Geek's Advice

What is FastSupport.com Scam and how to identify it

FastSupport.com scam is a deceptive tech support scam scheme that uses legitimate remote connection service to swindle computer users. The website itself is entirely safe, however, scammers abuse it to deceive unsuspecting people. In general, it is recommended to avoid any help from technicians that urge you to provide remote access to your computer. In case you have already given access to a fraudster via the mentioned service, we strongly recommend you to use instructions at the end of this post and remove malware that the attacker installed automatically.

FastSupport (powered by LogMeIn, Inc.) is a legitimate service that allows computer technicians to remotely access the client’s computer via GoToAssist software to inspect computer problems and/or fix the damage done to files or system. Of course, it can be used in numerous other cases as well.

Unfortunately, the legitimate service is heavily abused by cybercriminals. The most common case that involves usage of FastSupport.com portal is when the scammer connects with the victim via phone and instructs to provide remote access to the computer to perform full diagnosis.

The scam scheme, explained

The majority of victims call tech support scammers themselves after visiting a deceptive scam page filled with pop-ups and warning messages informing about the critical system status. Some of the most prevalent tech support scam headlines used today are PORNOGRAPHIC VIRUS ALERT FROM MICROSOFT, VIRUS ALERT FROM APPLE, and similar.

Such fake websites always include a phone number and instruct the victim to call helpline desk immediately to fix whatever computer problems are listed on the screen. All you need to know is that these alerts and warnings are forged and target a large number of victims, waiting for their calls to implement the call-remote computer access scheme.

Once on the line with the fraudster, he or she will likely tell you to open Google or another search and type “establish remote connection with Apple” or, respectively, Microsoft. Both searches will display FastSupport.GotoAssist.com site as the primary result. The scammer then asks to follow his instructions, download GotoAssist software and start the connection.

One of the most popular tricks to convince the victim that system is at risk is to open Windows Event Viewer and show the warning signs and errors displayed here. You should know that software always runs into errors or crashes, and all of such events are logged in the Event Viewer. It doesn’t mean your system is compromised – until the fraudster does so.

The scam typically has two endings – the victim agrees to pay for non-existent help services (scammers often ask ridiculously overpriced sum of money for regular anti-malware program installation) or, if the victim refuses to pay, the attacker might install dangerous malware or ransomware on the system.

Therefore, it is highly recommended to avoid FastSupport.com scam attackers at all costs. If you see a suspicious-looking website stating that your computer has been heavily compromised, just check its status by running a reputable anti-malware or antivirus software in Safe Mode. Otherwise, you will be scammed by criminals who tend to take advantage of people who are not tech-savvy and trust the scammers’ tales about the computer’s security status.

Threat Summary

Name	FastSupport Scam
Type	Tech Support Scam
Related domains	www.fastsupport.com
Related scams	VIRUS ALERT FROM APPLE, VIRUS ALERT FROM MICROSOFT, PORNOGRAPHIC VIRUS ALERT FROM MICROSOFT and similar
Dangers	Technical support scammers seek to establish remote access with your computer to install spying or damaging malware on it. They also pretend to identify problems and recommend buying various software to fix it, typically, for extremely exaggerated price
Symptoms	Suspicious calls from someone claiming to be from Apple or Microsoft; or fake pop-ups, ads, browser redirects, or BSOD (blue-screen-of-death) screens claiming about critical system status and including a suspicious tech support number to call
Removal methods	Remove virus displaying fake alerts using anti-malware software. If you allowed criminals to remotely access your computer, shut down the session and scan your computer with antivirus or anti-malware like System Mechanic Ultimate Defense immediately

Never trust Microsoft of Apple tech support callers – it’s a fraud

If you ever get a call from someone claiming to work at Microsoft or Apple and telling you that your computer is at risk or deactivated and needs to be checked remotely – it is a sign that someone is trying to scam you. Legitimate tech support from these companies never call people themselves. Therefore, if you receive such a call, hang up and ideally, report such abuse to legitimate entities.

If you’re wondering how FastSupport.com scam criminals managed to get your number to call you, we recommend checking whether your information wasn’t exposed in some online data breach, or if your number is provided on any other online platform and can be seen publicly.

It is hard to protect your privacy from such fraudsters nowadays because we all sometimes list our contact details on advertisements websites, sites like Linkedin and similar. In other words, malevolents know where to look for data they need and when they get it, they use it for criminal activities.

You can read an in-detail conversation between a journalist and tech support scammer on Medium, which nicely covers the pushing-manner of the scammers who use various techniques to convince the victim to provide the remote access to the computer.

