Protect yourself from phone tech support scams

 

Telephone scams are nothing new, and neither are telephone scams where cyber-criminals pretend to be tech support staff. That’s been happening for years. We discuss “How to avoid internet and telephone scams” often on the blog and on Best Buy USA’s social channels. However, the bad guys are continuing to taking advantage of a nervous public. Calls and text messages supposedly from reputable tech support services including Geek Squad, Microsoft and Apple have spiked. And they’re often asking people to offer them access to their computer in order that they will “fix” an epidemic or issue that they’ve found through a foreign scan.

Don’t take the bait.

This is a classic telephone tech scam. No reputable tech support company goes to call you out of the blue and ask to access your PC.  Never Geek Squad Tech Support . Unless you’ve called them first and asked for remote assistance, this is often a scam!

Taking Advantage of a Nervous Public:-

Telephone tech scam incidents are on the increase recently. An enormous a part of this current flood of attacks are often traced back to last May and therefore the Winery ransomed ware attack (you can read everything you would like to understand about WannaCry and protecting your PC from ransomware).

WannaCry made headlines globally. The results of losing access to a computer altogether and having to pay pile to urge it back shocked many of us. Subsequent status ransomware attacks have continued to form people nervous.

This apprehension and therefore the public warnings to form sure your PC is protected haven’t been lost on cybercriminals. they're opportunists. They’re using the fear created by WannaCry to pose as legitimate tech support specialists, calling their victims directly and claiming they’ve detected an epidemic on their computer from a foreign scan. Or, offering to scan their PC for viruses and malware as a free service.

The Consequences of Being Victimized by a Telephone Tech Scam

Cybercriminals want access to your computer for a spread of reasons, none of them good.

If they gain access to your PC, they will quickly grab critical personal information including MasterCard numbers. they might gain access to your online accounts, including banking. They might gain access to your e-mail and social media accounts. They might copy your digital photos, movies, and other personal files. Some cybercriminals also install software than runs within the background, using your PC and your internet bandwidth to attack other computers, sending spam and viruses, or constantly hammering websites during a denial of service attack.

They range from an instantaneous financial hit if they begin starting buying things together with your MasterCard or transferring money out of your online bank accounts. There might be personal safety and privacy issues—not to say blackmail opportunities—if cyber criminals get their hands on your private information. there's the likelihood your e-mail and social media accounts might be wont to send misleading or offensive information to all or any your contacts. you'll find yourself during a WannaCry situation, where the cyber criminals install ransom ware that encrypts your disk drive , effectively locking you out of your computer and every one of your files until you pay a ransom fee.

Even during a best case scenario (if you'll call it that), where your personal info isn’t hacked and your PC is instead used as a part of a botnet to attack other computers, your internet bandwidth goes to require successful and your PC will likely run sluggishly.

How the Scam Works

The goal of the phone tech scam is to realize remote access to your PC. The cyber criminals will call you, and claim to be from Geek Squad, Microsoft or another tech company that you simply trust. the decision display number can also get spoofed to undertake to form the decision seem legitimate. Playing on fears of WannaCry and other status malware, they'll try a spread of ploys:

·         Claiming their system performed a foreign scan of your PC and discovered a drag , or that your PC has been sending warning messages that it's infected to the corporate,

·          Offering to remotely install a politician update that protects your PC from malware Asking if your PC performance seems slower, and implying that's being caused by an epidemic (which they will fix for you)

·         Offering to remotely scan your PC to make sure you're virus-free

·         Trying to sell you virus protection software that they're going to remotely install

·         Directing you to an internet site where you'll have your PC scanned, or buy anti-virus software

It all sounds legitimate—the people making these calls are pros who can sound very convincing—but it never ends well for you.

One way or another, they're going to request remote access to your PC and once they need it, often flash fake warning screens that “prove” to you that your computer has been infected. you'll be pressured to shop for antivirus services (adding insult to injury), your personal information are going to be jeopardized and your PC will undoubtedly now be infected.

What to DO if a Scammer Calls You

I’m getting to repeat now , because it's key to the present entire telephone tech scam: a legitimate tech support service—Geek Squad, Microsoft, Apple or anyone else—is not getting to call you out of the blue and ask to access your computer or invite personal or financial information. You call them if you would like support.

If you receive one among these phone calls, consumer protection organizations including the higher Business Bureau and therefore the CRTC agree on what you ought to do: hang up. Never give the caller remoteaccess to your computer, and don’t engage them during a conversation—that just gives them more opportunity to influence you. and that they are often excellent at that …

Concerned you’re a Victim of This Telephone Scam?

·         If you've got that sinking that you simply are victimized by a telephone tech scam (or the other malware attack for that matter), you would like to act quickly to attenuate the potential damage.

·         Change all of your online account names and passwords

·         Change the administrator and individual account passwords on your PC (if you’re able to)

·         Install antivirus software and run a full scan of your PC. Geek Squad offers free tools for Windows and Mac which will assist you , otherwise you can buy commercial packages