Ctrl+alt+delete tech support scammers

With more people than ever staying home due to the COVID-19 pandemic and winter weather, many are also spending more time on technology.

However, that added tech time can make you susceptible to tech scammers, who have been using increased online traffic to their own advantage.

One Middletown consumer fell victim to a scam that cost them nearly $8,000.

The consumer originally called an alleged tech support company for help with their slow-running computer. The next day, the company called the victim back, telling her there were some issues that couldn’t be fixed. The caller asked for remote access to the victim’s computer, which the victim granted.

That was when the call took a turn.

Once given remote access, the caller told the victim that her computer was locked and would remain so until she purchased an antivirus program from them.

The victim gave her credit card information in hope of unlocking the computer, but following the call, the victim received more than unlocked technology.

By that point, the scammer had wired money from her credit card and bank account and used her information to sign up for PayPal Xoom and wire money internationally. The scammer even went so far as to take control of her phone and emails, even intercepting a phone call to the victim from her granddaughter and answering it himself days after their call with the victim.

Following these interactions, the victim alerted BBB and posted the scam on BBB’s Scam Tracker.

If you are a victim of a tech support scam, contact your bank, have your technology scanned, and report it at bbb.org/scamtracker and to your local law enforcement.

In the meantime, BBB also offers these tips to spot scammers:

Never give control of your computer to a third party unless you know it is the representative of a computer support team you contacted.

Legitimate tech support companies don’t call unsolicited. A popular way for thieves to get in touch with victims is through cold calls. The callers often claim to be from a tech company. Scammers can and do spoof official-looking phone numbers, so don’t trust caller ID.

Avoid clicking on links in unfamiliar emails. Scammers also use email to reach victims. These messages point consumers to scam websites that launch pop-ups with fake warnings and phone numbers.