Hello readers! An email phishing scam by Geek Squad is a kind of scam in which the hackers pose themselves as tech professionals at Best Buy, trying to obtain personal or confidential information from victims. They can also charge money for their non-existent services.
The scam by Geek Squad is mostly done through texts and emails, in which the hackers send texts that seem to come from Geek Squad. Such texts or emails have fake billing information, links, or requests for personal information. To gather more details on this, you can check out how to spot phishing emails.
Do not fall for such Geek Squad scam emails. If you do and the scammers get access to your personal system, they may steal your personal information, banking details, infect your computer with malware, or launch account takeover attacks.
There were around 52,000 scam complaints registered at the FTC regarding Geek Squad and Best Buy impersonation scams, which made them the most impersonated organizations. In comparison, there were only 34,000 cases of Amazon impersonation and 10,000 PayPal impersonation scams.
What Is Geek Squad? Is It Really a Scam?
No.
Geek Squad is not a scam. This is a reputable technology support and computer repair business provided by the electronics store Best Buy. It is the hackers and cybercriminals who carry out the spoofing scam through text, calls, and email under the name Geek Squad.
An example would be a recent outbreak of fraudulent Geek Squad emails in 2021 that claimed to offer renewal of services that were not purchased.
What Makes Cybercriminals Impersonate Geek Squad?
Cybercriminals want their victims to be gullible enough to trust them fast.
As Geek Squad is a reputed and reliable brand name, it makes easier for scammers to impersonate to craft convincing emails. They send hundreds of texts and emails claiming that recipients bought subscriptions, received unexpected invoices, or renewed protection plans.
Even if you genuinely purchased Geek Squad services, you might still get such scam emails from hackers and cybercriminals.
Hackers do not always know whether or not you have the subscription. They just randomly send Geek Squad scam emails and hope that it will make their victims panic and fall into the traps. You can explore different types of phishing attacks to have deeper knowledge on this.
How Does Geek Squad Scam Function?
Most of the Geek Squad email scams have some common patterns and steps. Hackers try to create a sense of urgency via their scam emails, prompting the recipient to divulge personal details, click on a link, or download software that grants remote access via a Geek Squad number.
This scam works in the following ways:
Getting Your Emails
Hackers or cybercriminals first acquire your email from the dark web through social media scraping. They purchase email lists from Data Brokers, and then make their victims fall into their trap.
They Send You a Phishing Email
After this, the scammers send you the phishing email where they pose as Geek Squad using a branded template and a matching email address. The scam emails will ask you for your personal information, present a Geek Squad scam email invoice, request confirmation of your identity, or tell you about a membership fee or Geek Squad renewal scam.
The Geek Squad Scam Email Forces You into Confusion or Panic
The phishing emails are designed to create panic or confusion among you as they tell you that you have been automatically charged for something you haven't subscribed to, or that your subscription expires soon. This technique is used by scammers to force you to react hastily.
The Email Encourages You to Take Action
In order to do this, the hacker uses false phone numbers or email addresses of the Geek Squad specialists, inviting you to contact them due to the issue. This step is very important, as it lays the foundation for direct communication.
You Contact the Scammers
When you call the fake phone number or contact the scammers via email, you will talk to the scammer pretending to be the Geek Squad specialist. Do not believe his professionalism.
Scammers Get What They Want
The scammer you are communicating with will ask you for your personal and financial data, payment directly, or even remote access to your computer, which could be infected with malware.
What are the Different Types of Geek Squad Scams?
Common Geek Squad scams include tech support calls, renewal, and refund emails. Scammers use these ruses to deceive the victim to provide any of his personal information, installing the malware in the computer, and financial details.
Tech Support Scam
The scammer poses as a technician from Geek Squad and informs you about a problem with your device. He asks for remote access to fix the problem, but what he does is steal the information, install malware on the computer, or request money in exchange for ‘services.’
Membership Scam
Here, the fraudster claims that you have a Geek Squad membership, demanding payments or asking for personal and financial information in order to cancel the fake subscription.
Renewal Scam
The fraudster sends an email saying that your Geek Squad protection plan is ending soon and forces you to renew the protection plan through a fake renewal web page.
Invoice/Billing Scam
The invoice scam email provides you with the bill for the products or services you did not order and forces you to contact the scammer in order to dispute the charges.
Password Protection Scams
Scamsters say suspicious activities demand a password change from Geek Squad; this takes you to a fake website where your password is stolen.
Antivirus Software Scams
Scammers make false claims about viruses on your computer and convince you to download an antivirus program from Geek Squad, which may have spyware.
