Types of technical support fraud
Tech support scams are an industry-wide issue where scammers use scare tactics to trick you into unnecessary technical support services to supposedly fix device or software problems that don’t exist.
At best the scammers are trying to get you to pay them to “fix” a nonexistent problem with your device or software. At worst they’re trying to steal your personal or financial information; and if you allow them to remote into your computer to perform this “fix” they will often install malware, ransomware, or other unwanted programs that can steal your information or damage your data or device.
Is a website warning message a suspected fraud?
It depends what the website warning is but some can be fraudulent. Some warnings are in the form of pop-ups and block your computer stating you’ve been infected and to call a toll-free number right away.
They are very well made and you will not be able to close the window or use the computer. If this happens to you shut down your computer and reboot it, the pop-up usually disappears.
What are common internet security threats?
- Pop-ups that pretend to detect issues on your computer and ask you to call the fake support
- Ads of fake companies that pose as legitimate businesses to get you to call
- Emails pretending to be a legitimate company to which you owe money
- They call pretending to be Microsoft and tell you your computer is infected
- They call pretending to be one of your relatives that need desperate help/money to get out of a bad situation
Tech support refund scam
This article will help you better identify tech support scams and suspicious behavior that someone may use to target you. If you paid for tech support services, and you later get a call about a refund, that call is a scam. Do not give the person any personal or financial information and do not let them connect to your computer.
The refund scam works like this:
- After a purchase, someone calls stating that there is a problem with the software or service you purchased, or the caller says the company is going out of business and is giving refunds.
- The scammer will ask to access your computer to show you these issues.
- If you give them that kind of access to your computer, then you are going to have a bigger problem that usually involves stolen credentials and usually bank information.
- Eventually, they will ask for your bank or credit card account number or ask for access to your bank account to make a deposit. At this time, they will transfer you to a ‘’manager.’’
- They will refund a higher amount than promised.
- Once they do this, they will tell you that there is no way to reverse the refund and that you need to go to a nearby store and buy either gift cards or merchandise for them or in some cases a huge money transfer to their bank account.
If you get a call like this, hang up, and report it. If you try to get them off the phone, they will use fear tactics to keep you on the call or get angry at you. Just hang up.
What to do & tips to spot suspicious behavior
- Do not answer telephone numbers you do not know. If you are unsure, hang up and call the number on our website.
- If you do answer the phone, ask for their phone number and compare it to the number on our website. Scammers will often give fake phone numbers or spoof(copy) real ones.
- Do not give your banking information.
- Our agents will never ask you to open your online banking portal while connected and if you start to say your credit card number out loud, the agent should stop you. Our agents are not allowed to take credit card information ever.
- Do not click on pop-up messages on a computer device that claims it is infected by a virus and at risk of irreversible damage. The only errors that should pop up would be from your anti-virus program which will usually only notify you that you are safe, and the virus has been quarantined.
- Do not click on links in messages indicating a computer problem.
- Never purchase expensive software online to fix an alleged virus.
- Do not trust random phone calls from people claiming to be tech support.
- Always call tech support on your own.
- Make sure your computer security software is up to date.
What is anti-malware?
Anti-malware is software like antiviruses but that searches only for malware on your computer. Malware can make your system slower but is not as threatening as a virus for your data. It is however still very important to remove malware to use your system effectively.
Supportnex partner Lavasoft has an all one antivirus called Ad-aware which also acts like an anti-malware and is very easy to use.
How to get rid of a fake virus?
Fake viruses are like we said fake, therefore you’re not actually in any danger and it doesn’t pose an actual threat to your computer. Fake viruses usually go away on their own by simply rebooting your computer system. If that doesn’t work, a simple anti-virus or anti-malware should do the trick.
What anti-virus to get?
Ad-aware is a very good anti-virus to have that will always be looking for threats in the background as you use your computer. It also acts like anti-malware and anti-spyware.
They use malicious URL detection to protect you online and provide you with an ad blocker. This anti-virus also provides you with email protection & advanced antispam filters which protect your emails as well. It is an all-in-one anti-virus that protects you from all angles.
Here is the link for more information on this software: https://www.adaware.com/antivirus/features
Can fake ads be tech support scams?
Yes, a fake ad can be a scam, however, they are not dangerous for your operating system themselves. They can’t gain access to your computer as long as you don’t click any links. The most common way ads are built is that they will ask you to call a toll-free number.
Scammers use legitimate tech company phone numbers so you believe they are real if you google the number. These phone calls are however then rerouted without your knowledge to a support scammer.
