Here's the secret most tech scams share: they don't really hack your computer — they hack you. They manufacture fear or urgency to get you to click, call, or pay before you've had a chance to think. Once you know the playbook, you'll spot them a mile away.

How tech scams work

Almost every one follows the same recipe: impersonate someone you trust (Microsoft, Apple, your bank, a delivery company, even a government agency), invent an emergency ("your computer is infected," "your account is locked," "you owe money"), and then rush you so you act before you think. The moment you slow down and check, the whole thing falls apart — which is exactly why they don't want you to.

The scams you'll actually run into

"Your computer is infected!" popups

A scary full-screen warning, often with alarms, telling you to call a number. It's fake — the popup is the scam.

Fake "support" phone calls

Someone claims to be from Microsoft or Apple about a "problem." Real companies don't cold-call you like this.

Refund & "overpayment" scams

"We owe you a refund" — then they pretend to overpay and pressure you into "paying them back."

Gift-card & wire demands

Being told to pay with gift cards, wire transfer, or crypto is a dead giveaway — no real business or agency works that way.

Phishing emails & texts

"Your package couldn't be delivered," "your account is locked" — a link to a fake login page that steals your password.

Remote-access requests

They want you to install something so they can "fix" your computer — really to get inside it. Never grant access to someone who called you.

The red flags — if you see these, it's a scam

Urgency, threats, or "act now"
A number to call on a popup
Asking for gift cards, wire, or crypto
Wanting remote access to your computer
Asking for passwords or codes
"Stay on the line / don't tell anyone"

The one rule that stops most of these cold: never call the number in a popup, and never let someone who contacted you into your computer. Real companies — Microsoft and Apple included — don't cold-call about a virus and don't put a "call support" number on a scary popup.

If you're already in one

Stop and disconnect. Hang up, or close the popup (if it won't close, just shut the computer down). You owe a pushy stranger nothing.
If you let them in, cut them off. Disconnect from the internet and call me — we'll make sure nothing was left behind.
If you paid, contact your bank, card company, or the gift-card issuer right away — fast action sometimes recovers it.
Change passwords you may have shared, from a device you trust, and turn on two-factor.
Run a scan if they touched the machine (here's how) — and call me if anything still seems off.

How to stay ahead of them

Slow down. Urgency is the scammer's only real weapon — take the moment they don't want you to take.
Verify it yourself. If a "company" contacts you, look up their real number independently and call that — never the number they gave you.
Never give remote access to anyone who reached out to you first.
When in doubt, ask me. I will never charge you just to tell you whether something's a scam — send me a screenshot or give me a call.

See it for yourself

Nothing teaches the warning signs faster than watching a scam actually unfold. I follow a white-hat group called Scammer Payback that records these calls and turns the tables on the scammers — it's eye-opening, and a little satisfying.

Watch real scams get exposed

A wall of the latest Scammer Payback videos, plus reporting resources and current scam news.

Open the scam video wall & resources →

Think you've been scammed? Call me.

If you clicked, called, or let someone in and you're worried — don't be embarrassed; these are designed to fool smart people. The sooner we look, the better. Start a remote session or get in touch, and we'll make sure you're safe.