Tech support scams are a problem worldwide, with 3 out of 5 people globally having experienced one in the past year and 1 in 5 losing money to fraudsters, according to the Tech Support Scam Survey 2018 released by Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit in October 2018, which is an update to the version released in 2016. These sophisticated scams are evolving from cold calls to fake online pop-up ads and fraudulent websites – and affect everyone, even savvy online users like millennials and Gen Zers. Additionally, the cost of these scams goes beyond monetary loss, with people reporting higher stress levels after dealing with this type of fraud.
