In tech support scams, scammers pretend to be technical support to gain access to your device or payment information. They use remote access software to deploy spyware to the victim’s device and maintain prolonged access undetected. This gives them visibility into sensitive applications such as online banking, contacts, and access to other accounts. Often times, the initial point of access to the victim is through phishing emails.
How it typically happens
- The scammers initiate communication with the victims through pop-ups, calls, or search ads
- They claim that the victim’s device is infected or has an issue to be corrected urgently
- They request remote access to the device
- The victim is charged for the fake fixes.
Red flags
- Unsolicited contact about technical “issues”
- Requests to install remote software
- Payment required for basic fixes
- Aggressive of urgent behaviour
What to do
- Disconnect from the Internet
- Don’t grant remote access to your devices to anyone you don’t know
- Run a legitimate security scan (or antivirus)
- Uninstall any suspicious software
Useful articles on online scams
- What is an online scam?
- Types of online scams
- Scam victimology: why did they pick me?
- How scammers choose their targets
- Why so many scams go unreported
- Scam cases that made the news
- AI and the next wave of scams
