TECH SUPPORT SCAMS ALERT
Tech support scams are everywhere! They are very insidious and hidden with their tactics. They seek to defraud their victims by playing on their lack of technical knowledge and innocence. And, they know what social demographic of people to target upon too. It's a “Buyer Beware” event. Yet sadly, many good-hearted individuals get caught in their fee traps and lose a lot of money in the process. Thus, Tech Support Scams are not a victimless crime. Real people get negatively affected by it daily. Additionally, even their hired Field Tech Support agents can be taken advantage of too. Especially, if a scamming tech support company decides to change the information on a field tech's uploaded paperwork and not tell them about it - ie like a drop/increase in customer signed off completed work hours or etc. As such, the scamming company will either use these changes to cut the tech's pay or to over charge their customer for it. So again, be careful.
So if you get a strange email, text message or phone call and don't know who the sender is or, if the message seems too obscure and doesn’t match the official business they represent then, it's better not to trust, open or listen to them. Always use good common sense. Scammers will do everything they can to make their efforts look legit to gain their victims’ trust right before they engage in taking advantage of them. And once their victim is trapped then, its not easy to get out of it.
Also on the Internet there are many Tech Support Company's that appear to be legitimate and may actually be. However, its very difficult to tell the difference right off-the-bat of how good or bad they are. Only a thorough review of their trustworthiness before contacting them can be sure. Thus, this is where being picky and cautious pays off.
On average, many home computer related Tech Support Companies charge their customers $99.00 Per Hour with a $50 Tech Service Call Fee on top. Or, they have a base $90+ fee but then, fluctuate around with additional fees to get more money out of their customers. And, they rarely write up an Estimate of what the Total Cost is before the repair work is even started. So customers on average are spending upwards of $275 or more for a computer and or, related repair issue etc. As such, this leads these customers to feel ripped-off in the end. So again, its a “Buyer Beware” event.
Solutions To Stop Scammers
Use Common Sense. Are they trustworthy? Research them first. Ask a trusted friend or relative.
Search on Google.com, DuckDuckgo.com etc. Try "company name reviews" or, "... opinions"
Search the Better Business Bureau website and other trusted official sites too - ie FTC.gov.
Official job/career sites (ie indeed.com, glassdoor.com) lists employee reviews of companies worked at.
Searching or contacting USPS.com or your local US Post Office can help.
Also, asking your local bank representative and or local police and other authorities helps too.
Be careful with installing apps or software! Research where and who its from.
Never pay over the phone! UNLESS, there's prior trusted history & they can be verified. Get the Support Rep's name too!
Beware of false urgency claims and statements! Scammers use urgency to trap their victims into what they ask for.
Articles On Tech Support Scams
"Cybercrime Support Network"
Alt Doc: (Tech Support Scams - FightCybercrime.org.pdf)
"US Federal Trade Commission"
(FTC.gov)
Alt Doc: (How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams _ Consumer Advice.pdf)
"WeLiveSecurity.com"
Alt Doc: (Tech support scammers are still at it_ Here’s what to look out for in 2023 _ WeLiveSecurity.pdf)
Companies Reported For Scams
[iYogi.com] - www.iyogi.com - Wikipedia Report: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IYogi) Alt Doc: (iYogi - Wikipedia.pdf)
[Geeks On Site] - geeksonsite.com - Targets elderly & innocent people. Charges for services that are never agreed upon. Bad Internet reviews.
[Angie's List] - www.angi.com - Charges businesses $200/mo for advertising just to start. Alt Doc: (Is Angie's List a scam_ - Quora.pdf)
[PayPal] - www.paypal.com - Banking scam company. Uses an "ESG Social Credit Score System." PayPal denies their customer's access to goods and services or, their saved money on PayPal whenever they want and for what ever reason. Plus, they can wrongfully take money from their customer's linked credit card and bank accounts too. Even the fine print in their policies confirms this.
To Conclude
So no matter who you choose for your regular tech support, online banking or etc, it's very important to stay safe and be in-the-know and not get taken advantage of. And if you can, try following a "Buy Local. Think Local" policy with choosing tech support help. This way you can know and see who you are working with and paying.
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