SINGAPORE: Since the beginning of 2024, there have been around 200 reports of tech support scams, with victims losing at least $17.5 million, according to reports quoting a joint statement from the Singapore Police Force and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) dated Jan 21.

These scams operate by fraudulently warning victims on their screens, telling them their devices have been infected with a virus and informing them of a “tech support” number they can call, purportedly from Apple or Microsoft.

Moreover, the numbers that pop up are local, making them appear more trustworthy to Singaporeans. However, when unwitting individuals call the number, the “tech support” staff tells them to download apps that install firewalls that permit others to access the devices and then log into their bank accounts online.

A report in The Straits Times cites Connect Wise, UltraViewer, and AnyDesk as examples of these apps.

The authorities say that when fake tech support, who may be located anywhere in the world, gain access to victims’ devices, they transfer money from the victims’ accounts in a scam that has been on the rise recently.

See also  Scam victims lose $560K to parcel delivery phishing schemes

Microsoft has called the scam an industry-wide issue that uses scare tactics to trick victims into “unnecessary technical support services to fix device or software problems that don’t exist, supposedly.”

“At worst, they’re trying to steal your personal or financial information, and if you allow them to remote into your computer to perform this ‘fix, they will often install malware, ransomware, or other unwanted programs that can steal your information or damage your data or device, the tech giant warned.

According to the joint statement, messages from Microsoft have no phone numbers.

Apple has advised users who grow suspicious of unexpected messages, calls, or requests for personal information, including information related to money matters, it would be safer to assume these are scams and to directly contact the companies the “tech support callers are pretending to represent.

Apple has also said that users who receive fraudulent warnings should close the window or tab immediately. But if they have already installed the applications recommended by the “tech support, they should delete these immediately and run an anti-virus scan on the device where they downloaded the app.

See also  Ex-F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone avoids jail after pleading guilty to fraud

If they’ve already been victimized, they should prevent further loss by reporting it to their banks, changing their passwords, and removing the payees who were added. /TISG

Read also: SCAM: 154 people lost $7.1 million to computer tech support scam.