Refund Scams

Today we’re going to discuss a news clip from ABC 10 concerning the theft of nearly $700,000.

This news clip was recently shared in a local community group, the sharer’s message: don’t allow anyone to access your computer. While rudimentarily correct at a basic level, today’s cybersecurity is more complex. Let’s discuss how allowing a trusted service provider, such as ourselves and our tools, access can prevent such a tragedy from occurring.

Tech Support Scams — What They Look Like and How to Shut Them Down

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Since you are reading this I will assume that you’ve probably seen one of these:

A browser window suddenly claims your machine is infected with a virus or possessed by a hacker.
A phone call claiming to be from “Microsoft Support” or another recognizable company. An email says you’ve been charged for something you didn’t buy and to call immediately to be refunded or cancel the order.

These are tech support scams — and they’re still one of the most common fraud tactics in circulation. They don’t rely on sophisticated hacking. They rely on panic, urgency, and social engineering.

According to the FBI and the FTC, scammers use these methods because they consistently lead victims to grant remote access or make payments under pressure.