Remote support scams have become a growing threat to consumers. They drain wallets and jeopardize sensitive data. In fact, in 2023 alone $1.3 billion was lost in the U.S. to these scams, according to an Axios report.
These scams typically involve cunning social engineering tactics. Fraudsters impersonate tech support representatives, often from well-known companies like Microsoft or Apple. They may use various methods to initiate contact, including unsolicited phone calls, alarming pop-up messages on your computer screen claiming critical errors or even phishing emails that appear legitimate.
The crux of the scam hinges on gaining remote access to your device. They'll convince you, often through urgency and fear tactics, to download and install remote access software. This software, while potentially legitimate in origin from reputable companies like TeamViewer or LogMeIn, is misused by the scammers to establish a connection to your device.
Once connected, the scammer has a virtual window into your digital world. They can view your screen activity, potentially steal login credentials for online accounts or even take direct control of your device. This allows them to navigate your files and folders, potentially planting malware to steal data or even lock you out of your own system and demand a ransom to regain access.
Financial information is a prime target for these scammers. With access to your online banking or other financial accounts, they can initiate fraudulent transactions. We also cannot forget about the emotional toll of these attacks. Victims often experience a sense of violation and frustration after falling prey to these scams.
A company helping all fight these scams is GoTo. For more than 20 years, the company has been dedicated to all-things security, including zero trust authentication, and powers more than 1 billion remote support sessions and 1 million customers with easy-to-use, built-for-IT solutions that save businesses time and money.
Featuring flagship products GoTo Resolve, GoTo Connect and LogMeIn Rescue, the GoTo portfolio helps securely support and connect businesses to what’s most important: their teams and customers.
Recently, GoTo launched its AI-powered scam detection feature for GoTo Resolve. The feature, included in all tiers of GoTo Resolve, adds another layer of security by analyzing support sessions on mobile devices in real time to detect and alert users of any potentially fraudulent activity before sensitive information is shared.
This smart system is trained to spot red flags in remote support sessions, like certain words or actions that suggest a scam. If it catches something fishy, GoTo Resolve cuts the connection automatically, warns users about potential fraud, and lets them report it with a single click.
This feature has already stopped thousands of scams and reduced reports of abuse by 81%. GoTo plans to bring this protection to desktop connections soon.
“It’s our responsibility to help protect businesses that use our technology as well as individuals who may interact with our solutions,” said Olga Lagunova, Chief Product and Technology Officer at GoTo. “We’ve done that with GoTo Resolve, which was built to prioritize secure remote support and management with a first-of-its-kind zero trust architecture. Our new AI-powered scam detection adds another powerful layer of protection, and we’ve already seen tremendous success since the initial rollout.”
Edited by
Alex Passett
