Cyber con artists realize that honey traps more flies than vinegar. In today’s regularly practiced tech support scams, the con artists abandon their customary use of fear to offer to “assist” potential victims kindly. According to cybersecurity analysts, the perpetrators efficiently provide their services to resolve the problem after persuading victims that their computer is compromised.
As discussed at the Internet 2.0 Conference, the most recent scams leave their victims with their screens locked and an advertisement shown on the monitor. Scammers coerce their unsuspecting victims into dialing the number displayed on the screen while the browser is frozen and the keypad is locked. When the victim calls, a customer care operator graciously offers to solve the issue for a fee. The hackers seek to obtain the victims’ credit card and personal information by posing as legitimate tech help from large corporations.
It’s not very common for social engineering to take this form. Tech support scams include scary alarms, worrisome language, and a pressing push to action. “Windows health is crucial,” for instance. Don’t start over. Contact us right now! Scammers use such threats of data loss and malware infection to frighten the victim into using their service.
Consequently, Internet 2.0 Conference’s experts mentioned that most URLs show identical blue screen system problem messages that can only be closed using a task manager. Such scammers offer a hotline number connecting victims with con artists. These malicious websites share common term patterns in their URLs, and some IP addresses host these infected domains.
Types Of Tech Support Scams:
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Scam Calls
The caller is a con artist posing as a computer specialist from a renowned, respected business. According to experts attending upcoming tech events, such as the Internet 2.0 Conference, scammers may claim a problem with your computer and ask you to grant remote access so they may perform a diagnostic check. After pretending to complete an examination, they assert that they have located the issue and that you must pay them to fix it.
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Pop-up Alerts
Scammers use a pop-up window on your computer screen to entice you. It can appear to be an operating system error message telling you to update your antivirus software or warning you about a security problem with your machine. The message may include a phone number to call to remedy the issue and logos from reputable businesses or websites to make it even more believable.
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Online Advertisements And Search Result Pages
When individuals use Google to look for solutions to their computer problems, the scammer’s false website appears in the search engine results. As pointed out at the Internet 2.0 Conference, tech support scammers do this, and to advertise their “tech support services,” they might even conduct internet advertisements. Scammers hope you will visit their website or contact the number on it to request assistance and a solution that will cost you money.
Numerous IT conferences and events emphasized that reputable tech support businesses will never urge you to call a specific number or get in touch by phone, email, or text message out of the blue to inform you that your computer is having issues.
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Technical Support Refund Fraud
If you receive a call to offer you a refund for tech support services, you have already paid for it. How does the con operate? The con artist starts by inquiring as to your satisfaction with the services you obtained. They will provide you with a refund if you claim that you weren’t happy. In a different scenario, the con artist can argue that the business is closing down and issuing refunds. Also, scammers make up stories to attempt to get your money.
Internet 2.0 Conference’s Advice On How To Avoid Being Scammed
No two tech support scams are alike. Thankfully, the IT conferences of 2022 discussed a few ways by which you can safeguard yourself by using the following advice:
- Investigate before you believe: If you’re considering working with unfamiliar tech support, look into their track record beforehand. You can do this using Google, a website that performs reverse phone number lookups, or even social media platforms.
- Verify phone numbers: To capitalize on brand familiarity, some tech support scammers pretend to be representatives from well-known organizations. Most businesses won’t call to report a problem with your device or provide their phone number on warnings. Use the phone number listed on a company’s official website to contact tech support if you believe you need to. Inform the caller that you’ll call them back using the company’s official lines. If they inquire about tech help for your device.
- Use links with caution: As anti-scam experts at the Internet 2.0 Conference advised, don’t download attachments or click on any links in unwanted mail without first checking them out. Only download software from reliable sites to prevent unintentionally downloading malware into your device.
- Install anti-malware software: If you do frequent sweeps, you can assure yourself that you are safe from tech support fraud.
- Protect your private data: If you are satisfied that you can authenticate the recipient’s identity. Disclose personal information with caution.
- Be mindful of the language: Tech support scams use coercion to get you to make snap judgments. Accordingly, keep an eye out for language that urges you to take action immediately and conveys a sense of urgency.
Bottom Line
As elaborated at the Internet 2.0 Conference, tech support scams’ primary objective is to con you into purchasing a phony repair for a made-up problem.
Take your time, research, and visit the upcoming tech events to understand different perspectives to make an informed choice.
