How to Protect Yourself From Tech Support Scams

The digital age might be in full swing, but not everyone is particularly tech-savvy. That’s why you might trust a friendly voice telling you that there’s something wrong with your computer. Add some fear to the confusion, and you get the perfect storm for a tech support scam – one that can drain your wallet, steal your personal info, or even hand over control of your device to a stranger. Here’s how tech support scams work and how you can protect yourself – and your loved ones – from falling victim.

What Are Tech Support Scams?

In tech support scams, malicious actors scare you into thinking that your device has a problem – something like a virus, a hacked account, or software failure. If you fall for it, you might spend money on fixing something that was never broken – and that’s the best-case scenario. In the worst-case scenarios, scammers can steal your personal or financial data or lock you out of your own system or accounts.

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How to Protect Yourself From a Tech Support Scam

With a little knowledge, you can shut down a tech support scam before those orchestrating it get a chance to strike. Here’s how.

#1 – Get Informed

Tech support scammers can find you in several ways. Being aware of these helps you recognize the scam on time. You might:

Receive a sudden call from a trusted tech company like Microsoft or Apple claiming there’s something wrong with your device
See a fake error message while you’re browsing urging you to call a phone number for “support”
Click on an ad for “tech support” or “computer help”

Of course, the last item isn’t necessarily a scam, which is why you should always check how trustworthy a website truly is.

#2 – Give Yourself Time to Think

Tech support scams are designed to cause you to panic and do something rash – which usually has disastrous consequences. So, by taking a moment to step back and assess the situation, you give yourself the chance to spot the scam and make a more informed decision.

For example, you’ll have enough time to independently contact the tech company behind the warning and verify whether there’s actually an issue. In almost 100% of situations, the answer will be “no” because legitimate tech companies will never reach out to you to offer you support. The user is usually the one who makes the first move.

#3 – Don’t Give Anyone Access to Your Device

Tech support will often use programs like TeamViewer to access your device remotely and resolve the issue. But again – this should only be the support you’ve personally requested. Otherwise, you should never let anyone gain access to your computer since that’s where you store sensitive information, such as passwords, financial data, and personal files.

#4 – Secure Your Web Experience

Tech support scams aren’t the only ones that will try to find you online and get you to reveal sensitive information. That’s why you should always stay vigilant online. This includes keeping your anti-virus software up to date, using a secure browser, and never downloading software from third parties.

#5 – Be Wary of Unusual Payment Methods

Let’s say an elaborate tech support scam has managed to convince you that your device indeed has a serious issue. That’s OK – it happens. However, what doesn’t happen is reputable tech companies asking you to pay for their services in cryptocurrency, gift cards, or wire transfers – anything that’s difficult to trace and impossible to reverse. So, as soon as you see one of these as the only payment method, you should immediately recognize it as a red flag.

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