You wouldn't hand over your wallet to a stranger and you sure wouldn't hand over your phone to them either. So why would you give them access to your computer? Sounds crazy, but folks are actually giving scammers control of their computers.
2 Wants to Know wants to keep this from happening to you.
You may see something pop up on your computer screen that says it's from Microsoft. You'll notice your computer will freeze. A message comes up that will tell you to call a number on your screen to fix it. So you call and give the scammer access to your computer.
Just in the past two years, Microsoft has heard from more than 175,000 customers complaining about tech support scams. Scammers also pose as tech support for apple. Con artists often ask for payment.
There are ways to protect yourself. Never call a phone number on a pop up. Never give a stranger access to your computer. Make sure to update anti-virus programs and your operating system software.