Scammers targeting residents in Rockland County are pretending to be employees of the Geek Squad. According to police, scammers are barraging the tri-state with phony emails claiming to represent Best Buy’s Geek Squad tech support team.
“The scammers take different tactics, often claiming the target owes money for a service plan. The message says to call a number. If you call the number (which you should NOT do), the scammer will usually ask for remote access to your computer and have you check your bank transactions,” the Rockland County Police Department said.
Once the victim gives the suspect access to a computer, they will try to access the bank accounts in an attempt to divert money from the accounts.
Once again, scammers are impersonating well-known businesses and ripping people off. In this case, they claim to be from Best Buy’s Geek Squad, which offers technical support.
According to the FTC, victims get a text message or email that says you were or will be charged hundreds of dollars to renew your Geek Squad membership. If you want to dispute the charge or cancel your membership, the message says you must call a phone number within 24 hours.
If you call the number — which you should not do — the scammer might ask for remote access to your computer. If you give it to them, they can install spyware programs on your computer, steal your online banking credentials, and drain money from your bank account.
Some scammers may ask for your bank account information to refund your money, then fake a transaction and make it look like they accidentally refunded you too much. To pay them back, they tell you to buy gift cards and give them the gift card numbers and PINs.
Scammers send alarming messages like this to rattle you. Don’t let them. If you think the message is legitimate, contact the company in question using a phone number you know is real. Do not use the number included in the message.
– FTC warning regarding Geek Squad scam.
Also, check your credit card or bank account for an unauthorized transactions. If you see one, report it to the institution and ask them to reverse it and give you back your money.
“Scammers can fake caller ID, name tags, receipts, and email address information which can trick people into thinking that they are legitimate. If you are ever asked for personal information or feel unsure about a call, you would want to hang up and call the business yourself to make sure that it was legitimate. These same general rules apply to emails, if something ever seems weird, or you are being asked to pay in a different currency, please contact the business directly. You can find out more here,” a Best Buy customer service representative said about the scam.