Fake tech support call: how to spot it and react

The fake tech support scam often starts with a fright. A red window pops up while you are browsing, with an alarming sound, and announces that your computer is infected. A number to call appears, presented as Microsoft, Apple or your internet provider. In other cases, a direct call warns you of an ongoing hack. The staging changes, but the goal does not: to take control of your machine and your money.

How the trap closes

Once you are on the phone, the fake technician reassures you and takes the wheel. They have you install a remote access tool, supposedly to diagnose the problem. From then on, they see your screen and act on your computer. They fake an impressive scan, point to bogus threats, then charge for an intervention or a subscription.

The fake refund scenario is a particularly nasty variant. The criminal claims to be refunding you an amount, pretends to mistype the figure sent, then asks you to return the "difference". The money never actually moved, but your transfer is very real.

What makes the scam effective is the role reversal. You did not seek help, yet a confident voice positions itself as the rescuer who alone understands the danger. The pressure is constant: a threat is described as active and spreading, and every minute you hesitate is framed as a minute lost. Under that staged urgency, installing a tool or reading out a number feels like the reasonable thing to do. It is precisely the moment to slow down.

The signals that should alert you

No legitimate support service behaves this way.

• An alarming popup with a number to call immediately.
• An unsolicited call announcing a virus or a hack.
• A request to take remote control of your computer.
• A request for a code, a password or bank details.
• A refund offer followed by a request to send money back.

The right response

Faced with a call, hang up without arguing. Faced with a popup, do not dial any number: close the window, and if it locks the browser, close the browser entirely. A few firm rules are enough:

1. Never install a remote access tool at a stranger's request.
2. Never share any code or password, by phone or on screen.
3. Never accept a refund that forces you to send money back.

If you have already granted access or paid, disconnect from the internet, uninstall the remote access software, change your passwords from another device and freeze your card. A full scan with an up to date antivirus then helps detect anything that may have been installed during the session.

Remember to report the incident to your national fraud authority, such as the FTC. To place this scam within the wider picture of phone fraud, return to the guide Phone scams.