Tech support scams took over $2.1 billion in 2025: fake pop-ups and help lines to avoid

What's happened

People reported losing $2,134,675,818 to tech and customer support scams in 2025, according to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). It logged 47,794 complaints. Only investment fraud (more than $8.6 billion) and business email compromise (more than $3 billion) cost more.

Older Americans were hit hardest. People 60 and over filed 21,333 of those complaints and reported losing $1,040,730,043, close to half the total.

The Federal Trade Commission is also looking at fake ads. In a November 2 alert, it said scammers pose as well-known businesses in social media feeds, search results and shopping sites, "And now scammers are paying too." It's asking whether platforms should vet advertisers and pull impersonation ads, and it's taking public comments on its Federal Register notice through November 30, 2026.

How the scams find you

• A pop-up. A warning that looks like it's from a big tech company says your computer is infected and tells you to call a number. The FTC says real security warnings "will never ask you to call a phone number."
• A search result. You look up a store's or a carrier's customer service number about a holiday order and call the first one you see. The IC3 says numbers in "sponsored" results "are often boosted because of Search Engine Advertising."
• A renewal notice. An email says your Geek Squad, McAfee or Norton plan has renewed for hundreds of dollars and gives a number to cancel. The FTC lists these as common names scammers use.
• The "refund." Once you call, they ask for remote access to fix things or refund you, then claim they refunded too much and ask you to send the difference back.

The IC3 warns never to send money to someone who contacted you by wire to a foreign account, cryptocurrency, a crypto ATM or gift cards, or by mailing cash or precious metals.

A worked example

Say a pop-up freezes your browser and you call the number. The "technician" connects to your laptop, shows you fake errors and says a $499 repair plan will fix it. Later they say they accidentally refunded you $4,990 instead of $499, and they show you a bank balance that seems to prove it. The IC3 says the "refund" is fake: the scammer moves money between your own checking, savings or retirement accounts so it looks as if it arrived. Send $4,491 "back" and it's gone, often with no way to get it back.

What to do now

1. Never call a number in a pop-up, text or email. Close the browser. If it won't close, restart the computer.
2. Find support numbers yourself. Use the number on your receipt, account page or the back of your card, not one from a search result.
3. Don't let a stranger connect to your device. The FTC says legitimate tech companies won't call, email or text to say something is wrong with your computer.
4. Check charges at the source. If you get a renewal notice, log in to your bank or card account directly and look for the charge.
5. Update your security software and run a scan. That's what the FTC suggests if you're worried about your computer.

If you've already been caught

• Paid by card? Call your card company or bank, report the charge and ask them to reverse it. Our guide to credit card disputes explains your rights.
• Gave a password? Change it straight away, and on any other site where you used the same one.
• Gave remote access? The FTC says to update your security software, run a scan and delete anything it flags, then change your passwords and turn on two-factor authentication.
• Report it at ic3.gov and ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The IC3 asks for the scammer's websites, phone numbers and email addresses, and the accounts the money went to, even if you didn't lose any.
• Watch for "recovery" offers. The IC3 logged 10,516 recovery scam complaints in 2025, with $1.4 billion in losses. Anyone who calls offering to get your money back for a fee is another scammer.

Questions

Does Microsoft or Apple ever call about a virus? The FTC says legitimate tech companies won't contact you by phone, email or text to tell you there's a problem with your computer.

What if the number on a website looks official? Scammers buy ads and build look-alike pages. Get the number from your order confirmation or account instead.

Can my bank get the money back? It depends on how you paid. Cards give you the most protection. Wires, crypto and gift cards are hard to recover, so report them fast anyway.

Ways to save

The IC3 suggests keeping security software updated and using an ad blocker. Malwarebytes showed its Standard plan at $59.99 a year for 3 devices on November 8, and AdBlocker Ultimate sells a yearly plan for 3 or 10 devices. A password manager such as Keeper Security makes it easier to use a different password for every account.

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Sources: FBI IC3 2025 Internet Crime Report, IC3: tech/customer support and government impersonation, checked November 8, 2026, FTC: tech support scams (September 2025), FTC: what to do if you were scammed (June 2026), IC3 alert on tech support refund scams, FTC consumer alert, November 2, 2026, Federal Register: rule on impersonation, October 1, 2026, Malwarebytes pricing, checked November 8, 2026