away.
- If you paid a tech support scammer with a gift card, contact the company that issued the card right away.
- If you gave a scammer remote access to your computer, update your computer’s security software. Then run a scan and delete anything it identifies as a problem. If you need help fixing a problem, go to someone you know and trust. Many software companies such as Microsoft or Apple offer support online or by phone. Stores that sell computer equipment also offer technical support in person.
- If you gave your online banking username and password to a tech support scammer, change your password right away and contact Community State Bank. If you use the same password for other accounts or sites, change it there, too. Create a new password that is strong.
- If a tech support scammer contacts you, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Read the full article: How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams | Consumer Advice (ftc.gov)