At least a few lac attacks a year on computers reveal how tech support fraud has been increasingly practised in India. Here the modus operandi is simple. It is luring the victims to buy overpriced tech support systems by scaring them. They claim to fix the hardware or software problem. It is all a matter of convincing the victim that his computer has been infected by malware. A window on the victim’s computer alerts the victim of the presence of malware or spyware on his computer. The remedy is to contact telephonically the scammer for technical support. The scammer seeks a remote connection to the computer. At times the victim is asked to download a second remote management software. After getting the access, the evil players can install malware or other malicious programmes. These compromise the data on the devices. It can also collect personal information. It may give them access to financial accounts, health records and other essential services.

The fraudsters try to convince the victims of their own legitimacy. Criminals extract money or personal information.

It is necessary to question what led one to the support page. It is necessary to examine their website critically. The threat is real when the scammer gains access to the victim’s devices. It is necessary to be vigilant while you are online. If there is misgiving, it is wiser to disengage and do the verification.