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HandWiki. Technical Support Scam. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/35442 (accessed on 06 October 2026).
HandWiki. Technical Support Scam. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/35442. Accessed October 06, 2026.
HandWiki. "Technical Support Scam" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/35442 (accessed October 06, 2026).
HandWiki. (2022, November 21). Technical Support Scam. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/35442
HandWiki. "Technical Support Scam." Encyclopedia. Web. 21 November, 2022.
Technical Support Scam
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The content is sourced from: https://handwiki.org/wiki/Social:Technical_support_scam

A technical support scam refers to any class of telephone fraud activities in which a scammer claims to offer a legitimate technical support service, often via cold calls to unsuspecting users. Such calls are mostly targeted at Microsoft Windows users, with the caller often claiming to represent a Microsoft technical support department. In English-speaking countries such as the United States , Canada , United Kingdom , Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, such cold call scams have occurred as early as 2008. and primarily originate from call centers in India . The scammer will typically attempt to get the victim to allow remote access to their computer. After remote access is gained, the scammer relies on confidence tricks, typically involving utilities built into Windows and other software, in order to gain the victim's trust to pay for the supposed "support" services. The scammer will often then steal the victim's credit card account information or persuade the victim to log in to their online banking account to receive a promised refund, only to steal more money, claiming that a secure server is connected and that the scammer cannot see the details. Many schemes involve convincing the victim to purchase expensive gift cards and then to divulge the card information to the scammer.

technical support scam online banking technical support

References

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  25. Melendez, Steven (2019-05-10). "The awful, fast-growing tech scams fleecing the elderly out of millions" (in en-US). https://www.fastcompany.com/90341507/tech-support-scams-stealing-millions-from-the-elderly. 
  26. "Kitboga: The Internet star giving scammers a taste of their own medicine | CTV News". https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/kitboga-the-internet-star-giving-scammers-a-taste-of-their-own-medicine-1.4364192. 
  27. Bhattacharjee, Yudhijit (2021-01-27). "Who’s Making All Those Scam Calls?" (in en-US). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/27/magazine/scam-call-centers.html. 
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  29. "Death threat issued in bogus tech support call". https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-31748589. 
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  31. Cox, Orla (22 June 2010). "Technical Support Phone Scams". http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/technical-support-phone-scams. 
  32. Hunt, Troy. "Interview with the man behind Comantra, the "cold call virus scammers"". http://www.troyhunt.com/2012/05/interview-with-man-behind-comantra-cold.html. 
  33. Baker, Steve. "What Seniors (And Their Children) Need To Know About Tech Support Scams". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2016/08/07/what-seniors-and-their-children-need-to-know-about-tech-support-scams/#509cbaa1202b. 
  34. "Reputation of guruaid.com". WOT. https://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/guruaid.com. 
  35. "How iYogi & Guruaid running tech support campaigns?". AdWords Community. https://www.en.adwords-community.com/t5/Ad-Approval-Policy/How-iYogi-amp-Guruaid-running-tech-support-campaigns/td-p/256765. 
  36. Cringley, Robert (28 March 2012). "The downward (dog) spiral: iYogi exposed". InfoWorld. http://www.infoworld.com/t/cringely/the-downward-dog-spiral-iyogi-exposed-189712. 
  37. Cringley, Robert (21 March 2012). "Tech support or extortion? You be the judge". InfoWorld. http://www.infoworld.com/article/2619722/cringely/tech-support-or-extortion--you-be-the-judge.html. 
  38. Washington state sues firm, alleges tech support scam , Associated Press, 16 December 2015 http://www.bigstory.ap.org/article/463933ef849e4521b9bee539b2d521c5/washington-state-sues-iyogi-alleges-tech-support-scam
  39. Joe Panettieri (18 March 2016). "iYogi IT Services Lawsuit: State of Washington Awaits Response - ChannelE2E". https://www.channele2e.com/2016/03/03/iyogi-it-services-lawsuit-state-of-washington-awaits-response/. 
  40. Lawsuits Cloud iYogi Remote Tech Support Reputation , 11 Jan 2016 https://www.channele2e.com/2016/01/11/lawsuits-cloud-iyogi-remote-tech-support-reputation/
  41. Microsoft Drops partner accused of Cold-Call Scams , 22 February 2016 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/sep/22/microsoft-drops-partner-accused-scam/
  42. Whitney, Lance (19 December 2014). "Microsoft combats tech support scammers with lawsuit". CNET. http://www.cnet.com/news/microsoft-combats-tech-support-scammers-with-lawsuit/. 
  43. "Microsoft loses exclusivity in shaken up Yahoo search deal". https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/04/microsoft-loses-exclusivity-in-shaken-up-yahoo-search-deal/. 
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  45. "Bing bans tech support ads—because they're mostly scams". https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/05/bing-bans-tech-support-adsbecause-theyre-mostly-scams/. 
  46. "Google to nix all tech support provider ads". https://www.itnews.com.au/news/google-to-nix-all-tech-support-provider-ads-511909. 
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  49. "A guide to trolling a tech support scammer". WIRED UK. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/how-to-troll-a-scammer. 
  50. "Cyber-Vigilantes take on Indian Scammers" (in en-US). 2021-01-15. https://ricochet.com/869558/cyber-vigilantes-take-on-indian-scammers/. 
  51. "Consumer Software International, Inc. - v. - ICEHOOK SYSTEMS LLC et al". https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/DocumentList?docketId=7x7SkYpv7Gf5Mj9cLC14GQ==&display=all. 
  52. Dhankhar, Leena (4 March 2020). "Udyog Vihar call centre duped at least 40,000 in 12 countries; 2 arrested" (in en). Hindustan Times. https://www.hindustantimes.com/gurugram/udyog-vihar-call-centre-duped-at-least-40-000-in-12-countries-2-arrested/story-vsGBr7p13IF3whT3OTBVwK.html. 
  53. D'Anastasio, Cecilia. "This Twitch Streamer Gets Revenge On Tech Support Scammers" (in en-US). https://kotaku.com/this-twitch-streamer-gets-revenge-on-tech-support-scamm-1827454050. 
  54. Ward, Adam (2019-04-04). "Kitboga: The Internet star giving scammers a taste of their own medicine" (in en). https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/kitboga-the-internet-star-giving-scammers-a-taste-of-their-own-medicine-1.4364192. 
  55. "A Twitch Streamer Is Exposing Coronavirus Scams Live" (in en-us). Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. https://www.wired.com/story/kitboga-twitch-streams-coronavirus-scams/. 
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