Tech support scams: Spot, avoid and report online fraud

Your phone rings, and the person on the line warns that your social media account shows signs of suspicious activity, and your login details may have been compromised.

Of course, you will do anything it takes to stop your information from being stolen and agree to follow the caller’s instructions, who, it turns out, is calling from technical support to save the day.

You have to act quickly and, with­out over­thinking it, reveal your login details. The helpful stranger on the phone promises to take care of things and save your account from hackers. Shaken but relieved, you hang up, thankful for the technical support’s swift action. But soon you start to think that things do not add up.

You have just been the victim of a tech support scam, a common type of online fraud. Read on and learn how to identify a tech support scam.

How do tech support scams work?

The ultimate goal of tech support scammers is to steal your personal and financial information or install malicious software on your device. Scammers try to win your trust by using a tech support role as a disguise, combined with a sense of urgency in their message.

To get access to your money, tech support scammers claim to represent legitimate companies such as banks, tech and credit companies and various financial institutions. Once they have convinced you of an urgent threat, the scammers ask you to reveal sensitive information or install malicious software on your device.

A common trick is to ask the victim to install remote access software that the scammers can use to take control of the computer. Such tools are used for valid reasons at times, so it might not seem too out of the ordinary even to a tech-savvy target.

Types of tech support scams

We do many of our daily tasks with the help of online services, so it is not uncommon to inter­act with a company’s technical support, whether at work or for your personal errands. Here are just a few ways scammers can exploit your trust in technical support.

Unsolicited phone calls and text messages

Just as in the scenario described earlier, tech support scammers often rely on phone calls as their weapon of choice. By claiming to represent large companies with millions of customers, such as Apple, Amazon or Microsoft, scammers do not even have to know what services you use.

Besides just phone calls, scammers can use text messages to contact you and even hijack existing message threads or sneak in malicious links that direct you to fake websites. Use the F-Secure Text Message Checker to check suspicious messages.

Pop-up windows

Pop-up windows are one of the easiest ways to get your attention, as they can appear out of nowhere to fill your screen. Whether a result of malware on your device or part of a malicious web­site, unexpected or full-screen pop-ups urging immediate action are often signs of a scam.

The pop-up is often accompanied by a fake error message warning about a threat that you must react to before it is too late. Luckily, the pop-up displays a phone number or link claiming to connect you to tech support.

Instead of acting without thinking, contact the service provider via official channels that you can find on their website.

Fake websites

Scammers create malicious web­sites that are eerily similar to the real thing. As a result, when a user clicks a link and lands on a web­site they recognise, they might not suspect that any­thing strange is going on. In reality, the scammers have set up a tech support page that collects your information or installs malware on your device.

You can look for bad grammar, typos or out-of-the-ordinary brand elements to spot fake web­sites. Usually, a scam web­site’s URL in the address bar is different from the real one. Use the free F-Secure Link Checker before you click to avoid malicious web­sites.

Bogus services

One way for scammers to trick you out of your money is to create the problem they offer to fix. First, you might be contacted about an issue they have identified on your account, offering to fix it. If you comply and accept their assistance, the scammers will then demand payment for the non-existent issue they have just “fixed”.

For instance, two companies received $26 million in fines after they had scared consumers into paying for virus and malware removal based on false alerts. This scam also included pop-ups that claimed the user’s computer was in immediate danger of permanent damage.

Remember that legitimate companies typically do not initiate unsolicited support calls or ask for payment for tech support services you did not request. If they do, it is usually in response to a service request you made.

How to avoid tech support scams

• Check your device for malware if your device is plagued with unusual warning messages that urge you to call a phone number or down­load some­thing.

• Do not allow remote access to your devices unless you have verified the source.

• Confirm that you are contacting real tech support through official web­sites or app support portals.

• Hang up immediately if you receive an unsolicited call from tech support.

• Do not click links in suspicious pop-ups or messages.

• Report the scam to your local consumer protection agency and relevant authorities.

• Use reputable antivirus and security tools, such as F‑Secure Total.

Reporting tech support scams

If a tech support scam has targeted you, it is important to act quickly — swift action can protect both you and others from becoming a victim.

To protect your accounts, it is essential to take protective steps immediately if you have granted remote access to your device, shared login credentials, or entered any personal details on a suspicious site. Run a malware scan using trusted antivirus soft­ware, such as F‑Secure Total, change compromised pass­words, and enable multi-factor authentication.

Report the incident to your local authorities. In the United States, this would be the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), while victims in the United Kingdom can contact the National Cyber Security Centre and Action Fraud. Even if no damage was done, preserving evidence of the scam, such as emails, text messages, screen­shots, or phone numbers, can be useful for investigators.

You should also notify the real company that the scammers impersonated. Some larger companies, such as Microsoft, have a dedicated fraud reporting channel or an email address for reporting scams. Informing companies allows their security teams to investigate and potentially shut down the scam.

If there is a chance that the scammers might access your bank account and financial details, monitor your financial statements closely for unauthorised trans­actions. You can also contact your bank or credit card provider to secure your accounts.