ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / NEWS

Scammers Impersonate as Geek Squad and Target Unsuspecting Customers, Best Buy Issues Warning

The Federal Trade Commission alerts consumers to fraudulent communications demanding hundreds for Geek Squad membership renewal.
PUBLISHED NOV 13, 2023
A Best Buy store is seen in Chicago, Illinois | Getty Images | Photo by Scott Olson
A Best Buy store is seen in Chicago, Illinois | Getty Images | Photo by Scott Olson

Best Buy customers face a new threat as scammers impersonate Geek Squad, the tech-support arm of the retail giant. Recognizing the red flags and promptly reporting scams are crucial steps to thwart fraud. Best Buy, in collaboration with authorities, continues efforts to safeguard customers against these deceptive practices, per USA Today.

A sign marks the location of a Best Buy store | Getty Images | Photo by Scott Olson
A sign marks the location of a Best Buy store | Getty Images | Photo by Scott Olson

Scammers are on the prowl, posing as Geek Squad members and duping unsuspecting Best Buy customers. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a warning cautioning consumers about fraudulent text and email communications. Victims receive notifications claiming they owe hundreds of dollars for Geek Squad membership renewal and are instructed to call a provided number within 24 hours to dispute the charge or cancel their membership.



 

Gift card fraud scams: Scammers employ a sophisticated method involving a conference call, gift card balance checking, and dual-tone multifrequency decoding. The result? Draining money from unsuspecting customers' gift cards.

Tech support scams: Impersonating Geek Squad, scammers reach out through phone calls, emails, texts, or pop-up windows, alleging computer infections and tricking users into granting access. This provides scammers with full access to personal information.

Phishing, smishing, and vishing: Utilizing email (phishing), text messages (smishing), or voice calls (vishing), scammers aim to extract personal information, passwords, or financial details.

Unexpected calls: Best Buy emphasizes skepticism towards unexpected calls claiming affiliation with Best Buy or Geek Squad. Legitimate calls are not unsolicited.

Gift card precautions: Best Buy warns against using gift cards for payments outside the store or website. Reduce the risk by adhering to store-specific usage and lowered purchase limits.

Calls instructing to call: If prompted by a text or email to call a number, exercise caution. Scammers exploit this tactic to acquire personal information.

Bank account requests: Scammers may seek bank account information for a supposed refund followed by a fake transaction. They then coerce victims to buy gift cards for repayment.

A salesman carries a Best Buy shopping basket as he takes inventory | Getty Images | Photo by Justin Sullivan
A salesman carries a Best Buy shopping basket as he takes inventory | Getty Images | Photo by Justin Sullivan

Immediate actions: If personal information is compromised, change passwords and contact the bank to halt unauthorized transactions.

Contact Best Buy directly: Reach out directly to Best Buy through official channels avoiding contact with numbers provided in suspicious messages.

Local Authorities: Report scams to your local police department for swift action.

FTC: Utilize the Federal Trade Commission's reporting platform at reportfraud.ftc.gov to document the incident.

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center: For more severe cybercrimes, submit a complaint to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

Stay informed, stay cautious, and protect yourself from the Geek Squad impersonation scam.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
After the contestant, Drew Carey broke the board further while trying to fix it...
10 hours ago
As it so turned out, a crucial ruling from the judges led to a BIG win for the player.
12 hours ago
When a guest brought a precious Charles Rohlfs chair, expert John Sollo confessed that he was nervous to appraise it.
14 hours ago
The guest had no idea about the item being a Tiffany product and being embedded with a rare gem.
1 day ago
The host was baffled by the goof up that the contestant made between two words.
1 day ago
Carey showed that he has got the weapon of sarcasm, and he isn't afraid to use it.
1 day ago
Whatever the host was expecting, it was far away from what the contestant said on national TV.
1 day ago
The guest was surprised to learn more about the item he had actually found on the street for free.
1 day ago
After going through everything on the board, the player left Harvey in hysterics with his answer.
2 days ago
As it so turned out, the weird-looking floor lamp was a piece from a very famous studio.
2 days ago
Most contestants were consistently getting the answers wrong, and Harvey was worried about what was next.
3 days ago
Some claimed that they got the puzzle despite English being their second language.
3 days ago
The letter was written to a columnist in response to a piece taking a swipe at Sinatra.
3 days ago
In a special episode of Celebrity Family Feud, a WWE star decided to go for the one thing Harvey is known for.
3 days ago
Luck was shining for her as she was off to a flying start and won the car with a single card.
3 days ago
Sajak had a witty reply for the contestant who was fanboying over White during the game.
6 days ago
The model said that considering White's age she would also take the offer from Sony.
6 days ago
Sheila won a brand new entertainment unit, complete with an HD plasma TV and mini bar from Howard Miller.
7 days ago
The appraiser disclosed that Yoakum began painting in the 1960s and he created one unique piece of art every single day.
7 days ago
The entrepreneur also managed to get the sharks to taste the vegan alternative meant for pets.
7 days ago