Tech Support Scams Continue to Evolve Per Microsoft
Each month, Microsoft receives about 6,500 complaints from people who have been victims of tech support scams. These numbers are only the complaints Microsoft receives, but other reputable tech companies and service providers are targeted as well. Microsoft recently commissioned a study to try to get a handle on the scope of tech support scams.
Results from the 2021 survey are in! They revealed fewer consumers have been exposed to tech support scams as compared to the 2018 survey. Since these scams have been around for awhile, people are generally more skeptical about tech support calls or pop-up messages, which helps them avoid falling victim to these scams. However, those people who continued with the interaction were more likely to have lost money to the scammers than in the last Microsoft survey of 2018.
The evolution of tech support scams is intriguing. The scam started with callers pretending to be Microsoft employees fraudulently notifying people that they were victims of malware infections or other harmful attacks. This evolved into fake “pop-ups” displayed on people’s computers, again trying to convince them that something was wrong with their computers so the scammers could extract payment for “fixing” fake issues. Today, fraudsters have adapted to evolving technology by using more sophisticated tactics or ploys to victimize users online.
Consumers and businesses need to become educated on all the different scams and cyberattacks facing them. For help understanding tech scams or cyberattacks your business is up against daily, give us a call. 2W Tech is a technology service provider specializing in solutions for the manufacturing industry, as well as a Microsoft Gold Partner. We have IT Consultants on staff that work daily with cybersecurity and cyber defense solutions.
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