PayPal Scams
Scammers send fake PayPal invoices for Geek Squad services; they convince you to share your log-in details or financial information when disputing charges.
Order Scams
Fake Best Buy purchase orders encourage you to dispute orders that you never placed. They use these links to make you fill out forms on phishing sites.
Refund Scams
Thieves lure you into believing in a false refund from Geek Squad and request bank details to steal your money.
Prize Scams
False emails claiming to be from Geek Squad/Best Buy make you provide your personal and financial information to get a prize.
7 Warning Signs of Geek Squad Scam Emails
Warning Sign | What Does It Mean? |
Urgent subscription deadline | The email pressures you to act right away |
Unexpected renewal fees | Hackers want you to be panicked |
Unexpected invoice attachment | It may have malicious files, links, or content |
Suspicious sender address | The sender of the email could be an impersonator |
Asks for remote access | The cybercriminal may want to get control of your system |
Cancellation or refund link | The link may take you to some fraudulent website |
Gift card payment demand | The hacker may want money through an untraceable method |
How to Prevent/Stop Geek Squad Scam Emails?
With proper internet safety practices, antivirus protection, a secure browser, and two-factor authentication enabled for your accounts, you can contribute to minimizing spam emails and scams targeting your email account.
There are several guidelines you may want to use in order to reduce the risk of Best Buy scams.
Contacting Geek Squad should be done using the Best Buy website only.
Using a secure web browser like Avast Secure Browser will provide the benefit of phishing protection in case any websites are fraudulent.
Keep the quantity of information given to a minimum, without having to provide your email or phone number unless required.
Turn on your spam filter or upgrade your email filtering to avoid the number of scams you receive through your email account.
Consider creating two different email addresses; one for personal use and the other for subscription lists.
Use reliable anti-malware software such as Avast One to decrease the possibility of having malware or spyware infections on your computer.
How Can You Report a Geek Squad Scam?
If you find yourself a victim of a scam by Geek Squad, contact the authorities as well as service providers who could take necessary actions. Be careful not to click any suspicious links or attachments while reporting a scam.
Here are five steps you can take in order to report a scam:
Report to Best Buy
As soon as you identify a Geek Squad scam email, you should immediately contact or send an email to abuse@BestBuy.com reporting it. You can also reach out to them via call ((888) 237-8289).
Report to Your Email Service Provider
The reporting feature that is built into your email client can be used to report the Geek Squad Phishing email. This is done in Gmail by clicking on the three dots located beside the email and then clicking on “Report” followed by “Move to Spam.”
Report to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission)
You also have the option of reporting the scam by visiting the official FTC website and completing an online form about the internet scam.
File a Complaint with IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint)
To report email scams from the Geek Squad to the IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center at the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), visit the IC3 website and file an accurate report.
What Should You Do if You’ve Become a Victim of a Geek Squad Scam?
In case you become the target of a Geek Squad scam, act quickly to save your money, accounts, and other personal data.
Notify the Bank
Check whether there is any suspicious activity happening in your bank account and freeze the bank and credit card accounts.
Change Your Password
The first and most important thing you should do is change the password of your hacked account immediately. Set up 2FA (2 Factor Authentication) too. This is essential to avoid the most common passwords and set strong credentials.
Freeze the Credit
Immediately reach out to your bank and ask them to freeze your account, or freeze your credit features.
Use Antivirus
This is also essential: use and run a good antivirus program on your computer as soon as possible.
Monitor Your Financial Activities
Gather all your banking activities and details like credit rating, credit cards, and other details.
Warn Other People
Tell your friends and relatives about the scam to prevent them from becoming its victims.
Conclusion
Geek Squad scam emails are very convincing, particularly if they feature a bogus invoice, an unexpected renewal fee, or an emergency cancellation notice. Nonetheless, scammers rely on your panic and confusion to prompt you to take irrational actions.
The best course of action here would be rather straightforward. Do not click on any suspicious links, do not believe the contact information contained in suspicious emails, and independently verify any billing claims made by suspicious emails.
And if ever you happen to get a renewal e-mail from the Geek Squad or an invoice that makes no sense to you, then think again before you act.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q1. What is the sign of a Geek Squad scam email?
It is always good to look for unexpected invoices, suspicious sender addresses, urgent cancellations, and odd payment methods.
Q2. What should I do if I receive a Geek Squad scam email regarding my renewal?
It is recommended to report such an email and delete it; make sure that there is no need for payment.
Q3. Can I trust a Geek Squad contact number received in an email?
No, one should get the phone number from the official Geek Squad or Best Buy websites.
Q4. Can Geek Squad scam emails take your banking information?
Yes.