What is Tech Support Scams?

[ScamShield]

A "Tech Support Scam" is a fraudulent scheme where scammers impersonate legitimate technical support services to trick people into giving them access to their computers, personal information, or money by falsely claiming there are serious issues with their device, often through unsolicited calls, emails, or pop-up messages, and then offering to "fix" these fabricated problems for a fee, often requiring remote access to the victim's computer; essentially, they try to convince you that you have a computer problem that doesn't exist to get your money or access to your system. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Key points about Tech Support Scams: [1, 2, 3]

• False urgency: Scammers often use scare tactics and create a sense of urgency by claiming your computer is infected with malware or at risk of serious damage. [1, 2, 3]
• Impersonation: They pretend to be from well-known tech companies like Microsoft, Apple, or other reputable support providers. [2, 3, 5]
• Remote access: They often ask for remote access to your computer to "fix" the supposed problem, which allows them to steal your personal information or install malicious software. [2, 3, 4]
• Payment demands: Once they have convinced you of a problem, they will ask for payment to "fix" it, often requesting credit card information. [2, 3, 4]

How to protect yourself: [3, 5, 6]

• Never call unsolicited numbers: If you receive a call claiming to be from tech support, verify the legitimacy of the company by contacting them directly through a known phone number. [3, 5, 6]
• Be wary of pop-ups: Do not click on pop-up messages that warn about computer problems and ask you to call a number. [1, 2, 3]
• Do not give remote access easily: Never give remote access to your computer to someone you did not contact first. [2, 3, 7]
• Be cautious with personal information: Never share sensitive information like credit card numbers or passwords with someone who calls you unexpectedly. [2, 3, 5]

Sources
[1] https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...rt-scams-2ebf91bd-f94c-2a8a-e541-f5c800d18435
[2] https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/small-businesses/cybersecurity/tech-support-scams
[3] https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/106621/
[4]
[5] https://staysafeonline.in/concept/tech-support-scams
[6] https://staysafeonline.in/concept/tech-support-scams/case-study
[7] https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/small-businesses/cybersecurity/quiz/tech-support-scam