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The preferred method of payment in a technical support scam is through [[Gift card|gift cards]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 18, 2020|title=Protecting Older Consumers|url=https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/protecting-older-consumers-2019-2020-report-federal-trade-commission/p144400_protecting_older_adults_report_2020.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=January 1, 2022|website=[[Federal Trade Commission]]|page=12|archive-date=December 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207000909/https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/protecting-older-consumers-2019-2020-report-federal-trade-commission/p144400_protecting_older_adults_report_2020.pdf}}</ref> Gift cards are favoured by scammers because they are readily available to buy and have less [[Consumer protection|consumer protections]] in place that could allow the victim to reclaim their money back. Additionally, the usage of gift cards as payment allows the scammers to extract money quickly whilst remaining anonymous.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fowler|first=Bree|date=December 3, 2021|title=Are you being scammed? Here's how to know and what to do|url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/are-you-being-scammed-heres-how-to-know-and-what-to-do/|url-status=live|access-date=January 2, 2022|website=[[CNET]]|language=en|archive-date=January 2, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102114704/https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/are-you-being-scammed-heres-how-to-know-and-what-to-do/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Fletcher|first=Emma|date=December 8, 2021|title=Scammers prefer gift cards, but not just any card will do|url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/data-spotlight/2021/12/scammers-prefer-gift-cards-not-just-any-card-will-do|url-status=live|access-date=January 1, 2022|website=[[Federal Trade Commission]]|language=en|archive-date=January 1, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101210732/https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/data-spotlight/2021/12/scammers-prefer-gift-cards-not-just-any-card-will-do}}</ref> Tech support scammers have also been known to ask for payment in the form of [[cryptocurrency]], [[Cheque|cheques]] and direct [[Wire transfer|bank transfers]] made through [[automated clearing house]] (the latter only gives victims 60 days to recover their funds).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tsing|first=William|date=March 30, 2017|title=Tech support scammers and their banking woes|url=https://blog.malwarebytes.com/cybercrime/2017/03/tech-support-scammers-and-their-banking-woes/|url-status=live|access-date=January 2, 2022|website=[[Malwarebytes]]|language=en-US|archive-date=January 2, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102121007/https://blog.malwarebytes.com/cybercrime/2017/03/tech-support-scammers-and-their-banking-woes/}}</ref>
If a victim refuses to follow the scammer's instructions or to pay them, scammers have been known to resort to insulting<ref name=":2">{{cite magazine|date=October 15, 2012|title=A guide to trolling a tech support scammer|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/how-to-troll-a-scammer|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707145921/http://www.wired.co.uk/article/how-to-troll-a-scammer|archive-date=July 7, 2018|access-date=October 3, 2018|magazine=[[Wired UK]]}}</ref> and threatening<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Brodkin|first=Jon|date=March 4, 2015|title=Tech support scammer threatened to kill man when scam call backfired|url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/03/tech-support-scammer-threatened-to-kill-man-when-scam-call-backfired/|url-status=live|access-date=November 15, 2019|website=[[Ars Technica]]|language=en-us|archive-date=November 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115115826/https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/03/tech-support-scammer-threatened-to-kill-man-when-scam-call-backfired/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Kitboga: The Internet star giving scammers a taste of their own medicine {{!}} CTV News|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/kitboga-the-internet-star-giving-scammers-a-taste-of-their-own-medicine-1.4364192|access-date=November 15, 2019|website=www.ctvnews.ca|date=April 4, 2019|archive-date=November 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114165256/https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/kitboga-the-internet-star-giving-scammers-a-taste-of-their-own-medicine-1.4364192|url-status=live}}</ref> their victim to procure payment. Scammers may also resort to [[bullying]], [[coercion]], [[threat]]s and other forms of [[intimidation]] and [[psychological abuse]] towards their target in an effort to undermine the victim's ability to think clearly, making them more likely to be forced further into the scam.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tech support scammers |url=https://www.selwynfoundation.org.nz/learning/information-about-ageing/tech-support-scammers/ |access-date=2023-12-23 |website=www.selwynfoundation.org.nz |language=en}}</ref> Crimes threatened to be inflicted on victims or their families by scammers have ranged from [[theft]], [[fraud]] and [[extortion]],<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|last=Bhattacharjee|first=Yudhijit|date=January 27, 2021|title=Who's Making All Those Scam Calls?