TECH SUPPORT SCAM: FBI Warns of Million-Dollar Scams Using Tech Support Ruse

FBI issues a warning about a rising tech support scam where fraudsters pose as tech support agents and government officials to coerce individuals into relinquishing assets. Learn how to safeguard yourself against such deceitful practices.

TECH SUPPORT SCAM: FBI Warns of Million-Dollar Scams Using Tech Support Ruse (Photo: SA/Rachelle J)

Tech Support Scam: Deceptive Strategies Scammers Use to Swindle Victims

The FBI has issued a stark public, alerting the public to a surging deceptive scheme in which scammers impersonate tech support agents and government representatives to coax innocent individuals into forsaking their assets. This despicable ruse has resulted in an alarming $55 million in aggregated losses between May and December 2023, as confirmed by the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

Perpetrating the scam with calculated cunning, the perpetrators resort to a multi-faceted strategy involving persistent calls wherein they masquerade as distinct entities in each interaction. They first pose as representatives of technology firms, followed by assuming the identity of legitimate bank employees or officials, ultimately inducing fear in the victims by falsely alleging their bank accounts have been compromised.

To successfully trap their targets, the tech support scam coerces clients into liquidating their assets or purchasing valuable metals, subsequently dispatching couriers to the victims’ dwellings or arranging to meet them in public spaces to collect the items. Post-collection, the fraudsters manipulate victims into believing their assets are held, relinquishing responsibility over the funds, and then promptly vanish without a trace.

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Tech Support Scam: FBI Warns of Online Exploitation, Urges IC3 Reporting

Recognizing the gravity of perilous exploitation, the FBI has disseminated a set of crucial precautions to fortify individuals against falling prey to such deceptive stratagems. These measures encompass refraining from divulging personal details, abstaining from agreeing to meet with unfamiliar individuals, avoiding interaction with uns links, and exercising vigilance when confronted with dubious pop-ups or requests for software downloads.

As an important reminder, the FBI emphasizes the imperative recourse available to those who suspect they have been targeted by such scams, empowering individuals to proactively file about suspicious online activities on the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) website, thereby contributing to the collective effort to combat these sinister deceits.

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