Scammers impersonating Best Buy’s tech support arm, Geek Squad, have been on the rise, targeting unsuspecting victims with various tactics to steal personal information and money. With the brand’s trusted reputation, scammers have found ways to exploit it for their benefit. According to the Federal Trade Commission, Best Buy/Geek Squad is the most impersonated brand in the US, as evidenced by the increasing number of complaints received in 2023.
One of the main tactics used by scammers is social engineering, where they use fear or urgency to manipulate victims into responding without thinking critically. Classic phishing and voice phishing techniques are commonly employed in these scams. Some of the most common Geek Squad scams include fake subscription renewal notices, invoice fraud, fake antivirus renewals, bogus password alerts, fake protection plans, and tech support fraud.
In the fake subscription renewal scam, victims receive emails claiming that their Best Buy or Geek Squad service is about to auto-renew and require personal and financial information to avoid charges. Similarly, invoice fraud involves scammers sending fake invoices for services that were never rendered, sometimes using hacked accounts to lend legitimacy to the scam. Fake antivirus renewal emails trick victims into thinking they need to renew a non-existent subscription, leading them to disclose personal information.
Bogus password alerts and fake protection offers are also used to deceive victims into providing sensitive information. In tech support fraud, scammers claim to be from Geek Squad and convince victims to grant remote access to their computers, allowing the scammers to install malware and steal personal and financial data. Additionally, some scammers use search engine optimization to promote fake tech support websites, further luring in unsuspecting victims.
To avoid falling for Geek Squad scams, individuals should be cautious of suspicious sender email addresses, emails or calls creating fear and urgency, unsolicited phone calls requesting remote access, unsolicited emails with links or attachments, and grammatical errors in messages. It is important to verify the legitimacy of communications before responding and never click on unsolicited links or attachments.
If you suspect you have been scammed, take immediate action to protect your personal and financial information. This includes freezing credit/debit cards, contacting financial institutions, changing passwords, updating security software, reporting fraud to the FTC, and following an identity theft recovery plan. Staying vigilant and informed about evolving scam tactics is crucial to staying safe online. Remember, staying alert and informed is key to protecting yourself from evolving cyber threats.