You open your email and find a message saying your account will be closed unless you click a link right now. Or maybe a pop-up appears warning that your computer is infected and you must call a phone number immediately. These are scams, and knowing how to spot them can save you a lot of trouble.
What Are Tech Support Scams?
Tech support scams are tricks designed to make you think something is wrong with your computer, your account, or your identity. The goal is to get you to hand over money or personal information. They show up as pop-up warnings, fake phone calls, text messages, and emails.
The Most Common Warning Signs
- Urgency: Messages that say you must act in the next hour or something terrible will happen. Real companies almost never send messages like this.
- A phone number to call: Legitimate tech companies like Microsoft or Apple do not call you unsolicited or ask you to call a special number through a pop-up.
- Spelling mistakes and strange addresses: A message from “Amaz0n” or “[email protected]” is not from a real company.
- Requests for remote access: If someone asks to connect to your computer to fix a problem you did not report, hang up or close the window.
- Requests for gift cards: No legitimate company, government agency, or tech support service will ever ask you to pay with a gift card. This is always a scam.
What to Do When You See One
- Do not click any links or call any phone numbers in the message.
- If a pop-up will not close, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete on Windows or use Force Quit on a Mac to close the browser.
- If you already called a number, end the call immediately.
- If you gave someone remote access to your computer, disconnect from the internet right away and tell someone you trust.
How to Report a Scam
You can report tech support scams to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Reporting helps authorities track these scams and warn others.
The best protection is simply knowing these tricks exist. Once you recognise the pattern, the scams become much easier to spot and ignore.