So here is a new telephone scam making the rounds. It has actually been around for many years but it now appears to be back in vogue like high-waisted jeans. It goes like this: You receive a call from the “Windows Service Center” or “Tech Support” and the representative tells you that you are entitled to a refund. They state that the refund is because the tech support company is closing down and they need to issue refunds for tech support subscriptions. Don’t mind that they don’t verify you as a prior customer. That would just muddy the waters.
They tell you they need to use a remote control service like TeamViewer to access to your PC so they can set up the refund form or to enter your refund code or some other nonsense. They proceed to ask you to wire them money via Western Union. “But,” you ask, “if I am the one getting the refund, why am I sending YOU money?” That, of course that is a silly question: You need to set up an account and fund it with $200.
What You Should Do
If you get a phone call like this, you should just hang up. Or you can string the crook along, keep them on the line and waste their time which they would otherwise spend scamming other people. One potential victim recognized a phone call as a fraud, told the scammer that he needed to “prepare his computer” and put the phone down on the kitchen counter. After 30 minutes, he picked up the phone and the scammer was still on the line then he just hung up.
Have you been defrauded in this scam or similar computer tech support scam? You can file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission using this this link to the FTC Complaint Assistant: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/GettingStarted?NextQID=70&Url=%23%26panel1-6#crnt
Will anything come from filing a complaint? Maybe not but in the very least the FTC will use the information you provide to build a case against these crooks who hopefully get justice someday.