How to spot a tech support scam
The warning signs of a fake tech support call, pop-up, or email — and exactly what to do instead.
Tech support scams work by manufacturing urgency. A pop-up claims your device is infected, a caller says your account was breached, or an email warns a subscription will renew unless you "call immediately". The goal is to get you on the phone, panicked, and willing to hand over remote access or card details.
Real software and real companies almost never behave this way. Knowing the pattern is usually enough to defuse it.
Warning signs
- A pop-up or web page that shows a phone number and tells you to call it. Legitimate antivirus software does not ask you to phone anyone.
- Pressure to act in the next few minutes, or claims that your device will be locked or your data deleted.
- A request for remote access to your computer before anyone has explained what is actually wrong.
- Payment by gift card, crypto, bank transfer, or a payment app. No genuine support desk asks for these.
- A caller who already claims to know you are infected. Nobody can see that from outside your device.
What to do instead
Close the pop-up (force-quit the browser if the page will not close) and do not call any number shown on it. If you are worried a message about a subscription is real, ignore the contact details in the message and instead open the company's official website or app yourself, or check the billing entry on your bank statement and contact your bank.
If you already gave someone remote access, disconnect from the internet, run a scan with a reputable antivirus product, change the passwords on your important accounts from a different device, and call your bank if payment details were shared.
Reporting it
In the US, report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. In the UK, report to Action Fraud. Elsewhere, your national consumer-protection or cybercrime agency will have a reporting form. Reports genuinely help — they are how these operations get shut down.