What to Know About Tech Support Scams in 2025
Tech support scammers try to steal money and sensitive information by tricking individuals into believing their computer or device has a serious issue, such as a virus or system failure. Here are five things know about tech scams in 2025.
- Scams are evolving with AI.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed many industries, but unfortunately, it has also provided cybercriminals with new tools to con people. Scammers can use AI to create convincing phishing emails, deepfake videos and fake voices, and pose as tech support from a legitimate business using a spoofed telephone number. Don’t fall for it!
- Older adults are a target.
Adults 60 years and older are more likely to be victims of tech support scams than any other age group. According to the FBI’ s 2024 IC3 report, adults 60 and older lost $98 million to tech scams alone. Scammers know who their target is, and so should you.
- Trusted companies will never contact you to tell you there’s a problem with your computer.
Computer support technicians will never reach out to you unexpectedly. Never give anyone you don’t know remote access to your computer, reveal personal or financial information (like your Social Security or driver’s license number), or send them money. If you’re not sure if a message is from a legitimate company or if you’re worried something might be wrong with your computer, contact a trusted technology services provider, such as the software company or the retailer that sold you the device.
- Urgent security pop-up messages are often scams.
If you receive a pop-up warning that prompts you to take immediate action- don’t! Fraudsters often use scare tactics to create a false sense of urgency through pop-up warnings that look like error messages from your operating system or antivirus software. If you get this kind of alert, don’t click on it or call the phone number it lists. Report it instead.
- You can avoid tech support scams.
Earlier this year, Experian identified the top scams of 2025 to be aware of and how to avoid them. Here’s a summary:
- Be skeptical of unknown contacts
- Enable multifactor authentication and use strong passwords
- Secure your devices and accounts
- Avoid clicking unverified links
- Research companies before engaging
- Recognize emotional manipulation
If you paid a scammer in a tech scam:
- If you used your bankHometown debit card, use card controls in our mobile app to turn off your debit card and contact us immediately at 888.307.5887.
- If you used a credit card, contact your credit card company to order a new card and request that they stop the transaction.
If you’ve given remote access to your computer or other device:
- Update your device’s security software and run a scan to identify and remove malware.
- Change any passwords you provided to the scammer. If you use the same password for other online services, change those as well. (And always use unique passwords for each site or service.)
- Consider resetting your device. Before you do so, make sure you understand the potential impact and time involved or contact a technical support company that you trust for help.
You can help stop scammers by reporting tech scams.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends that you report tech scams that happen to you. Watch this FTC video to learn how reporting a scam can make a difference.
