The tech support scam is a type of fraud that especially affects people age 60 or older, according to AARP. And it's a growing problem. — Image by Freepik
A computer savvy scammer spent weeks trying to trick an elderly couple into turning over information that could have wiped out their retirement savings.
Now, the Wichita husband and wife are sharing their close call with financial ruin to help warn other senior citizens about what experts refer to as "tech support" scams.
Mervin and Jean Miller, 90 and 86, have had near misses with fraudsters before.
They successfully avoided so-called "grandparent" scammers who posed as a grandchild needing cash to get out of jail or another legal jam, for example.
But none were as convincing as the man who promised to rescue their computer from hackers late last year, they say.
The ruse went on for weeks, the scammer slowly obtaining more personal and bank information each time he called.
The Millers say looking back, they should have realised he was a trickster from the start. They're smart people, with backgrounds in teaching, business and banking.
But in a rapidly changing and increasingly complicated digitally driven world, it can be hard to always know who should and shouldn't be trusted, even on a simple phone call.
"He was very smooth. He gave me a name and told me he had all this experience with Microsoft," Jean Miller said of the scammer.
"He was very believable. Of course, I'd never been hacked before so I didn't know what to expect."
What is a tech support scam?
A tech support scam happens when someone tries to get money or access to information on a person's computer or phone by pretending to be a technical or customer support technician. The scammer generates panic by telling the victim their device has a virus or other serious problem. They claim they can fix it if the victim hands over money, passwords or remote access to the device.
Tech support scammers often make contact with victims through text messages, cold calls or pop-up warnings on their screens claiming their computer has been infected, said Jason Roach, chief attorney for the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office's Consumer Protection Division. That's something legitimate companies won't do.
Often the scammers claim they work for companies like Microsoft or Apple, making them appear credible, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
They might even spoof the caller ID so they look legitimate, Microsoft says.
"Generally the scammer wants payment via a gift card or cryptocurrency. Sometimes they gain access to the device and ransom it back to the owner," Roach said.
It's a type of fraud that especially affects people age 60 or older, according to AARP. And it's a growing problem.
Complaints about tech support scams to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center more than doubled from 14,408 to more than 32,000 between 2018 and 2022, making it the fifth most reported crime behind phishing, personal data breaches, non-payment or non-delivery and extortion.
Financial losses have also ballooned in recent years. In 2022, tech support scams were the third most costly for victims, at more than US$806mil (RM3.80mil) in reported losses, according to the FBI. That's more than five times the amount lost, US$146mil (RM689.12mil), just two years earlier.
"If you get a pop-up window that tells you to call a number, don't do it," Roach said.
'I just went along' with scammer on phone
Mervin Miller said the ploy started one day between Thanksgiving and Christmas when a horrible noise poured from the room where the couple keeps their computer.
At first, he thought it was a car alarm.
"It started honking. Honk! Honk! Honk!" he said, describing the sound. "I went and looked out the window."
But there was no car outside. The commotion was an urgent-looking pop-up warning on their computer screen.
"It was just a blast of noise. It said, 'Alert! Alert! You're being hacked. Please call! This is Microsoft!'" Jean Miller recalled. "They flashed a number on there, and I called it."
The man who answered told the couple 17 hackers had gotten a hold of their Social Security numbers and other private data by compromising their computer's existing security system.
He promised to coach them through building a new firewall if they followed his instructions.
"He would say things like, 'Now push eight. Now push the pound sign. Now a colon. We're building a wall’," Mervin Miller said.
"He was using a lot of technical stuff that I didn't understand," his wife said. "I just went along with what he said."
The man was pleasant and patient and seemed genuinely concerned for their well being, making it easy to trust him, the couple recalled.
"He'd say he'd call tomorrow when we were more rested and ... could work better," Mervin Miller said.
'Building our confidence' over time
The phone calls continued daily for around two weeks, growing more friendly and lasting an hour or more each time.
Sometimes the man would share good news, Mervin Miller said. Sometimes it was scary.
Once he told them that some of the hackers' attempts to access their computer had been thwarted, a success.
But more criminals had hijacked a hot spot in their apartment to eavesdrop on their conversations, the man told them. He needed access to their cellphones, too, to stop the wiretap.
"I didn't even realise that he was scamming. I just accepted the fact that he was helping me," Jean Miller said.
The man sounded professional and used computer terms like "cursor" and "firewall" and "the dark web" that the Millers didn't fully understand. He explained complex problems and issued warnings – "You see how much trouble we have?" he once told Miller – all while promising he could help.
To further gain their trust, the man bookended his phony firewall-building instructions with pleasantries about the weather and started referring to the couple affectionately as "Mr Mervin" and "Miss Jean”.
During the talks, he got the Millers to reveal their bank account balances and even told them fake personal details, like he had lived in Seattle for 15 years.
"He was just building our confidence," Mervin Miller said.
It was during one of those throw-away phone exchanges that the Millers finally realised they were being scammed.
One day, the man asked about the weather, like usual, Mervin Miller said.
But his next question was odd.
Where is Kansas anyway?
"And I thought, 'Whoa. Wait a minute! This is somebody in Seattle that doesn't know where Kansas is at?" Mervin Miller said.
Before he hung up, he told the man he knew he was a hacker.
Don't be reluctant to 'check on everything'
Fortunately, the Millers didn't lose any money in the ordeal.
But some of the other fallout has been inconvenient.
At least one of their bank accounts was flagged for fraud monitoring.
They had to have their computer rebuilt, and they were forced to change all of their passwords, Mervin Miller said.
They also worry about using the Internet now.
The Millers aren't ashamed of what happened, though.
Going forward, they say they'll be more cautious.
"I probably should have thought about it a little more and called Microsoft back and asked if they were really calling me," Jean Miller said.
The couple also hopes their story can help others avoid the same confidence game.
"Check on everything. That's the only thing you can do. ... If they call you, just say, 'I'll call you back,' and that stops it right there," Jean Miller said.
"My advice is talk more about it," her husband said. "Don't be ashamed if it happens. They're trying it all the time."
How to avoid tech support scams
Here are some tips to avoid falling victim to a tech support scam – and what to do if you got tricked:
– Don't click on unsolicited text message links and don't hand over control of your device to anyone on the phone who claims to be with technical support.
– Don't give anyone details about your device or download any programs on it. That's how scammers get control or lock you out.
– Keep your computer's security system updated. If you think you have a virus or malware, update your anti-virus software or run a scan. If you gave a scammer remote access to your computer, immediately run a scan and delete anything it identifies as problematic.
– Visit local technical support businesses or stores in person to have problems addressed or contact companies directly for support online or by phone. Go to someone you trust.
– If you paid a scammer with a credit or debit card, immediately contact your credit card company or bank and stop the transaction or ask to have the charges reversed. If you paid with a gift card, call the company that issued the card immediately and ask for a refund.
– If you gave any usernames or passwords out, change them immediately. – The Wichita Eagle/Tribune News Service
