If you use the internet – and if you are reading this, clearly you do – chances are you have been the target of a tech support scam at some point. It goes like this: You get a call, email, or see a pop-up ad or banner ad on your computer screen. Your computer may be frozen. A message appears, saying something to the effect that your computer is infected; a threat has been detected; suspicious activity has been traced to your computer; or your computer has other critical problems that need immediate attention.
Then, you are warned that you should not try to fix the problem yourself. Instead, you are directed to call a help desk for tech support so the problem – which does not exist – can be “fixed.” The fraudster on the other end of the line may ask you to give him/her access to your computer. Don’t do it! If you do, malware will be installed on your computer, or fake diagnostics will be run – and of course, you will have to pay for the “fix.”
Tech support scams disproportionately affect older people, who tend to be less computer-savvy than their younger counterparts. In fact, tech support scams were the most frequently reported form of elder fraud in 2023, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Federal Trade Commission statistics show that Americans 60 and older are five times more likely to fall victim.
New Rules To Protect Elders and The Public
The Federal Trade Commission has taken steps to protect the public against this growing problem. The Telemarketing Sales Rule introduced in 1995 created protections for consumers who received telemarketing calls, but had a serious flaw: it did not regulate calls consumers initiated when responding to a fraudulent solicitation. This loophole was closed effective November 2024. Now, the Federal Trade Commission can crack down on calls that victims make to bogus tech support services, and can ask the courts to impose civil penalties, even if the consumers calling the bogus tech desk never made payment.
How To Protect Yourself
- Your first line of defense against the problem is a sturdy anti-virus program. Some are free from companies like Microsoft.
- Be aware that companies like Google, Microsoft and Apple do not phone you or email you to warn you about problems with your computer.
- Never give remote control of your computer to any of these so-called tech services.
- Never send money.
- If the problem seems legitimate or your computer is frozen, contact a trustworthy computer technician.
- Warn your less tech-savvy relatives to be alert to these scams.
- Report the scam (whether you have fallen for it or not) to the Federal Trade Commission. Be sure to include the phone number you were asked to call. File a complaint here .