{"id":132862,"date":"2021-12-09T10:45:48","date_gmt":"2021-12-09T18:45:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=132862"},"modified":"2024-01-21T20:50:25","modified_gmt":"2024-01-22T04:50:25","slug":"new-tech-for-the-holidays-watch-out-for-these-tech-support-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/new-tech-for-the-holidays-watch-out-for-these-tech-support-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"New tech for the holidays? Watch out for these tech support scams."},"content":{"rendered":"

We all know the frustration. A new piece of tech isn\u2019t working the way it\u00a0should. Or maybe\u00a0setting it up is simply\u00a0turning into a royal\u00a0pain.\u00a0Grrr, right?\u00a0Just make sure that when you\u00a0go on the hunt for\u00a0some\u00a0help,\u00a0you don\u2019t let\u00a0a\u00a0tech support scam\u00a0get the better of you.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Like so many scams out there,\u00a0tech support scams\u00a0play on people\u2019s emotions.\u00a0Specifically,\u00a0the frustration\u00a0you feel when\u00a0things don\u2019t work right. You want that problem fixed\u00a0<\/span>right now<\/span><\/i>. So much so that you may not pay close enough attention to that tech support link you found in\u00a0a\u00a0search\u00a0or came across in an ad.\u00a0Tech support\u00a0that looks legitimate but isn\u2019t.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tech support scams\u00a0make good\u00a0money\u00a0for bad actors. In fact,\u00a0<\/span>the larger tech support scam operations organize and run themselves like a business<\/span><\/a>, with call centers, marketing teams,\u00a0finance groups, and so forth\u2014and can rack up some serious profits to boot.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They make their money in several ways. Sometimes they\u2019ll charge large fees to fix a non-existent problem. Other times, they\u2019ll install information-stealing malware under the guise of software that\u2019s supposed to correct an issue. In some cases, they\u2019ll ask for remote access to your computer to perform a diagnosis but access your computer to steal information instead.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately, these scams are rather easy to spot. And avoid. If you know what to look for.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What do tech support scams look like?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s start with a quick overview of tech support scams. They\u00a0tend to work in two primary ways.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First, there are the scams that actively track you down.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

This could be a\u00a0phone call that comes from someone posing as\u00a0a rep from \u201cMicrosoft\u201d\u00a0or\u00a0\u201cApple.\u201d\u00a0The scammer on the other end of the line will tell you that there\u2019s something wrong with your computer or device. Something\u00a0<\/span>urgently\u00a0<\/span><\/i>wrong. And then offers a bogus solution to the bogus problem, often at a\u00a0high cost.\u00a0Similarly, they may reach you by way of a pop-up ad.\u00a0Again\u00a0telling you that your computer or device\u00a0is in need of\u00a0urgent repair. These\u00a0can\u00a0find you\u00a0a few different ways:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n