{"id":75496,"date":"2018-10-08T04:29:04","date_gmt":"2018-10-08T04:29:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/?p=75496"},"modified":"2024-07-29T13:11:02","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T13:11:02","slug":"technical-support-scams-to-watch-out-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/technical-support-scams-to-watch-out-for\/","title":{"rendered":"Technical Support Scams To Watch Out For (And How To Spot Them)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Technology has helped the world in many ways, but there\u2019s no denying that there\u2019s a dark side to it. For instance, phones, computers, and the internet can be exploited by fraudsters to deceive unsuspecting users into giving up personal information, and to some extent, their properties too.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Tech<\/p>\n

Technical support scams do just that\u2014they fool the unaware into thinking that there\u2019s something wrong with their system and equipment, make them contact an unknown number, and steal personal information as victims are unknowingly being tricked. There are also instances wherein the scammers are the ones who call the user.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Tech Support Scams in Numbers<\/b><\/h3>\n

These types of cons are nothing new, but admittedly a lot of people still fall for it, especially since criminals keep finding new ways to conduct their fraudulent activities. A <\/span>2016 survey sponsored by Microsoft<\/span><\/a> found that 2 in 3 people have experienced a type of tech support scam within the past 12 months; 1 in 10 have lost money.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2017, <\/span>Microsoft\u2019s Customer Support Services<\/span> received 153,000 reports of such scams from 183 countries, with a 24% rise from the previous year. Approximately 15% of those who reported lost an average of $200 and $400. <\/span><\/p>\n

Virtually anyone who owns a connected device is vulnerable\u2014even though Microsoft is often namedropped by tech support scammers (with the company receiving <\/span>12,000 complaints<\/span> every month globally), having a device other than Windows cannot protect a person either, as these deceptive acts can also fool those who use MacOS, iOS, Android, and other operating systems.<\/span><\/p>\n

In terms of age, scams reported to Microsoft tend to be from older customers. The US <\/span>Federal Trade Commission<\/span><\/a> (FTC) has found evidence that the elderly are more impacted by fraud as compared to the younger generations. However, it was also found that <\/span>millennials<\/span> (ages 18\u201334) are more likely to continue with a fraudulent tech offer compared to other age groups. <\/span><\/p>\n

The underlying cause, though, is that many people are fooled into thinking that they are working with a legitimate business, whether that user is old or not.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Fallout<\/b><\/h3>\n

As mentioned, tech support scams are designed to trick users into believing that their devices are compromised. The frauds will then coerce the user into purchasing unnecessary support services. In some instances, they will request access to the user\u2019s device by getting sensitive information or making them install dubious apps that can remotely retrieve the details they need. <\/span><\/p>\n

In <\/span>December 2014<\/span>, when tech support scams hit mainstream media, Microsoft sued several companies for unfair and deceptive business practices and trademark infringement. Later in 2015, the <\/span>FTC<\/span> announced the shutdown of several tech support scammers that pretended to be associated with Apple, Microsoft, and Google, and stole a combined $17 million from consumers.<\/span><\/p>\n

In another case, the FTC had to give out partial refunds to around 37,000 victims of a fraudulent tech support company named <\/span>Inbound Call Experts<\/span><\/a>. This is after the company tricked consumers into buying unnecessary products and services by pretending that there is something wrong with their computers, all of which happened from April 2012 to November 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

No matter how big a business is, taking a legal action remains to be an arduous process. In this instance, Microsoft had to deal with the consequence of additional costs to fix issues that the company didn\u2019t intend to put themselves into.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite Microsoft proving their innocence, there\u2019s no denying that negative news like fraud can have a lasting impact on consumers. Those who don\u2019t know better would likely continue to associate Microsoft with the fraudsters.<\/span><\/p>\n

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