Tech Support Fraud

Criminals impersonate legitimate tech support representatives from reputable companies, like Microsoft or Apple, to trick victims into believing there's a problem with their device. These scammers typically reach out via unsolicited phone calls, pop-up messages, or emails. They claim the victim's computer has been infected with malware or is experiencing technical issues and request access to the system. Once granted access, they may install malware, steal personal information, or demand payment for unnecessary or fake services. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported that tech support fraud resulted in $347 million in lossesin 2021, with a significant portion of these victims being elderly individuals. The report highlights that older adults are especially targeted, and the impact of this scam is both financially and emotionally devastating.