Cyber Security • Aug 14, 2026 • 12 min read

Tech Support and Imposter Scams: How to Spot and Avoid Them

Jordan Pierce

Cybersecurity Writer, SecurFig

An "imposter scam" is any scheme where someone pretends to be a person or organization you would normally trust — a tech-support agent, a government official, a bank, a relative in distress, or a love interest — to steal your money or information. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) groups all of these under one category because the playbook is the same: manufacture urgency, exploit trust, and rush you into paying or handing over access before you can think. Below is what the latest federal data shows and the habits that stop these scams.

How Common — and Costly — Are They?

The FTC's Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024 logged more than 6.47 million consumer reports that year. Imposter scams were the most commonly reported type of fraud, with 845,806 reports, and victims reported losing about $2.95 billion to them. Across all fraud categories, consumers reported losing more than $12 billion in 2024 — a 25% jump over 2023. Critically, the share of people who reported a fraud and said they lost money rose from 27% in 2023 to 38% in 2024, and the median loss on a fraud report was about $497. ^[1]

The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) 2024 report tells a similar story from the cyber-crime angle: 859,532 complaints with reported losses of $16.6 billion (a 33% increase from 2023) and an average loss of about $19,372 among the roughly 256,000 complaints that disclosed an actual loss. People aged 60 and older filed the most complaints and suffered the largest losses. ^[2]^[5]

Two Variants Worth Knowing: Tech Support and Government Imposters

Within the imposter category, two fast-growing subtypes stand out.

Tech-support scams. The FBI reported tech-support scheme losses of about $1.46 billion in 2024, up from roughly $924 million in 2023 — one of the fastest-rising fraud types. Tactics include fake "your computer is infected" pop-ups with a phone number, unsolicited calls claiming to be from a software or computer maker, and fraudsters who impersonate bank call centers to get remote access to your machine. ^[2]^[3]

Government imposter scams. These surged as well: the FTC counted about $789 million in losses to government imposter scams in 2024, up $171 million from 2023. Scammers pose as the IRS, Social Security, or even law enforcement, often threatening arrest or legal action unless you "settle" a fake debt immediately. ^[1]

How the Scam Works

Most imposter scams share a predictable structure:

Contact out of the blue. A call, text, email, or pop-up you did not expect — often citing a problem (a virus, a suspended account, a warrant) or a prize.
Authority or emotion. They claim to be someone official, or someone you love in crisis, to lower your guard.
False urgency. "Act in 30 minutes or you lose access / get arrested / lose your money." Pressure is the whole point — it short-circuits checking.
A hard-to-reverse payment. Gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or payment apps. These are the scammer's tell: no legitimate entity collects this way. ^[3]^[4]
A request for access. Tech-support scammers often ask to control your computer remotely; once in, they may install malware, steal files, or "find" fake problems to bill you for.

Red Flags to Memorize

Someone contacts you about a problem you never noticed — real companies and agencies do not cold-call with warnings. ^[3]
Payment demanded in gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, or a payment app. Hang up or walk away. ^[3]^[4]
Threats of arrest, lawsuits, or account closure unless you pay right now.
A request to grant remote access to your computer or phone.
A caller reads back a code "to verify you" — they may be trying to take over an account using a code they triggered.
Look-alike phone numbers, email addresses, or websites (swapped letters, extra words).

Habits That Stop Scams

Slow down. Tell the caller you will hang up and call the organization's official number from its website. Scammers hate delays.
Never pay with gift cards or crypto. If that is the only option offered, it is a scam — full stop. ^[3]^[4]
Do not grant remote access to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly, and do not call phone numbers from pop-up warnings. ^[3]
Verify independently. Use the number on your statement or the agency's official site, not the one given to you.
Protect your codes. Never read a one-time passcode to someone who calls, and never type it into a page you reached from a message.
Talk about it. Scammers rely on shame and secrecy. Telling a friend or family member — especially for older relatives — defuses the pressure.

If You Already Engaged

If you gave access or paid, move fast: disconnect the device from the internet, change passwords from a clean device, run a full antivirus scan, and contact your bank or card issuer to try to stop or reverse the payment. Then report it. ^[3]

Where to Report

In the United States, file a fraud report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For internet-enabled fraud and scams, file with the FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov. If money was lost or a vulnerable adult is involved, also contact your local police. Reporting will not always recover funds, but it feeds the data law enforcement uses to disrupt these operations. ^[1]^[2]

Disclaimer

This article is for general educational purposes only. Loss figures come from the FTC Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024 and the FBI IC3 2024 Internet Crime Report and reflect reported losses, which undercount total fraud because many victims do not report. It is not a substitute for guidance from the FTC, CISA, the FBI, or a qualified professional. Scam tactics change constantly; always follow current official guidance and contact the relevant agency through its official channels if you are unsure. This guide does not constitute professional security or financial advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

A pop-up says my computer is infected and gives a phone number — what do I do?

Do not call the number and do not grant remote access. Real security software and operating systems do not display a toll-free "call us now" warning with a timer, and legitimate companies do not cold-call to report a virus. Close the browser tab (use Task Manager if it locks the screen), then run your own antivirus and change important passwords on a different device.

Why do scammers ask for gift cards or cryptocurrency?

Because those payments are hard to trace and reverse. No legitimate business, government agency, or tech-support team collects payment in gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or peer-to-peer payment apps. A demand for any of these is one of the strongest possible signs of a scam.

The "IRS" or "Social Security" is threatening to arrest me unless I pay now. Is that real?

No. Government imposter scams use threats and fake urgency to panic you into paying. Real agencies do not demand immediate payment by gift card or wire, and they do not threaten arrest over a phone call. Hang up and contact the agency through its official number. In 2024, government imposter scams alone cost Americans about $789 million. ^[1]

I already gave a scammer remote access and paid. What now?

Act quickly. Disconnect the computer from the internet, change your passwords from a clean device, run a full antivirus scan, and call your bank or card issuer to stop or dispute the payment. Then report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and, for internet-enabled fraud, to the FBI at ic3.gov. The sooner you report, the better the chance of limiting the damage.

Sources

^[1] Federal Trade Commission (FTC), "Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024" and FTC press release (March 2025): ~6.47M reports; imposter scams 845,806 reports and $2.95B lost; total fraud losses >$12B (+25% YoY); government imposter scams $789M (+$171M); 38% of fraud reporters lost money (up from 27% in 2023); median fraud loss $497. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
^[2] Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), "2024 Internet Crime Report" (IC3), released April 2025: 859,532 complaints; $16.6B losses (+33% YoY); average loss $19,372; tech-support scams ~$1.46B (up from ~$924M in 2023); government impersonation ~$406M. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
^[3] Federal Trade Commission (FTC), "How to Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams" and "Imposter Scams" consumer guidance: legitimate companies do not cold-call about problems; never pay with gift cards/crypto/wire; do not grant remote access. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
^[4] Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), phishing and scam guidance: do not pay or give access to unexpected contacts; report phishing to [email protected] / forwarding SMS to SPAM (7726). Retrieved August 14, 2026.
^[5] FBI, "2024 IC3 Elder Fraud Report": individuals aged 60+ filed the most complaints and suffered the largest losses. Retrieved August 14, 2026.