Close
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Menu
eWEEK.com
Search
eWEEK.com
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    Microsoft: Tech Support Scams Hit Two-Thirds of Consumers

    By
    PEDRO HERNANDEZ
    -
    October 18, 2016
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      Microsoft tech support scam study

      Similar to phishers, tech support scammers are getting craftier in their attempts to separate people from their money.

      IT pros, computer experts and younger folks who have grown up surrounded by devices generally know better than to fall for tech support scams. Falsely claiming that their victims’ PCs are at risk of imminent failure or infected with malware, fraudsters have been known to prey on the elderly by calling them up claiming to be from a well-known or reputable company and scaring them into paying for unneeded and often ineffective remedies.

      According to a new study from Microsoft, relative youth and an aptitude for technology are no longer guaranteed to keep tech support scammers at bay. “By leveraging pop-ups, unsolicited email and scam websites as additional entry points for scams, fraudsters are reaching a broader number of people, including younger-than-expected victims,” guest blogger Courtney Gregoire, a senior attorney in Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit, wrote in an Oct. 17 post on the National Cybersecurity Alliance’s website.

      “The data indicates that victims older than 65 are more likely to be reached by telephone (44 percent unsolicited call, 38 percent pop-up or online ad, 33 percent unsolicited email, and 26 percent redirected to website),” continued Gregoire. “In contrast, millennials aged 18 to 34 are more likely to have been redirected to a fraudulent website (50 percent) or duped by a pop-up advertisement (59 percent) as compared to receiving an unsolicited call (26 percent).”

      In total, two-thirds of consumers worldwide have experienced a tech support scam in the last 12 months. A fifth of consumers continued a so-called “fraudulent interaction” after being first contacted, and nearly 10 percent lost money. Those who kept getting led on by scammers generally hailed from India (54 percent), China (35 percent) and the United States (33 percent), according to the report.

      Fifty-five percent of those who continued to interact with scammers in the United States lost money. However, the vast majority (92 percent) were able to recoup at least some of their funds. Consumers in China (58 percent) and India (67 percent) were somewhat less successful in recovering lost funds.

      Besides draining pocketbooks, fraudsters are also pilfering sensitive personal information by offering unneeded remote support services, setting the stage for identity theft.

      “Every consumer needs to be vigilant and skeptical of any person who seeks remote access to their device,” warned Gregoire. “During a remote-access session, fraudsters can access personal and financial information, alter device settings and leave behind unwanted or even malicious software. Previous reports indicate that fraudsters have turned off anti-virus software, downloaded unwanted and potentially harmful software and often regained access to the computer long after the ‘support session’ had ended.”

      Microsoft encourages users to be on the lookout for scammers and not purchase unsolicited software or services. Also, the company warns users not to relinquish control of their PCs to unknown third-party support teams. And if a caller makes a monetary demand, hang up immediately, advised Gregoire.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      CHRIS PREIMESBERGER - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      CHRIS PREIMESBERGER - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      How Veritas Is Shining a Light Into...

      EWEEK EDITORS - September 25, 2020 0
      Protecting data has always been one of the most important tasks in all of IT, yet as more companies become data companies at the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      How NVIDIA A100 Station Brings Data Center...

      ZEUS KERRAVALA - November 18, 2020 0
      There’s little debate that graphics processor unit manufacturer NVIDIA is the de facto standard when it comes to providing silicon to power machine learning...
      Read more
      Apple

      Why iPhone 12 Pro Makes Sense for...

      WAYNE RASH - November 26, 2020 0
      If you’ve been watching the Apple commercials for the past three weeks, you already know what the company thinks will happen if you buy...
      Read more
      eWeek


      Contact Us | About | Sitemap

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      Terms of Service | Privacy Notice | Advertise | California - Do Not Sell My Info

      © 2020 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×