Microsoft research confirms tech support scams still exist

Scammers won’t give up, no matter what year it is.

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What you need to know

If you thought tech support scams were out of the mainstream picture, think again. They’re still alive and well in 2021, out to swindle people and cause trouble. On the bright side, they’re on the decline compared to previous years, according to new information shared by Microsoft.

In theblog postannouncing its newest batch of research, Microsoft said it receives roughly 6,500 complaints per month from tech support fraud victims. That compares favorably to the 13,000 monthly reports Microsoft received in previous years. To measure how tech support scams are holding up these days, Microsoft commissioned YouGov to gather 16 countries' worth of data on said scams, resulting in info from roughly 1,000 people per nation. The United States, United Kingdom, Colombia, Finland, Spain, Netherlands, India, and France were among the countries involved.

Microsoft highlighted a few key findings from its research:

You can take a closer look at the research’s findings by reading the full53-page reportyourself. However, if you want the cliff notes version, Microsoft’s chosen highlights sum up the key takeaway: Millennials and Zoomers have a target painted on their backs, and 90% of them are smart enough to know it.

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Robert Carnevale is the News Editor for Windows Central. He’s a big fan of Kinect (it lives on in his heart), Sonic the Hedgehog, and the legendary intersection of those two titans, Sonic Free Riders. He is the author ofCold War 2395. Have a useful tip? Send it to robert.carnevale@futurenet.com.