Have you run into one of those pop up tech support scams that sound a loud alarm and claim your computer is infected with a virus? A Microsoft survey says two out of three people have experenced a tech support scam in the last 12 months and nearly one in ten lost money.

The pop-ups, which provide a number to call for help, are only the latest version of the tech support scam, which also uses telephone calls and infected web sites. Nearly one in ten people have lost money to such scams with younger users from 18 to 24 accounting for half those who bit.

Findings from the Microsoft survey, released as part of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, include:

  • One in five consumers continued after being contacted
  • Nearly one in ten lost money to such scams.
  • Only 17 percent of those who continued with a fraudulent interaction were older than 55, while 34 percent were between the ages of 36 and 54.
  • U.S. Chinese and Indian consumers were most likely to continue the scam transaction with more than half (55 percent) of those in India going on with the scam.
  • More than half (55 percednt) of U.S. consumers who continued with the scam lost money.
  • Many scammed did recovere some money, 92 percent in the U.S., 58 percent in China, and 67 percent in India.

Many consumers have experienced the previously most common method of working the scam, which is still in use today. A caller claims to be from Microsoft tech support or other reputable company and claims a user’s computer is infected with malware or technical problems. The calls were often targeted at senior citizens.

Directed to turn over remote control of their computer to be fixed, those scammed instead fall victim to downloads of malicious software that can reveal personal information and take control of the users PC, or are asked to pay a fee of several hundred dollars to fix the problem.

Now, however, the Microsoft report says the scammers have evolved even more sophisticated methods. They use pop-ups, email, and scam websites.

Method the same

Victims older than 65 are still most often contacted by phone, whie those 18 to 34 more often are directed to a scam website or respond to a pop-up.

The method is generally the same regardless of how initial contact is made. The scammers use fear and lies to get a consumer to call an alleged support number or turn over remote control of a computer. They then charge the user for unnecessary tech support and often inject harmful malware on the computer.

Microsoft emphasizes that it never calls a consumer directly – nor do other reputable companies. You have to call them for tech support.

Since 2014, Microsoft has supported law enforcement agencies across the country who took legal action against known fraudsters responsible for approximately $165 million in consumer losses. It also partners with organizations like AARP to help educate people on how to spot and avoid scams they encounter.

Microsoft encourages anyone victimized by such scams to report it to Microsoft and appropriate authorities.

On the web:

For information on reporting a scam see: Consumerguidelines

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