Computer viruses and malware are scary. Tech support scammers aim to exploit that fear, claiming your computer or mobile device is dangerously ill and needs an immediate, costly cure. Don’t buy it: These faux technicians are out to steal your money or your identity, not save your machine.

Tech support cons typically start in one of two ways: an unsolicited phone call or a pop-up warning on your computer or device.

Tech Support Phone Scams

As the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) notes, some scam callers pretend to be connected with Microsoft, Apple or a familiar security software company such as Norton or McAfee and claim to have detected an imminent threat to the mark’s computer. They will ask for remote access to your computer in order to run phony diagnostic tests, then pretend to have found malware or a virus that’s set to freeze the machine or eat your data.

Once they have you running scared, the crooks will pressure you to pay hundreds of dollars for repairs, new software, and other products and services you don't need. They'll ask for a credit card number so they can charge the transaction, or request payment by gift card or money transfer (methods favored by many scammers because they are difficult to trace).

Worse yet, they might utilize their access to your computer to transmit actual malware that harvests personal and financial information from the device, which they can use for identity theft.

Fake Virus Alerts

Scam pop-ups can invade your computer when you land on a dodgy website — by mistyping a URL, for example, or following a link from a spam email. They might be served to you via “adware” or “scareware,” malicious code you can unwittingly acquire if you download free software. (If you’re a PC user, you might see a scam version of the “blue screen of death” you get when Windows crashes, except the message will be about a virus or other threat.)

They‘re also a mobile scourge, with scammers attacking Apple and Android devices with phony alerts.

The fake warning might be from a rogue cybersecurity company with an unfamiliar but plausible-sounding name like Spy Wiper or System Defender, but, as with tech support calls, scam pop-ups often mimic well-known tech brands.

To ramp up the fear factor, the alert might be accompanied by blaring audio, or a long list of supposedly threatening files on your computer, and it won’t go away when you try to close your web browser. You’re urged to call a toll-free phone number to speak to a technician or click a link to buy or download (bogus) antivirus software.

If you call the number, the scheme proceeds as outlined above: "diagnostic test," scary threat, sales pitch. If the pop-up came with a download link, clicking it will likely infect your machine with malware for real.

Too often, these ploys work. Microsoft has estimated that tech support scams bilk 3.3 million people a year, at an annual cost of $1.5 billion — an average loss of more than $450 per victim. And those numbers are probably on the low side, since many victims never realize they’ve been conned.

AARP’s Fraud Watch Network can help you spot and avoid scams. Sign up for free Watchdog Alerts, review our scam-tracking map, or call our toll-free fraud helpline at 877-908-3360 if you or a loved one suspect you’ve been a victim.

Published February 16, 2021

Fraud Prevention Answers