Tech support scams target the elderly to gain profit

The Federal Bureau of Investigation published a new advisory regarding tech support scams that target the elderly in the United States. Based on reports, the fraudulent campaign prompts its victims to send cash concealed within magazines or similar items through shipping companies.

The federal agency stated that this technique from scammers is new since it does not solicit funds from its targets through bank transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrencies.

 

The new tech support scams target older adults through several vectors of communication.

 

The operators of the new tech support scams contact the targeted individuals through phone calls, SMS, emails, and misleading pop-up windows while posing as legitimate company representatives.

They deceive their targets by warning them of fraudulent activities connected to their accounts or promising subscription refunds. The scammers will then provide a designated contact number for assistance, which they use to request access to the victims’ computers to deposit funds into their bank accounts after they call.

The attackers will then instruct the victims to download remote access software that could allow them to gain control over the target’s computer. Next, they will convince the targeted elderly to log into their bank accounts so the scammers can deliberately deposit funds.

Subsequently, the fraudulent campaign instructs the targets to send the surplus money through shipping firms hidden within magazines or similar items to meet the scammers’ demands.

The FBI stated that elderly individuals should never download software from unknown sources, allow strange people to take over their machines, and not click unwanted pop-ups to avoid falling victim to such scams.

These preventive methods should also be the responsibility of younger generations to educate seniors.

People who have fallen victim to this malicious tech support scam should report it immediately by filing a complaint to the IC3. The federal law enforcement agency said that the complaints should contain the name of the person or company who contacted the victims, the mode of communication they utilised, and the recipient’s name and address where the money was sent.