Have you ever received a phone call from a mysterious computer technician who claims to have discovered a serious problem with your computer but has never seen or touched it ? It's most likely the "Telephone Tech Support Scam."
This is a type of phishing scam currently being employed by cybercriminals that begins with a phone call. Once they have you on the phone, they often try to gain your trust by pretending to be associated with well-known companies like Microsoft and confusing you with a barrage of technical terms. They get your name and other basic information from public directories and might even guess what computer software you’re using. They can sound very convincing. They may ask you to go to your computer and perform a series of complex tasks. Sometimes, they target legitimate computer files and claim that they are viruses. Their tactics are designed to scare you into believing they can help fix your “problem," which does not exist!Once they’ve gained your trust, they may:
- ask you to give them remote access to your computer and then make changes to your settings that could leave your computer vulnerable
- try to enroll you in an expensive but worthless computer maintenance or warranty program
- ask for credit card information so they can bill you for phony services, or services you could get elsewhere for free
- trick you into installing malware that could steal sensitive data, like user names and passwords
- direct you to websites and ask you to enter your credit card number and other personal information
Regardless of the tactics used, there is only one purpose: to make money by any means possible, including theft.If you get an unsolicited call from someone claiming to have detected a problem with your computer – hang up! If they call back hang up again!