FastSupport.com reviews vary

We have decided to inspect user’s feedback on Fast Support services. The majority of complaints about the service abuse lie in Reddit forums. Some users report being tricked by the service, however, it is clear that they called fake support and ended up being scammed by cybercriminals, not the service itself. For example, people share their experience of breached privacy after installing the said remote connection software.

The criminals asked to remotely connect to the computer to inspect its settings and fix the reported problem with printer. Unfortunately, the attacker started talking about Network Corruption Error and recommended installing a specific software on the computer, which appeared to be a Trojan that revealed all of the victim’s passwords to the attacker. Lastly, the attacker recommended installing a Firewall software and started talking aggressively when the victim refused to do so. The full story can be found here.

This story simply confirms that when you need tech support regarding any software or hardware you use, you need to go to the official developer’s web site and ask for help there instead of searching for it online and visiting suspicious and scammy look-a-like websites that tend to pose as legitimate entities.

Scammers target both Microsoft and Apple users

Other users report about deceptive calls suggesting to log onto FastSupport.com page and criminals claiming to be representing Microsoft. They lie to the victim that Microsoft wants to send the victim a refund of $250 for no longer supporting Windows 7 (which is obviously a lie as Microsoft never does that), while the attackers simply want access to the computer to install various malware and cause privacy issues and potential financial problems to the victim.

Many users look for FastSupport Apple Scam information due to the activity of deceptive websites showing Virus Alert From Apple pop-ups. These websites command calling alleged Apple HelpDesk to get help reactivating the computer. Unfortunately, fraudsters suggest visiting the said remote access service website and providing remote Mac access to the attackers. There are some examples of numbers tech support scammers promote, so stay away from them at all costs:

• +18882705678;
• +86672265620;
• +1-888-834-8756;
• +1-855-550-6155 and others.

The scammers tend to create fake websites promoting technical support for various software or hardware. When users search for it online, chances are high to end up on a deceptive and not official website. It is a well-known fact that criminals advertise themselves as providers of HP Printer support, Avast or Norton support, also Canon or Intel support. These scammers will ask you to install GoToAssist.exe software and go to the FastSupport.com portal, which both are legitimate. However, it doesn’t mean that the attacker’s intentions are good, too.

If you have been deceived and provided remote computer access via FS to cybercriminals, you need to take action and protect your computer system as soon as possible. The first thing you should do is to shut down the remote access connection, then reboot your computer in Safe Mode with Networking, download a trustworthy antivirus or anti-malware software and run a full system scan IMMEDIATELY to remove FastSupport virus instantly. It is also recommended to change all your passwords, especially those saved in your browser, as attackers like to steal these using a password-stealing Trojans such as Azorult.

Ways people run into remote computer access scams

Scammers abusing www.fastsupport.com service can call you themselves and start introducing themselves as employees of Apple or Microsoft. Next thing they tell is some made-up story, for example, that your computer sends unrecognized or malicious requests, or that some suspicious traffic is generated from your host. Such terms are most likely nonsense, but for someone who is not tech-savvy, they might spark trust.

However, the scenario that is much more popular is when victim visits a deceptive tech support fraud website accidentally or gets redirected there by adware or browser-hijacking program installed on the computer. Such fake sites are often loaded with Apple or Microsoft logos, smiling people who look like tech support staff members, and warnings about critical system status. These websites advertise tech support number which needs to be called in order to fix the problems. However, as mentioned earlier, calling these numbers will connect you to a scammer and not official representative from advertised company.

The majority of these tech support scams are known to originate from India. Unfortunately, many victimized people report hearing a strong Indian accent after calling the “support number.” Such call centers operate underground, and although police do everything to detect and shut them down, they reappear shortly because such a fraud scheme generates a lot of money.

To avoid visiting fake and deceptive sites, we recommend you to regularly check if you have adware or browser hijackers installed, choose new software to download carefully, and stay away from suspicion-raising sites. In general, you should never try to bypass Deceptive Site Ahead warnings as well.

Remove FastSupport.com scam-related malware now

As explained earlier, scammers abusing FastSupport.com by GoToAssist service might land malware or spyware programs on your computer. In order to detect and remove the virus installed via FastSupport.com remote connection, you should prepare your computer using the instructions provided below. Once you boot your PC in recommended mode, run a full system scan using a reputable and trustworthy malware scanner. You may want to use software recommended by us, which will also detect security settings modified by scammers and fix them for you.

FastSupport virus removal won’t take long if you do it automatically. However, if you decide to do the computer cleaning manually, bear in mind that it can be a lengthy and tiresome process. Do not hesitate and share your experience in the comments section if you have fallen victim to the described scam, and help inform others how to avoid it.

OUR GEEKS RECOMMEND

Our team recommends a two-step rescue plan to remove ransomware and other remaining malware from your computer, plus repair caused virus damage to the system:

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