In the past few years we’ve written a number of articles on how to spot tech support scam, or what to do if somebody’s tried to scam you. There’s no doubt that this type of cyber fraud will continue to exist no matter how hard we try to eradicate it. However, knowing how to protect yourself against various types of scams is key to keeping your private data and money safe. This time we’d like to summarize a few rules and best practices based on the recent reports we received to help users avoid being scammed by fake tech support companies.
Normally this starts with a call regarding your computer, and fake IT helpdesk specialists can do their best to sound convincing: “I’m from Microsoft/another well-known tech company”, “you’ve been infected with malware”, “the cleanup with cost you $n”, “you may talk to our level-three supervisor to get a discount”, etc.
In another case scenario, you might install a malicious program on your PC by accidentally following a click-bait popping up in your browser, which is then usually followed by a similar call from a fake IT helpdesk.
Don’ts
- Don’t buy it. If you see any suspicious pop-ups on your computer screen, don’t click on them. If you get a call from a supposed tech support specialist, don’t trust them until you verify that the business they represent is actually legit.
- Don’t search for a third-party support firm on the web. Both software and hardware vendors usually have official tech support contractors that can be trusted. And who knows what you can stumble upon by simple googling “computer tech support”.
- Don’t store private data on your machine. Never give out any personal information over the phone/email to a tech support company you can’t verify. Don’t store any private data like credit card numbers or passport information on your computer.
- Don’t let those who you don’t know or trust to gain remote control over your computer.
- Don’t confuse tech scammers with real IT support services or remote desktop software vendors such as Techinline FixMe.IT. If you get a scam call from a company that you feel is misrepresenting itself as a software vendor, try to obtain as much information as possible and report it to the vendor.
Do’s
- Install an antivirus program and keep it updated.
- Take measures immediately. If you realize that you’ve let an untrustworthy company remotely connect to your computer, perform a full virus cleanup on your machine, as it might get infected with malware, and get in touch with a tech support firm you can trust.
- Be investigative. If you get a scam call, you can do a lot to help software providers punish the fraudsters. Ask for the supposed agent’s name, employee ID, google their website/phone number on the web, as there’s always a chance that this “tech support company” has already been reported by other users.
- Report, report, and report. Don’t just post questions to Reddit/Quora. Other Internet users might help with a piece of advice, yet they don’t have the resources to stop scammers from doing what they’re doing. Instead, get help from software vendors that are being misrepresented.
If you get a scam call from a “support technician” telling you that your PC is infected and asking to run FixMe.IT in your browser, try to get as much information as possible and then contact the Techinline FixMe.IT team directly at support@techinline.com or leave us a message on Facebook or Twitter. We will immediately take actions against scammers, as our Terms of Services prohibit the use of FixMe.IT for the purpose of misleading or misinforming end users for financial gain.