The evolution of technology with emails has given rise to a new form of crime. In a way, we can say that technological evolution has resulted in the evolution of crimes. Email scams are one such crime that is affecting millions of people all over the world. The recent email scam is the geek squad email scam. So, what is a geek squad? How much does the geek squad cost?
We will discuss all these questions and much more in this article.
Meaning of geek squad
Let us begin, by answering the most common question- What is a geek squad?
Geek Squad is a subsidiary of a popular American and Canadian electronic corporation called the best buy. It is a multimillion company with customers all over the world. The company is well-known for retail sales of electronic goods like laptops, phones, etc. Best buy geek squad provides its services in-store, on-site, and over the internet through remote access.
Furthermore, the company has expanded its services in recent times. Now it not only deals with the repair of computers but also with the repairs of consumer electronics and appliances.
Email scam by Geek Squad
Geek Squad – being one of the reputed companies for electronic repairs in the country, it was targeted by criminals. Cyber crimes such as email scams in the name of the company increase in 2022. So, what was the scam, and how to avoid it?
This type of imposer poses as a member of the geek squad and trying to fix your electronic device-related issues. But in reality, these imposers just want to get your personal information. They would like to access your device remotely and pay for their fraudulent services.
The email scam by these imposers usually takes place like this:
- The first step of the scam, starts with making a contact through text, email, or phone call. They would pretend to be best buy geek squad, representatives.
- These scammers claim that your device is compromised, or they would claim that you need to pay them for a subscription, etc. Sometimes, they may even ask you to share your personal information. Their main aim is to cheat you out of money or steal confidential information.
- The scammer might also ask you to download malware or any other apps on your device. Again, they aim to steal your money and personal information.
Finally, any person who has been a customer of best buy or geek squad may be scammed. Unfortunately, as per recent records, people above 60 years are the most common victims of these scams.
Avoiding geek squad scam
As stated earlier in the article, scam by the geek squad has been affecting millions of people. So, it is necessary that we equip ourselves with the necessary information to avoid such scams.
The best way to avoid the scam is to make sure you check the email sent by the scammer thoroughly before clicking on anything. You will know what services you hired from best buy and geek squad and the cost of it. Look for the email Id from which the mail was sent. Scammers make mistakes such as wrong spelling, grammatical errors, and wrong logos. Also, look for the phone number mentioned in the email. Check to see if this email is the same as the official best buy number.
The next way to avoid the scam is to be careful of the phone calls you receive from the technical team of best buy. They might call and inform you that your computer is affected by viruses. But remember that no one can know whether or not your device is affected by a virus unless they physically inspect it. Also, you should avoid giving remote access to your system to strangers and be careful when you do and cautious of the apps you download.
Finally, avoid browser pop-ups or plug-ins that claim your device is infected. A pop-up or a plug-in cannot detect and identify your device being attacked by a virus. So, don’t click on them and download anything. Also, avoid any unsolicited calls from the technical team of best buy unless you have requested it personally.
Prices of Geek Squad
Now that we have understood the scams of geek squad and how to avoid it, let us see the cost of the services that they offer.
Geek squad services are the best and a good choice for small businesses. They are affordable for anyone who doesn’t own a separate IT department for the maintenance of electronic devices. So, how much does a geek squad cost?
The price of a geek squad for its tech services is between 19 – 1450 dollars. On the other hand, their monthly service plans start at 25 dollars only.
Protection of Geek Squad – worth?
As stated earlier in the article, the services of the company are great. They are a group of small IT technicians that help and support small businesses. Even more, they offer to repair electronics as well as huge IT projects. Based on the requirement of the company, they customize and plan the services offered. Companies hire them from managing customer support to installing electronic devices. So, the answer to the question – is geek squad protection worth it, it is yes.
Final thoughts
Online scammers have been using the names of reputed companies to cheat customers of their confidential information and money. Be aware of these scammers and protect yourself.
Also Read:
