Fake Tech Support Scams Target Your Business’ Lack of Organizational IT Knowledge

All businesses need a little IT assistance from time to time, whether it’s for a simple hiccup some software or a full-blown technology emergency. Cybercriminals will often pose as IT support in attempts to capture this low-hanging fruit. Your employees should know how to spot the following warning signs from a fraudulent tech support squad.

Keep in mind: these tips are helpful whether you have IT staff or not. 

Major Tech Companies Won’t Call You

Have you ever received an email or phone call from someone claiming to work for Microsoft, Apple, or another big-name tech company, asking about your computer’s status? This is a classic example of a fraudster trying to use the authority of a reputable company to their advantage. Don’t believe anything they say; a company like Microsoft is not going to reach out to you to address an issue on your computer.

The reason: it’s simply unfeasible for them to do this for every single Windows computer on the planet. It also helps that governing bodies have agreed that no tech company will call you unsolicited.

So, if you receive a message from anyone claiming to work for any major technology company, telling you there’s something wrong with your computer, you can safely assume that it’s probably fraudulent. If you’re ever worried that they might be right, you can contact a trusted IT provider like White Mountain IT Services first to verify the issue actually exists.

There Is No Need to Give IT Support Sensitive Information

Here’s another big one: if tech support is asking you for credit card details or login information, it’s safe to say that they are not asking with pure intent. Your trusted IT resource should be able to remotely sign into your computer regardless of whether or not you give them your credentials; that’s part of their job, after all. So why should you need to give them access to your own personal login credentials for them to do their job? It just doesn’t make sense.

The same goes for credit card information. More likely than not, your business has already worked out a deal with its IT provider (if you use one) where services are rendered and the company receives a bill or invoice for payment. There should never be any reason for you or your employees to send or tell anyone from supposed IT support your credit card numbers.

Notice anything familiar? Most of these issues target a lack of organizational knowledge about how your business receives IT support. Which brings us to our last major point…

Make Sure Everyone Knows Your Go-To IT Company

The reason most employees would fall for a tech support scam is simple: they don’t actually know who your IT resource is. You can minimize the risk of a tech support scam by making sure your team has the contact information and support ticketing procedures for your IT company available at all times. This way, when they receive a suspicious message, they can simply cross-reference the contact information, or they can recognize that this is not the typical way IT support happens at your business.

What happens when you don’t have a dedicated IT provider? That’s where White Mountain IT Services comes in. We’ll be your business’ trusted support provider—one your employees and your business can rely on. Learn more by contacting us today at (603) 889-0800.

White Mountain IT

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