What are Tech Support Scams?

Fraudsters impersonate support or service representatives from well-known companies and use those company names to invoke your trust. These scams can start with a pop up on your browser or a phone call from a representative claiming they’ve found a problem on your computer. It could also start with you having an actual problem on your computer and (when trying to find a number for support) you end up calling a fraudster instead.

How can you prevent becoming a victim in a Tech Support Scam?

  • Legitimate tech companies won’t contact you by phone, email or text message to inform you of a problem on your computer/device
  • Resist the pressure to act quickly, fraudsters in these scams will urge victims to act fast and disregard their instinct.
  • Don’t allow an unknown person/company to remote in to your computer/device
  • Immediately end any unsolicited call from someone claiming to be a support technician for your computer or device
  • Use antivirus to regularly scan your computer for malware, and do not purchase security software from a company you don’t know or haven’t done research on beforehand. You need to be sure the company is well known, established and has good reviews (check the better business bureau, google the company name along with the word ‘scam’)
  • Do NOT give out your online banking log in credentials, account numbers or credit/debit card numbers
  • Do not download apps at the guidance of an unknown caller/person
  • Be extremely careful when searching for phone numbers or contact information

The fraudster’s end goal in this type of scam is to gain access to your personal information and/or finances. During the scam, the fraudsters may require you log in to your online banking and then they will make it appear that they are refunding you for services. However, what they’re really doing is transferring funds between your own accounts and making it look like they’ve given you the funds. Then, they claim to have given you too much money and you HAVE to give it back immediately. They’ll use urgency and scare tactics to manipulate you to give the money back.

 

The fraudster may urge you to do any one or more of the following;

  • Purchase gift cards and send them the information from those cards
  • Withdraw cash and deposit it at a BitCoin/Virtual Currency ATM
  • Wire the funds to someone
  • Take out the cash and mail it to them

This article is provided only as a resource for information. Contact us immediately at (800) 762-3136 or visit your local Beacon Credit Union location if you suspect you have fallen victim to a social engineering attack and have disclosed information concerning your Beacon Credit Union accounts.