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The cunning Geek Squad scam comes in eight variants. Internet scams are a thriving industry. According to the most recent Federal Bureau of Investigation crime report, the United States had the most complaints (nearly 1 million) and the biggest amount of money lost ($6.7 billion) in 2021. Tech assistance frauds, such as the Geek Squad scam, are among the most expensive, costing Americans $350 million yearly.
What is the appeal of the Geek Squad scam? In short, because it is one of the easiest scams to carry out, it costs almost nothing to run, it has countless variants, and the criminal has a shallow risk of being detected. Continue reading to learn more about Geek Squad scams.
What Is the Geek Squad Scam?
The Greek Squad scam begins innocently enough: consumers will get an email informing them that their Geek Squad membership has been renewed. People who get this email are usually not members of any regular Geek Squad service, so they phone the toll-free number mentioned in the email to figure out what’s happening.
The operator on the other end of the line then agrees to reimburse the money but needs access to your online banking account to do it fast. They want remote access to your computer to demonstrate how to accomplish this safely. Then everything goes wrong.
The technician then informs the user that something has gone wrong and that they have transferred a big sum of money to their bank by mistake. They employ intimidation and allegations to force the user to withdraw money from their bank account and transfer it to an address to settle the dispute.
These imposters (fraudsters) would then try to extort extra money from users by claiming that they never delivered the money. It has cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to hundreds of people.
So you don’t believe you’d fall for anything like that? That is what every victim believes until they are hundreds of dollars in debt. It was Norton Antivirus last year, and during the epidemic’s peak, it was the IRS and Amazon. These frauds never cease. Therefore, you should understand how they work so you can do your best to keep safe. These are the scams:
- Make use of the name of a well-known and well-established institution.
- Send emails with attachments or links that appear entirely dubious once you get past the message’s frantic substance.
- Use haste to stress the user and cause them to make mistakes they would not ordinarily make.
How Does The Geek Squad Scam Work?
The Geek Squad scam has no single version, which is one of the reasons, so many people fall for it. But the eventual objective is always the same: to obtain money and information from you through deception and trickery.
A fraudster will contact you via a fake Geek Squad scam email, text message, or phone call. The news will offer you a cause to get them again. Once you do, the fraudsters will ask you for money, account details, or access to your device, after which they will install malware and steal your personal information. Protect yourself by being aware of the eight ways scammers use Geek Squad scams.
1. Auto-renewal Scams
The Geek Squad, email renewal scam begins with a phony email or text message informing you that your Geek Squad subscription is being automatically renewed for an excessive amount of money, generally about $400, and will be charged to your credit card.
If the renewal is a mistake, contact the given number—supplied by the fraudster—within 24 hours, and Best Buy will cancel the membership for a minimal cost. This con is open to everyone. Whether you now have formerly had or never had a Geek Squad account, it makes no difference.
2. Security Services Scams
While browsing the internet, you see a flashing pop-up message informing you that your computer has been infected with hacking software or a virus. To have it resolved, call the Geek Squad at the number on the screen supplied by the scammer. Once you’ve done so, they’ll charge you a fortune to “repair” an issue you never had.
3. Malware Scams
Here’s a simple technique to spot a con artist: Some security assistance scams may encourage you to download special software that will let a Geek Squad technician remotely examine your computer, identify the problem, and solve it. This program grants the fraudster access to your complete system, allowing them to steal any stored information.
4. Ransomware Scams
To make matters worse, once you’ve installed the scammer’s software and remotely seized control of your device, they may urge you to pay a charge to unlock your data. They frequently demand money in the form of untraceable gift cards.
5. Technical Support Scams
As a thank you for being such a dedicated customer, you receive a phony email offering free or reduced computer support services from the Geek Squad. When you phone to make an appointment, the customer service representative will ask for your payment card information to arrange the service. Except that’s not a customer care representative, you’re not speaking with Best Buy, and you don’t receive any help. Scammers, on the other hand, take your money.
How to Avoid the Geek Squad Scam?
If you’ve gotten an email purportedly from Geek Squad and suspect it’s a scam, you’ve already done half the work. Whatever you do, do not submit personal information through email or any other means, and do not respond to the same email or contact the number provided.
To prevent falling into scammers, use basic measures such as not clicking on links or downloading attachments. Keep this to yourself as well: increase awareness of the fraud, but don’t forward the email to others in case they fall for it.
In reality, your best strategy is just to delete the email. If you share your computer with another person, ban the sender from protecting them from falling prey to the scam. To summarize, the simplest method to avoid the Geek Squad email is to ignore it and ban the sender.
EndNote
You should now be aware of fraudsters’ traps and will avoid falling prey to them. While you are doing your best to protect yourself, raising awareness among your family and friends is critical. The red flags above for detecting a Geek Squad scam also apply to other phishing schemes. Be on the lookout for them and avoid them at all costs.
Also read: USTV247: Everything You Need to Know
