Understanding Call Center Fraud:  Identifying & Preventing It

Have you ever encountered the aftermath of a scam call? Even if you haven't personally fallen victim to one, it's not difficult to find someone who has. Just inquire among your acquaintances: grandparents, relatives, friends, coworkers - scam callers seem to have an abundance of victims. While their primary targets are often individuals who are vulnerable or less aware, no one is entirely immune to their schemes.

We've become so accustomed to interactions with outsourced Indian call centers that these fraudulent calls sometimes appear genuine. However, in reality, they are far from it. Scammers now utilize a variety of methods, including emails, text messages, pop-up ads, and more, exploiting the vast landscape of the internet as their hunting ground.

Perhaps the most concerning aspect is that many of these scammers have shifted their tactics from cold calling to making victims initiate contact with them.

Lately, at Bit by Bit, we've observed a surge in support tickets regarding potential security breaches, only to discover that these incidents were, in fact, deceptive pop-ups from scam call centers.

Who Are They and What Do They Do?

Many of these scam call centers are located in India. Many of these individuals involved in a scam operations are unemployed citizens who have been compelled to enter this industry as a means of livelihood. While initial hesitation may exist when entering the world of scams, the lure of substantial earnings often outweighs their reservations.

However, some groups still adhere to the traditional method of cold-calling their victims. Once they engage someone on the other end of the line, they employ confidence tricks to manipulate their targets, leading many victims to unwittingly disclose their personal information over the phone.

The Microsoft Scam

A prevalent scam in circulation is known as the "Microsoft scam." In this type of fraud, scammers often impersonate employees of prominent and reputable technology companies such as Microsoft, Facebook, Apple, or even government agencies.

Typically, the scam unfolds as follows: either a prerecorded robocall leaves an official-sounding voicemail message, or a pop-up message appears on the victim's screen, alerting them to a supposed virus infection on their computer or an erroneous overcharge related to a Microsoft subscription. Victims are instructed to contact a (phony) Microsoft Hotline to resolve the issue. Variations of this scam may also involve voicemails purportedly from well-known antivirus software companies, urging a callback due to alleged "overcharges" on a subscription.

Once the victim contacts the purported Microsoft Hotline, the fraudulent helpdesk technician gains remote access to the victim's computer. With access granted, the malicious actor instructs the victim to log into their bank account to purportedly receive a refund. Upon logging in, the scammer manipulates the HTML code on the victim's account page to create a fabricated deposit, often showing a substantial amount, typically around five or ten thousand dollars. It's important to note that this is purely an illusion created through manipulated HTML, but unfortunately, many victims fall prey to this ruse.

In the next step, as implausible as it may sound, the scammer informs the victim that they were mistakenly wired five thousand dollars instead of five hundred dollars (or a similar amount). They assert that the victim must return the $4500 difference immediately, or the scammer will face repercussions, such as losing their job. Astonishingly, driven by either naiveté or a sense of trust, the victim is then coached into visiting a nearby retail giant like Target, Walmart, or Best Buy to purchase gift cards worth $4500. The victim later relays the gift card numbers to the scammers, either by reading them aloud or sending a photo, ultimately allowing the deceitful helpdesk operators to abscond with the $4,500.

IRS Scam

Scammers employ various tactics in their IRS impersonation scams. They often assume the guise of an IRS officer, inquiring about outstanding taxes, past debts, and recent tax amendments. To heighten the urgency, they threaten imminent arrest within the next 24 hours if immediate payment is not made.

In cases where the victim cannot provide the full amount upfront, scammers typically agree to accept 50% of a predetermined fee. For instance, if they demand $10,000 and the victim cannot produce this amount, they may propose a resolution wherein an initial payment of $500 or $1,000 secures their freedom from potential incarceration.

Need to know more?  Contact us at info@bitxbit.com and we can help you in avoiding these scams.