GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - A Consumer First Alert: There’s a surge in tech support scams we want people to recognize.

Scammers are targeting computer users with fake pop-up messages designed to scare people into believing there’s a virus or other issue with their computer.

The fake messages direct you to call a phone number for help. When they do, a scammer pretends to be tech support, often using real names and logos like Microsoft or Apple.

Don Holmes, a retired business consultant who shared his scam story with the Federal Trade Commission, described his experience.

“This thing pops up, kind of blocks the screen, says you’ve got all kinds of viruses in your computer. The design of the pop-up had a Microsoft logo and they had a number,” Holmes said.

How the scam works

Consumer First

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