Tech-support scams

Pop-ups, unexpected calls, and what to do instead of paying the number on the screen.

Written November 12, 2026.

A tech-support scam is a trick that pretends your computer, phone, or data is already in trouble — and that you must call a number, allow remote access, or pay right away to “fix” it. In its October 19, 2026, report, the FTC found that older adults were over four times (324%) more likely than younger people to report losing money on a tech-support scam. That is a finding about reported losses, not a statement that any one person will be taken in.

How the contact usually starts

• A pop-up on a website says your device is “locked” or “full of viruses” and shows a phone number to call.
• An unexpected call, text, or email claims to be from a well-known technology company, your internet provider, or even a government agency.
• The person on the line asks you to grant remote access to your computer, to buy gift cards, or to move money to a “safe account.”

A warning window that you did not open on purpose is not a repair invoice. Close the browser, or if the pop-up will not close, shut the computer down and get help from someone you already know, or from the company’s support page that you type into the browser. Do not call the number in the pop-up.

What not to do

• Do not give a stranger remote control of your computer.
• Do not pay with gift cards, a wire, a cash app, or cryptocurrency because a caller said it was the only way to protect your bank account. The IRS, writing about impostor and gift-card scams, has explained that scammers favor payment methods that are hard to reverse.
• Do not read out a one-time passcode or bank password.

If it already happened

If you gave someone remote access or payment, contact your bank and card issuers quickly. Change important passwords from a device you trust. If a freeze is not already in place, consider freezing your credit at all three bureaus — that can help with new-account fraud, but it will not by itself reverse a wire or a gift-card payment. Report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If your personal information was used to open accounts, use IdentityTheft.gov.

No article, freeze, or paid plan can honestly guarantee that a future pop-up or call will fail. The useful habit is to hang up, stop, and use a number or website you already had, not the one the scare message provided.