Cyber-crime spotlight: Tech-support scams

One increasingly worrisome crime is affecting computer users who get tricked into thinking that they have a problem with their PC. According to USA Today, a typical scenario involves a user that gets a nasty looking pop up while they are surfing the internet. It explains that their computer is infected and they should call the displayed number for tech support.

Once they call, the scammers take control of their computer, do nothing, and charge outrageous fees. On average, a typical victim will be out around $280 for using one of these tech support companies. Although these scams might seem obvious to many users, analysts estimate that more than $24.6 million dollars were lost in the last two years.