April 10, 2018
Tech support fraud or tech support scams happen when a criminal claims to provide customer, security, or technical support in an effort to defraud someone. Scammers sometimes pose as a security, customer, or technical support representative and offer to help resolve issues such as a compromised email or bank account, a virus on a computer, or to help with renewing a software license.
Some recent complaints involving tech support scams also involve criminals posing as technical support representatives for GPS companies, printer companies, cable companies, or virtual currency exchanges. Criminals are even now sometimes posing as government agents, offering to recover supposed losses related to tech support fraud schemes or to request financial assistance with catching those committing the crimes.
On March 28, 2018, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) shared a Public Service Announcement warning for Tech Support Fraud based on their 2017 reporting.
