Tech Support Scams: When Computer Problems Become Financial Fraud
When a pop-up screen appeared on 90-year-old Phyllis Weisberg's computer saying her computer was compromised, she was alarmed.1 Fortunately — or so she thought — the message said it was from Microsoft's scam department and included a phone number. Once on the call, the supposed tech support rep frightened her into believing bad actors had infiltrated all her devices and told her to wire $20,000 to an account to resolve the issue.
Sadly, the scam worked. Weisberg never recovered her money. Neither have many of the 36,000 victims who reported tech support scams to the FBI in 2024.2 Losses from those reports reached nearly $1.5 billion.
Tech support scams tend to target older victims. It was the second most common and the second most costly fraud for victims 60 and older in the FBI data. Among reports to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), it was among the top five most common frauds associated with losses for victims 70 and older in 2024.3
Here's what everyone, but especially older consumers and their families, should know about tech support scams.
What Is a Tech Support Scam?
A tech support scam is a type of fraud where a scammer pretends to be an employee of a trusted technology company and claims there is a problem with the victim's device. They ask for money or access to the victim's computer or online accounts to resolve the tech issue.
"Tech support scams are real and they are causing enormous injury," said Lois Greisman, the associate director of marketing practices with the FTC, in the video below.4
According to FBI data, 2024 losses from tech support scams increased 58% over 2023 and more than 81% since 2022.2 This fraud is a subset of what the FBI calls "call center scams," which the agency identified as the most costly among the top 2024 fraud trends.
How Does a Tech Support Scam Work?
Tech support scammers use a few different techniques to defraud victims. They may initiate contact in any of the following ways:
- A pop-up advertisement can appear on the victim's computer, typically claiming to be Apple, Microsoft, or another trusted technology company.5 The pop-up screen says the device is compromised and instructs the user to call a number for help.
- The scammer sends a phishing email or smishing text to a victim claiming they have a technology problem and asks the user to call a provided number or click on a link.
- The tech support scammer may call a victim on the phone, claiming to have identified a technology problem on one of their devices.
- A scammer may post a fraudulent ad for tech support services and wait for victims to contact them.
- Perhaps most deviously, some savvy cybercriminals use a technique called "SEO poisoning" to get their fraudulent contact information to appear in online search results for a trusted technology company's tech support phone number.6
More than 36,000 victims reported tech support scams to the FBI in 2024, with losses totaling nearly $1.5 billion.
Once a tech support scammer has a potential victim on the phone, they may use any of the following methods to steal from them:
- The criminal may simply ask for payment for fixing a tech issue that never existed.5
- The scammer may ask for access to the victim's online accounts or remote control of their computer to resolve the issue from the inside. Once inside, the scammer uses the access to steal money or log-in credentials for their financial accounts.
- The scammer may tell the victims that their accounts are compromised and direct the victim to move funds out of their bank or investment accounts into a "safe" location until their accounts can be secured.7 The "safe" location, however, is in the scammer's possession.
- Often, the scammer will ask the victim to convert their money into an untraceable format, like cryptocurrency, cash, or even gold, before depositing it into an account or dropping it off in a physical location. According to the FBI, $107,429,709 of the tech support losses in 2024 were in cryptocurrency.2
How To Protect Yourself Against Tech Support Scams?
Education and awareness are two of the biggest weapons against tech support scams. Internet users — and the families of older internet users — can help protect themselves and their loved ones by learning and talking about tech support scams and taking the following steps:
- Do not believe anyone who contacts you to tell you there's a problem with your computer.5 That is not how legitimate tech companies do business. Additionally, do not believe if someone from Synovus calls claiming they are from tech support. No reputable financial institution — including Synovus — will ever call, email or text you to ask for personal information.
- Keep your computer's operating software and web browser updated.8 This provides a level of security against malicious pop-ups and security vulnerabilities. (This is a simple task you can offer to do regularly for an older loved one.)
- Never click on a pop-up ad or any emailed or texted link. If you believe you have a technology issue and need help, visit the technology company's website directly by typing the web address into your browser. Make sure you see a padlock in the corner of your web browser indicating that you are on a secure website.
- Do not answer any calls from unknown callers. You can contact your phone carrier to learn how to block these calls entirely. Also, be aware that scammers can use a technique called spoofing to make your caller ID show a trusted company when it's really a fraud, so be wary of all incoming calls. Consider letting it go to voicemail and, if you decide to follow up, call the company from a number you've verified yourself on their website.
- Never move your money at a stranger's request. As the FTC puts it, "That's a scam."7 No one trustworthy will ever ask you to move your money out of your accounts
What To Do If You've Been Targeted by a Tech Support Scam
Tech support scams, like all imposter scams, can take an emotional toll on victims, making them too ashamed to admit what happened. "When that happened to me, I was a little bit embarrassed," said Arizonian Don Holmes in the featured video earlier in the article.4 "I consider myself fairly alert, but I was targeted and I was scammed. I didn't really want to talk about this … But by talking to all my friends, I began to realize that they … had experienced similar things."
If you believe you've been targeted by a tech support scam, it is worth reporting the incident to the FTC and FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.9,10 Based on victim reports, the FBI enabled more than 215 arrests related to tech support scams in 2024 in cooperation with international law enforcement agencies.2
To further protect yourself and your finances from harm, follow the steps outlined in our article, "What to Do if You Are a Victim of Fraud."
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Important disclosure information
This content is general in nature and does not constitute legal, tax, accounting, financial or investment advice. You are encouraged to consult with competent legal, tax, accounting, financial or investment professionals based on your specific circumstances. We do not make any warranties as to accuracy or completeness of this information, do not endorse any third-party companies, products, or services described here, and take no liability for your use of this information.
- Avast, "Avoiding Scams and Fraud for Older Adults," YouTube, published February 4, 2022, accessed May 19, 2025. Back
- Federal Bureau of Investigation, "Internet Crime Report 2024," FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, published April 23, 2025, accessed May 19, 2025. Back
- Federal Trade Commission, "Age and Fraud," Tableau Public, published April 25, 2025, accessed May 19, 2025. Back
- FTCvideos, "How to Avoid a Tech Support Scam | Federal Trade Commission," YouTube, published March 7, 2019, accessed May 19, 2025. Back
- Federal Trade Commission, "How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams," FTC Consumer Advice, published September 2022, accessed May 19, 2025. Back
- Robert Sheldon, "SEO poisoning (search poisoning)," TechTarget, published October 2023, accessed May 19, 2025. Back
- Jennifer Leach, "Never move your money to 'protect it.' That’s a scam," published March 5, 2024, accessed May 19, 2025. Back
- National Council on Aging, "Protecting Yourself Against Tech Support Scams," NCO Scam and Fraud Protection, published Feb 24, 2025, accessed May 19, 2025. Back
- Federal Trade Commission, "Report Fraud," accessed May 19, 2025. Back
- FBI, "File a Complaint," Internet Crime Complaint Center, accessed May 19, 2025. Back