What is a tech support phone scam?
There are different types of phone scammers, however, these are the most common ones:
- They will call you pretending to be a legitimate company to which you owe money
- They call pretending to be Microsoft and tell you your computer is infected
- They call pretending to be one of your relatives that need desperate help/money to get out of a bad situation
How to protect yourself from tech support scammers?
Never give access to your computer to anyone before looking them up online and checking reviews. Some scammers pretend to be legitimate companies, however when looking up reviews you will be able to see that they are fake companies with fake websites as you will see a post warning you about them.
Reviews will always give you a quick portrait of who is calling so take the time to search you will thank us later.
How to recognize them?
Any reputable company will not ask for your credit card information over the phone, ask you to fill out a form for a refund, message you to give you money, request you to install software to resolve a problem, demand you subscribe for assistance or try to trick you to access your data.
How to detect a scam
As you know, there are more scam companies than ever before and we will help you identify them. If a company calls you directly they are likely a fraudulent company.
Scammers will also attempt to send you bogus links via email and will most likely be flagged by your antivirus as fake software on your computer.
What to do if you gave them access to your computer?
If the scammers got a hold of your computer, shut it down right away and hang up the phone. Call your bank right away and contact us or go to a local tech support shop to ensure that they aren’t still connected to avoid being scammed.
What to look out for?
Signs of them being on your computer could be receiving pop-up messages or if your mouse appears to be moving on its own.
Common behavior for a scammer is that they will install unknown software’s as well which can record everything being typed on the keyboard and help them commit fraud, therefore if you believe they had access to your computer check the installed software’s and remove any new unknown software’s to prevent fraud.
What to do if the information has been given to a tech support scammer?
If you suspect that a support scams tech has compromised your personal information/credit card information call your bank right away and ask them to freeze all your accounts to avoid being scammed.
Even if nothing was paid this is still something to report as abuse and a serious security threat to them as they can get access to your bank account and sell your information to other scammer companies.
What are the consequences?
If you believe you were the victim of a scam, your personal information is probably at risks such as your credit card information, financial information and you might be at risk of identity theft.
If you believe you were the victim of a scam and want to make sure they are out of your computer for good, call us and we will remote access your computer and provide you with excellent support services.
Is Supportnex technical support a fraud?
They are a well-known business that provides online technical support services. They will never pretend or trick you into thinking you have a threat on your device if there isn’t.
If you are not satisfied with their services they also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee which means you can ask for a refund if you didn’t like the experience. They will never send you unsolicited emails or contact you if it wasn’t requested.
They provide tech support to clients around the world who need their assistance. They do so by connecting to their computers virtually over the internet using a secure connection. Therefore, you can get support anywhere anytime, over the phone, or chat directly on their website.
Supportnex company
Once you buy their tech support, they place a support icon on your desktop. They will not call you for support as you can use this icon to connect directly to their technicians. They will only call you if you ask for them to call. (Their number is always a number that you can call back).
A secure experience with computer maintenance
You can see everything that is happening in real-time and be provided with an update by using the chat box to ask the technicians for details on the work. They will always address all your concerns and ensure that your computer problem is fixed and everything is updated.
Once they are connected to your computer they can address any problem you may have in a blink of an eye. You can ask to get a simple computer update, fix a printer issue, solve a software bug, retrieve lost data or a simple routine check-up, and more. You can visit their website for more examples of what they can do.
Even though they do not have a physical store you can walk into they can go above and beyond to address any problem you report to them. They answer all customer calls in a timely fashion which is the difference between them and other organizations.
Their tech support services are well known and have a customer satisfaction score of over 85% and a very high first case resolution rate as well. Their tech support team is quick and efficient to solve any problems you may experience on your device.
Why them?
A quick message to our readers, this support team and their quality expertise is the way to go, it just makes sense. Go over to their support website and chat with their agents for more information on their business.
A free safe diagnostic with a team of certified technicians
You can ask them any questions you may have and get a free diagnostic by calling them. Do not hesitate to google their site and search for their phone number, the technicians will gladly provide you with a link to access your computer and help you check if there are any problems to report.
You can also ask them to install/activate your software and be part of the whole process if you desire. Be reassured that your data will always remain safe with them.
Where to contact?
You can also get in contact with this customer support team through their chat box that you can find on their site. One of their support agents will get on the chat very quickly and will be able to answer all questions and connect to your computer if needed to resolve any problem with your computer you may have using approved tools.
You can visit their website by clicking this link: www.supportnex.com where you can see testimonials and good reviews from their happy customers over the years.