The pop-up messages even led one couple in Maine to lose $1.1 million after the scammers managed to dupe them into wiring the funds to an account at the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. In all four of the stories, the victims encountered a pop-up message on their computer or tablet claiming their device had been hacked. The FBI’s Boston division also provided several anecdotes of how the tech support fraud has been hitting US consumers. “Here in the Boston Division, which includes all of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, 809 victims reported losing more than $7.5 million, which is a 49% jump from the previous year.” “Most victims, almost 60%, reported to be over 60 years old, and experienced 68% of the losses,” the FBI’s Boston office added. The FBI’s Boston division noted that last year the federal agency received 23,903 complaints about tech support schemes, which resulted in an estimated $347 million in losses, up 137% from the year before. However, losses from these crimes have been skyrocketing. Tech support schemes have been a problem for over a decade. To panic the consumer, the fraudsters can even claim the user’s computer was found with child sexual abuse material on it. The goal is to trick the victim into believing there's something wrong with their computer or bank account the scammer will then proceed to claim the user needs to pay money to fix the issue. Tech support fraud involves scammers pretending to be legitimate customer service agents, usually from a high-profile company such as Apple or Microsoft. The FBI’s Boston division is warning (Opens in a new window) the public about an alarming rise in tech support fraud duping consumers into thinking their PCs or bank accounts have been compromised. If you see an email, text, or pop-up message claiming your computer has been hacked, don’t panic: It’s likely just a scammer.
How to Set Up Two-Factor Authentication.How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac.How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files.How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill.How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad.How to Block Robotexts and Spam Messages.
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