When it comes to consumer scams, rip-off ploys have their seasons – and both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) say that the U.S. could be entering a high season of tech support impersonators.
In looking at the various types of impersonators, there are a variety of breeds. There are the ones lurking quietly on the web advertising their services when frustrated consumers do an internet search for “my iPad is frozen,” the ones who use government agencies like the FTC’s good name to try to trick people into paying them, and the ones who use fake social media accounts to gain consumers’ trust, then just happen to show up with a fix when someone’s device is on the blink.
How tech support impersonators set the scene
ITRC Chief Victims Officer, Mona Terry told ConsumerAffairs that the impersonator trend is real – and dangerous. One narrative she offered on tech support impersonators goes like this:
“The victim receives a popup window from ‘Microsoft’ or ‘McAfee,’ or they went to Google to search for tech support from Google or Microsoft and thought they were calling that company. However, they actually reached a scammer. The popup tells the victim that their antivirus is out of date or their device has been compromised and to call for service,” Terry said.
“The victim calls and is then asked to share bank account information or send payments via gift cards, as well as give the…
