How to Avoid Technical Support Scams
- Follow these 5 Simple Rules to Avoid Being Scammed
- Educate Yourself on Technical Support Scams
- Report these Scammers
- Technical Support Scams Resource Pages
Follow these 5 Simple Rules to Avoid Being Scammed
- If Scammers call, tell them to take you off their calling list immediately and hang up the phone.
- If you receive a popup/screen locking up – “your computer is infected and that you MUST call a phone number.” (NEVER CALL THAT NUMBER.)
- Always do a Google search and look up these scammers.
- Download files from credible sources. Scammers create “fake” software packages – Rogue Security Software that are designed to look like legitimate software.
- If there is legitimate problem, bring your computer or laptop to a local computer store for repair or service.
2.EDUCATE YOURSELF ON TECHNICAL SUPPORT SCAMS
- Typical Technical Support Scam
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_support_scam
- Windows viewer displays log of various events.
- Many of the log entries are harmless notifications.
- The scammer claim that log entries (warnings, errors) are evidence of the computer being corrupted, the errors must be “fixed”.
3. REPORT THESE SCAMMERS
- If scammed : document who you spoke to, what phone number called you, what they sold you, etc.
- Make a complaint to Federal Trade Commission and the Florida Office of the Attorney General.
- Or to State’s Attorney General’s Office.
- Refer the below links if scammed
- https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/GettingStarted?NextQID=70&Url=%23%26panel1-6#crnt
- http://myfloridalegal.com/contact.nsf/contact?Open&Section=Citizen_Services
4. TECHNICAL SUPPORT SCAMS RESOURCE PAGES
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC): https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0346-tech-support-scams
- Malwarebytes Blog: https://blog.malwarebytes.com/tech-support-scams