6 Common Geek Squad Scams And How To Defend Against Them

Scams

Learn astir nan main strategies utilized by scammers impersonating Best Buy’s tech support limb and really to debar falling for their tricks

11 Sep 2024  •  , 5 min. read

For 3 decades, Geek Squad has been a trusted sanction successful tech for anyone needing IT support. The Best Buy subsidiary dispenses diagnostics, repairs and proposal to consumers crossed nan US in-store and online – including 24-hour emergency support. But for illustration galore spot brands, it’s besides ripe for maltreatment by cybercriminals. In fact, judging by nan number of complaints sent to nan Federal Trade Commission successful 2023, Best Buy/Geek Squad is nan astir impersonated marque successful nan US.

Scammers person travel up pinch various tricks that leverage nan marque and piggyback connected its trusted estimation to portion victims pinch their rate and individual information. We’ve rounded up nan main strategies to look retired for, and really to debar falling for them.

Geek Squad scams exposed

All Geek Squad scams are variations connected existing themes. They usage classical social engineering strategies that not only impersonate nan brand, but besides effort to create a consciousness of fearfulness aliases urgency truthful that nan unfortunate responds without reasoning through what they’re doing first. As such, astir tin beryllium categorized nether classical phishing (email) aliases vishing (voice phishing). Here are nan astir communal we’ve observed:

• Auto-renewal: You person an email reminding you that a non-existent subscription to a Best Buy aliases Geek Squad work is coming to an extremity and will auto-renew unless you click a link. Usually this will return you to a clone Geek Squad tract wherever you’ll beryllium asked to input individual and financial information, that enables nan scammers to perpetrate personality fraud. Alternatively, nan email whitethorn opportunity you’ve already been charged and if you conflict it, click nan nexus aliases telephone a number.

• Invoice fraud: Similarly to nan above, you person an email containing a clone invoice for non-existent services rendered. Sometimes, nan fraudster will adhd legitimacy to nan scam by hacking a genuine Geek Squad employee’s account, successful bid to show your existent relationship specifications connected nan email.
• Fake AV renewal: Yet different variety connected nan above, this scam originates pinch an email notifying you that a non-existent package subscription is owed for renewal and money will beryllium debited from your relationship unless you click a link. In reality, nan scammers are aft nan aforesaid thing: individual and financial information.

• Bogus password alert: An email claims that personification tried to entree your Geek Squad relationship and requests that you reset your password to bolster relationship security. Alternatively, you whitethorn simply person a clone petition to reset your password connected your (possibly) non-existent account. However, clicking connected nan nexus will return you to a phishing page that will petition individual accusation and login details, which tin past beryllium utilized by nan scammer successful follow-on fraud.

• Fake protection/AV: You person an email informing you astir online threats. It will connection you a free anti-virus download aliases a paid-for ‘protection plan’ to enactment safe online. In reality, nan download is astir apt to incorporate malware itself, designed to harvest accusation from your machine. Needless to say, nan “protection plan” is worthless.
• Tech support: One of nan oldest scams going is tech support fraud, wherever victims are often called retired of nan bluish by tech ‘experts’ claiming their instrumentality is compromised pinch malware. In this variation, they’re from Geek Squad, and will instrumentality you into giving them distant entree to your computer, which they will usage to download existent malware to hunt for delicate individual and financial information. Alternatively, they could seduce you to salary for clone ‘antivirus’ software.

In immoderate cases, cybercriminals whitethorn usage hunt motor optimization techniques to get clone tech support website astatine nan apical of Google hunt listings. If you hunt for tech support, find nan tract and telephone nan number connected it, you’ll get consecutive done to nan scammers.

Red flags to watch retired for

The supra should springiness you a bully thought of nan benignant of strategies fraudsters will usage to portion you pinch your individual accusation and cash. But really do you spot nan clone from nan perchance morganatic emails? Watch retired for:

• Sender email addresses that don’t look right. Even if nan sender domain looks legitimate, hover complete it. It could beryllium hiding nan existent sender email address.
• Emails and calls that effort to create a consciousness of fearfulness and urgency, particularly related to financial matters.
• An unsolicited telephone telephone successful which nan caller tries to seduce you to download distant entree package to your instrumentality arsenic it’s compromised pinch malware. Remember: they would person nary measurement of knowing your instrumentality is infested pinch malware.
• Unsolicited emails containing links aliases attachments that you are urged to follow/open. Geek Squad will ne'er do this retired of nan blue.
• Grammatical and pronunciation mistakes – though expanding usage of generative AI is making it easier for scammers to constitute phishing messages successful cleanable English.

How to enactment safe from Geek Squad scams

Forewarned is forearmed. Consider nan pursuing to support your individual and financial info safe from scammers.

• Always cheque nan sender email looks morganatic earlier responding. If successful doubt, interaction Geek Squad to cheque connected a connection – though not by calling nan number successful nan email aliases responding straight to it.
• Never click connected attachments aliases links successful unsolicited emails.
• If you person a telephone telephone retired of nan bluish from Geek Squad, get their sanction and wherever they’re calling from, put nan telephone down and telephone Geek Squad nonstop to check.
• Install anti-virus from a trusted supplier for illustration ESET connected each computers and devices. This will thief to select retired phishing messages.
• Never manus retired individual aliases financial accusation complete nan phone. Geek Squad would ne'er petition this.

If you deliberation you’ve been scammed

In nan worst-case scenario, you whitethorn request to:

• Freeze your credit/debit cards, interaction your bank/card supplier and use for caller ones.
• Report fraud connected your relationship and petition a refund.
• Change your relationship passwords and move connected multifactor authentication wherever possible.
• Update your information software, tally a scan and delete immoderate malware.
• Report nan incident to nan FTC.
• ollow this link for an personality theft betterment plan.

Above is not an exhaustive database of scams. The bad guys are perpetually updating their strategies to execute their goals. It pays to enactment alert online.