BBB Finds Tech Support Scam is a worldwide problem

SEATTLE --  A new study by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) finds more and more people are becoming victims of the computer technical support scam.

Many have come across this scam which targets your computer.

“This is where your computer locks up and a pop-up comes up and a voice that says you’ve got a virus. It gives you a phone number to call and that just gets things going,” said Veronica Craker; content and communications director with the Better Business Bureau.

The report called: “Pop-Ups and Impostors: A Better Business Bureau Study of the Growing Worldwide Problem of Computer Tech Support Scams” found that anyone who owns or uses a computer is a potential target.

“I think one of the reasons is we’re all on our computers all of the time and when the computer locks up a lot of people don’t know how to get out of it,” added Craker.

The study found that most people lose money using credit cards or debit cards, while checks are the second most-common form of payment.

The BBB study found that just over 85% of the scammers come from India, while less than 10 percent are operating inside the US.

The Better Business Bureau is offering tips to consumers so they don't become victims of the computer tech support scam:


    Craker said one of the things the study found was that seniors were more likely to report this type of scam while millennials were more like to lose money from the scam.