When Tech Support Hacks – Not Helps
By: Jim Stickley and Tina Davis
April 27, 2019
It’s a message we all dread and hope will never happen: “You’ve been hacked.” That gnawing pit in your stomach, a combination of helplessness and horror – but all’s not lost. There’s an instant offer to make that awful thing go away, so you jump at it. After all, who wouldn’t? Tech support scams have been around since, well, the Internet. Like phishing and other hacking attempts, they improve over time. Although it may be difficult to prove that consumer awareness improves with time in the fight against hackers, hackers themselves clearly learn from history and use it to sharpen their skills. Whether it’s a screen pop-up or a phone call, tech support scams, like many fraudulent schemes – prey on your emotions.
In the latest con, tech support scammers were found using call optimization services to bolster their success rates. Surreptitiously gaining even more information about unsuspecting consumers and using it against them doesn’t sound fair, and it’s not – but it works. One way or another, users are redirected to the scammer's web page offering a “toll-free” number to call for assistance. By using call optimization, those toll free numbers can change depending on the location of the caller to appear as local, when in reality they could be calling a scammer anywhere in the world. Other services offered are tracking and providing details about callers. As we know, hackers use any grain of information they can collect on you to worm their way into your world. Countless organizations use call optimization to improve their business, and hackers are no different.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website gives great insight into tech support scams and the many scenarios they use to pull you in. From calls offering refunds for unused tech support services to asking for access to your device to “fix” the problem, to getting you to install malware disguised as tech support software – the list goes on. Below are tips from the FTC should you get a call or pop-up from alleged “tech support.”
- If you get any type of call from someone claiming to be tech support, hang up immediately – they’re not who they say they are. Even if the phone number looks legitimate, it’s not. Scammers have ways to appear authentic, and so will whatever they tell you, if you engage in conversation with them. These people make a living out of conning people with sincere concerns – don’t be their next victim.
- Pop-up messages needing you to call about your device security or otherwise are always scams. There are legitimate messages from software companies for products you have installed alerting you to updates, but they don't ask you to call, especially regarding a computer problem.
- Any concern about your device software, especially about a message, should be dealt with the software company directly. Don’t use the phone number provided. Instead, contact the software company by getting their number from the software packaging or from a legitimate website. Also, let them know scammers are using their name to deceive customers.