Who: The FTC collects reports of tech support scams.
When to use: Use when someone pretended to be tech support to get money or access.
What to prepare:
- How they contacted you
- Company they claimed
- What they asked for
Go to FTC ReportFraud~5 min
Category: Online & communication
Tech support scams
Important
Microsoft, Apple, and other tech companies do not call or pop up to say your device is infected. Never give remote access or pay with gift cards.
How it often plays out
A pop-up fills David’s screen: “Your PC is infected. Call this number now for Microsoft support.” He calls; a “technician” says he must pay $299 for a fix and gets remote access to the computer. There was no virus—the pop-up and the “tech” were the same scam, designed to steal money and data. David had been browsing when the pop-up appeared; his heart raced at the idea of losing his photos and documents. He called and gave remote access. Only after handing over hundreds of dollars in gift cards did he realize the pop-up and the person on the phone were part of the same scheme—there was no virus, only theft.
How to spot it
Common red flags: pressure to act immediately, requests for payment by gift card or wire, offers that seem too good to be true, or unsolicited requests for your personal or financial details.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Close the pop-up or hang up without giving any information.
- Run a real security scan with your own antivirus if you are worried.
- Save any pop-up text, phone number, or email and report to the FTC and IC3.
Don't
- Give remote access to your computer.
- Pay for "repairs" or buy gift cards for tech support.
- Call numbers shown in unexpected pop-ups.
Summary & what to do
Scammers pretend to be from Microsoft, Apple, or another tech company and say your computer has a virus. They may ask for remote access or payment for fake repairs. Report them to stop others from falling for it.
What to do right now
- Do not give remote access, pay for "repairs," or buy gift cards. Hang up or close the pop-up.
- Run a real security scan with your own antivirus if you are worried.
- Save any pop-up text, phone number, or email and report to the FTC and IC3.
Where to report
Who: The FBI's IC3 tracks tech support fraud.
When to use: Use when the scam was online (pop-up, phone, or email).
What to prepare:
- Screenshots
- Phone number or URL
- Amount lost if any
Go to IC3~10 min
Frequently asked questions
- A pop-up says my computer is infected. What do I do?
- Close the browser or restart the computer. Do not call any number on the pop-up. Run a scan with your own antivirus if you have one. Report the pop-up to the FTC and IC3.
- I already gave remote access. What now?
- Disconnect from the internet, run a full antivirus scan, and change important passwords (on another device). Monitor accounts and report to the FTC and IC3 with any details you have.