How to tell a real computer support company from a scam
Published 2026-03-11 · Updated 2026-08-14
Short answer: A legitimate computer repair company never calls you first about a virus, never asks for payment in gift cards or cryptocurrency, and never needs your antivirus account password. Pop-ups that display a phone number and warn your PC is infected are always fraudulent — real security software does not put a support number in an alert. When in doubt, hang up and contact the vendor yourself using a number from their official website.
Step by step
- Nobody legitimate calls you firstMicrosoft, Norton, Apple and your ISP do not cold-call customers about virus infections. They cannot see your computer's state and have no reason to call. An unsolicited call claiming your PC is infected is a scam every time, regardless of what caller ID shows — caller ID is trivially spoofed.
- Pop-ups with phone numbers are always fakeA full-screen warning with an alarm sound, a countdown, and a toll-free number is a web page, not a system alert. Real antivirus never displays a phone number in a warning. Close it with Task Manager and never call the number.
- Check the payment method demandedGift cards, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or payment apps to a personal account are the defining signal of fraud. No legitimate business is paid in Apple or Google Play gift cards. This one signal is conclusive on its own.
- Verify who you actually reachedSearch for the company independently rather than trusting a number from an ad, a pop-up or a sponsored search result. Go to the vendor's official website by typing the address yourself and use the contact route published there. A real independent shop will state plainly that it is independent and not affiliated with the vendor.
- Never hand over account passwordsA repair technician does not need your antivirus account password, your bank login or your email password to fix a computer problem. Being asked for them, or being asked to log into your bank "to process a refund", means end the session immediately.
- If you already gave accessDisconnect from the internet, run a full offline scan, change passwords from a different device, and call your bank if payment details were shared. Report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Acting in the first hours matters considerably.
What only the vendor can help with
If you want to verify a support number, get it from the vendor's own website by typing the address into your browser directly — never from a search advertisement, a pop-up, or a number someone reads to you over the phone.
Related questions
Microsoft called me about a virus on my computer. Is it real?
No. Microsoft does not make unsolicited calls about virus infections and has no way to detect problems on your personal machine remotely. Hang up. If you are worried, contact Microsoft yourself through support.microsoft.com.
I got a pop-up with a support number. Should I call it?
No. Genuine security software never puts a phone number in a warning message. That pop-up is a web page designed to look like a system alert. Close the browser using Task Manager, then run a scan with your existing antivirus.
How do I find the real support number for my software?
Type the vendor's official website address into your browser directly and use the contact page there, or sign into the account portal you purchased through. Do not use numbers from search ads, pop-ups or third-party directory sites, which are the most common source of fraudulent numbers.
Is it safe to use an independent repair shop instead of the manufacturer?
Yes, for repair work. A legitimate independent shop is often faster and cheaper for hardware and software repair. The test of legitimacy is transparency: a real one tells you clearly that it is independent and not affiliated with the manufacturer, and routes you to the vendor for anything involving your account, licence or billing.
I already paid a scammer. What can I do?
Contact your bank or card issuer immediately to attempt a reversal — speed matters most here. Change every password from a different, clean device. Run a full offline malware scan on the affected machine. Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and to your state attorney general.
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