Be careful if you receive a message informing you that a computer service for which you have never registered is about to be renewed, this is a common scam that criminals are taking advantage of to steal millions of dollars from Americans, according to a report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Although digital communication has provided multiple advantages around the world, Cybercriminals are taking advantage of this to scam millions of people. The authorities warn that there are certain companies that are highly impersonated and that, due to their high demand, end up being an ideal hook for consumers.
According to the FTC report, The electronics retail company, Best Buy, was the most impersonated brand in 2023. Although, they detailed that not directly as Best Buy but as their Geek Squad technical support team.
As they detected, many consumers were contacted via email assuring them that a Geek Squad service was about to be renewed and, if they wanted to cancel it, they had to click on a link that came in the same message.
Last year, consumers filed around 52,000 complaints about this scam. It is estimated that, due to this deception, some US$15,000,000 were lost. that reached the pockets of cybercriminals thanks to the victims who clicked on the link.
Regarding being considered the company with the most impersonation during 2023, through a statement sent to the media C.B.S.Best Buy stated: “The safety of our customers is incredibly important to us. While scams are becoming more sophisticated, we have a team of experts and a series of resources dedicated to helping prevent fraud and educating consumers.
Beware of messages from Amazon and PayPal, they could be fraud
According to the FTC report, Best Buy was the most impersonated company in 2023. However, it was not the only one. There are others to watch out for if you receive a suspicious message. In United States, Amazon and PayPal were the second and third companies most frequently used by scammers to try to deceive victims.
Other companies that appeared on the list were Norton, AppleComcast, Xfinity, Bank of America and Wells Fargo.
Although the authorities emphasized that customers lost more money due to Microsoft-related scams and Publishers Clearing House, brands that were involved in a US$109,000,000 loss.
Best Buy is the most impersonated company in the United States.
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4 tips to stay safe from online scams
- Think carefully before making any payments to someone you don’t know, especially if you feel a sense of urgency.
- Do not click on links in suspicious messages or trust caller ID.
- If in doubt, contact directly the company where the information supposedly comes from.
- Remember that legitimate companies will never demand payment from you using gift cards, cryptocurrency, money transfers, or an app.
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