Microsoft has revealed the results of a survey of computer users in 16 countries which asked if online scammers have attempted to con them.
The results revealed that younger users, from the "millennial" (born between 1981 and 1996) and "Gen Z" (born after 1996) groups, are increasingly the victim of tech support scams, where fraudsters pretend to work for Microsoft and send fake warning messages to customers, who they then attempt to swindle money out of by supplying a phone number to a fake support call centre.
One out of 10 millennials and one out of 10 Gen Zers who encountered a scam fell for it and lost money, Microsoft Digital Crime Unit's Mary Jo Schrade writes in a blog post about the survey.
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Microsoft says: "We’re seeing younger people fall prey to tech support scams more often, in particular Gen Zers and millennials, as well as males. This also correlated to higher engagement than older generations in riskier online activities, such as using torrent sites and sharing email addresses in exchange for content."
The Microsoft blog explained recent trends in tech support fraud, which saw victims lose an average of $200 (£144) last year.
"Tech support fraud has evolved from pure cold calling to a more sophisticated infrastructure that leverages affiliate marketers to deliver professional-looking pop-ups to consumers, prompting them to contact fraudulent call centers (sic)," Ms Schrade writes.
"We also see scammers using email, search engine optimization (SEO) and social engineering tactics to lure victims. These tactics have served to expand an enterprise model that is easily replicable, with perpetrators sharing resources, including referrals to call centers, leads and payment processors."
What is Microsoft doing about tech support scams?
By releasing the results of its survey on tech support scams, Microsoft says it hopes to raise awareness among PC users. The tech giant's Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) is also working with police forces across the world.
Microsoft says: "The DCU works to combat tech support scams by: 1) investigating tech support fraud networks and referring cases to law enforcement as appropriate; 2) strengthening our products and services to better protect consumers from various fraudulent tactics; and 3) educating consumers about this type of fraud by providing guidance and resources on how to identify, avoid and report them."
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