|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/27/magazine/scam-call-centers.html|access-date=January 27, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=January 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127100511/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/27/magazine/scam-call-centers.html|url-status=live}}</ref> to serious crimes such as [[rape]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=March 10, 2015|title=Busted scammer resorts to death threats|url=https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2015/03/10/busted-scammer-resorts-to-death-threats/|access-date=January 27, 2021|website=Naked Security|language=en-US|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108113124/https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2015/03/10/busted-scammer-resorts-to-death-threats/|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[murder]].<ref name=":2" /> [[Canada|Canadian]] citizen Jakob Dulisse reported to [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] that, upon asking the scammer why he had been targeted, the scammer responded with a [[death threat]]; 'Anglo people who travel to the country' ([[India]]) were '[[Dismemberment|cut up in little pieces]] and thrown in the river.'<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Death threat issued in bogus tech support call|work=BBC News|date=March 5, 2015|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-31748589|access-date=October 24, 2019|archive-date=October 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024190837/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-31748589|url-status=live}}</ref> Scammers have also been known to lock uncooperative victims out of their computer using the [[Syskey|<code>syskey</code>]] utility (present only in Windows versions previous to [[Windows 10]])<ref>{{Cite web|last=Whittaker|first=Zack|date=February 22, 2017|title=We talked to Windows tech support scammers. Here's why you shouldn't|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-you-should-never-talk-to-windows-tech-support-scammers/|url-status=live|access-date=December 31, 2021|website=[[ZDNet]]|archive-date=December 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231121104/https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-you-should-never-talk-to-windows-tech-support-scammers/}}</ref> or third party applications which they install on the victim's computer,<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Osborne|first=Charlie|date=February 10, 2020|title=Lock My PC takes on tech scammers with free recovery key offering, software withdrawal|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/lock-my-pc-locks-horns-with-tech-scammers-offers-free-recovery-keys/|url-status=live|access-date=January 1, 2022|website=[[ZDNet]]|language=en|archive-date=January 1, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101164755/https://www.zdnet.com/article/lock-my-pc-locks-horns-with-tech-scammers-offers-free-recovery-keys/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Spadafora|first=Anthony|date=February 10, 2020|title=Lock My PC fights tech support scammers with free recovery keys|url=https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/lock-my-pc-fights-tech-support-scammers-with-free-recovery-keys|url-status=live|access-date=January 1, 2022|website=[[TechRadar]]|language=en|archive-date=January 1, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101164756/https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/lock-my-pc-fights-tech-support-scammers-with-free-recovery-keys}}</ref> and to delete documents and/or programs essential to the operation of the victim's computer if they do not receive payment.<ref name="wired" />
[[Microsoft]] commissioned a survey by [[YouGov]] across 16 countries in July 2021 to research tech support scams and their impact on consumers. The survey found that approximately 60% of consumers who participated had been exposed to a technical support scam within the last 12 months.<ref name=":5" /> Victims reported losing an average of 200 [[United States dollar|USD]] to the scammers and many faced repeated interactions from other scammers once they had been successfully scammed.<ref name=":5" /> [[NortonLifeLock|Norton]] named technical support scams as the top phishing threat to consumers in October 2021, having blocked over 12.3 million tech support scam [[URL|URLs]] between July and September 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ramasubramanian|first=Sowmya|date=October 27, 2021|title=Tech support scams have become top phishing threats, report says|language=en-IN|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/internet/tech-support-scams-have-become-top-phishing-threats/article37188112.ece|access-date=January 2, 2022|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=November 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129061451/https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/internet/tech-support-scams-have-become-top-phishing-threats/article37188112.ece|url-status=live}}</ref>
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