The Most Common Scam in Seneca County

We’ve gotten so many reports of the tech support scam here in Seneca County, so we wanted to touch base and let you know the truth behind the lies scammers tell. It’s a long read, so settle in!

There are many ways for the tech support scam to start. Here are some common ones:

1. You’re browsing the internet and suddenly a popup or a flashing image comes up telling you they’ve found a virus on your computer! It LOOKS like it’s from McAfee or Norton or Microsoft… so it must be real and I should call the number it shows, right?
2. You’re checking your email and you received an order confirmation for a cell phone you don’t remember buying! They provided a customer support number at the bottom, should I call and have them return my money immediately?
3. You get a phone call saying they’re from a well-known tech company like Microsoft, Norton, McAfee, Best Buy Geek Squad… They wanted to thank you for your service and let you know your (incredibly expensive!) subscription has been renewed for the next year. But I don’t have a subscription that I know of… should I transfer to the customer support team to get a refund?

All of these are incredibly common, and they all lead down the same road.  They are scammers who want to get you hooked and think that there is a problem; that your information has been compromised, that your account has been hacked! They will get you on the line with their “tech support” department and they will ask you for remote access to your computer or phone or tablet, they say to issue you a refund or to connect to their refund servers or to fill out a form.  In reality, they get you to download a program that allows them onto your PC with your help to get access to your banking information or to lock you out of your files for ransom.  There are so many scripts they follow and processes to do this, but the basics are the same: they make you afraid something happened, they take advantage of your fear or possibly your lack of knowledge about technology, and then fleece you for all they can get their hands on.

There are a lot of folks who think they have the ability to recognize a scam, but we’re here to tell you it’s not uncommon to hear from our members “I can’t believe I was tricked!”  Even the most knowledgeable person is susceptible to manipulative tactics when put on the spot. We also want to express that you’re NOT ALONE if you were tricked. There is no reason to be ashamed, you don’t DESERVE to lose your money, these are criminals. It’s literally their job to con money out of people.  Don’t hesitate to report them to the FTC and your credit institution as soon as you can to prevent issues from popping up.

Here are some immediate triggers to tell you to ignore the popup, hang up the call, or just delete the email:

1. The logo in the email doesn’t look quite right or there are typos and odd sentences. (Doesn’t sound like it was proofread for a billion-dollar tech company, right?)
2. You check your statements or accounts and see no matching purchases on YOUR end of the recent transactions. (It didn’t happen.)
3. The company says they have to connect to your computer to check for viruses, to issue you a refund, or to give you a special deal. (the ONLY time someone needs to connect to your PC is when they are doing a service YOU INITIATED.)
4. You answer the phone and immediately hear the “Voip!” noise of someone picking up the call through an auto-dialing system. (not always the case, but a sign that they are using auto-dialers, which are common in larger scam centers.)
5. You go to the real company’s website and find their actual customer support number and it doesn’t match what they have on the supposed invoice. (You could call the actual customer support line as well and confirm your account details and recent transactions, but don’t call the number on the Email or text message.

The easiest way to avoid incoming calls is incredibly simple: if you don’t recognize the phone number on caller ID, don’t answer. Even if it’s a local area code. If it’s important, the caller will leave a voicemail (make sure that’s set up!) and you can call them back after. Is it sad that we must screen every call now? Yes, of course, but it is a necessary step these days.

If you have any questions about an email or a call, hang up and let us know and we can help walk you through it. Your Legacy has been a part of your community since 1952 and we are invested in you and your future as a not-for-profit organization. We’re all in this together, and we want to see us all thrive.  Stay Vigilant!

Videos for more information:

Federal Trade Commission – How to Avoid Tech Support Scams

Tech Quickie from Linus Tech Tips – Tech Support Scams Explained