Technical Support
Scams
1-800-Not-Safe
This type of scam includes pop-up error alerts or phone calls from fake technical support groups to trick users into calling a phony 800 telephone number. Once on the line, “tech support reps” attempt to convince their intended victims to download software that allows attackers to take control of the victim's machine. The goal is to convince victims that there are problems on the machine that only tech support can fix—at a cost. Technical support exploits are increasingly aggressive, sometimes extending to using ransomware.
Blocked Tech Support Scams
In 2015, Symantec blocked more than 100 million fake error messages used in tech support scams.
2014–2015 Tech Support Scam Increase
Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide are targeted every day—most frequently in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Australia, and Germany.
Don't Be Tricked
A tech support scam to trick users may look like this example.
From support buttons and warning messages redirecting victims to malicious 1-800 numbers, these activities are notoriously difficult to track, especially as criminals remove the scamming ads almost hourly—leaving the attacks practically invisible.