The FTC stated in their press release that most of the tech support scams follow the same pattern of misconduct. First, they capitalize on the fear that people have about losing important photos, documents, and financial information because of malware and other cyber-threats. Then, they designed pop-up ads that misled consumers into thinking their computer or anti-virus software was alerting them to an active threat. The ads gave consumers a phone number to call for help. Many of the ads even included a countdown that scared consumers into believing that they only had a limited amount of time to call and save their hard drives.
When consumers would call, they were told that the representative needed remote access to their computer. The representatives would generally tell consumers that they were associated with big-name technology companies and that they needed to perform “diagnostic tests.” The “tests” would reveal a problem that only one of the company’s “certified” support agents could fix. Consumers were bilked out of hundreds of dollars for what the FTC referred to as “unnecessary computer repair services” and other products and services.
Learn More about Tech Support Scams
If you believe that you have been a victim of a tech support scam, read this page put together by the FTC.
