Scams Can Come from the Most Unexpected Places: Guard Your Smart TV
03/15/2023
Scams Can Come from the Most Unexpected Places: Guard Your Smart TV
Most people look for scams on their phone and computer, but many don’t think to be vigilant when it comes to their TVs. Smart TV scams can be just as damaging. It is important the public learns more about these types of scams and how to avoid them.
General Tactics
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has recently seen an influx of reports about scammers reaching victims through pop-ups on their Smart TVs. Indeed, scammers use misleading tactics, fake websites, and fraudulent pop-up boxes to reach you through your television. The intent is to convince the victim they are in contact with a legitimate company. Some will immediately request personal information through a chat box. Others will lull their victim into a false sense of security by providing an activation code to a streaming service that will not work, prompting victims to initiate contact themselves. Others will request a phone number or email address where they can contact victims with “offers.”
These scammers can take on various personas when chatting with victims. Some will be supportive and kind, while others will be rude and forceful. In any of these instances, their goal is to gain access to devices, personal information, and financial information. While it may be difficult to ascertain a Smart TV scam because of the wide range of tactics, there are many ways you can protect yourself.
Scam Examples
Pop-Up Scams: These scams begin when you are trying to login to a service on your Smart TV. Usually, a pop-up will appear letting you know your subscription expired or your device has a problem. When you call the provided number, the fake customer service representative will inform you they either need remote control of your device to fix the issue or you need to pay a fee to set up your service. Both are lies! Some victims report that once the scammers had remote access to their Smart TV, the scammer turned off the television and refused to turn it back on until the victim paid their fake fees.
Note: Roku does not charge any kind of activation, registration, or support fee!
Spoof Website: Often when you are registering a new device to a streaming service, the service will require you to visit a website and enter a code. Scammers bank on victims who mistype the website and register scam websites with common misspellings. Example: You need to visit roku.com/register; however, you accidentally type rokku.com/register. A scammer has likely registered that domain and made it look like the legitimate Roku website. When the code does not work, they require you to call a phone number and pay a fake registration fee.
Cable Scam: A scammer will call you to offer cable services at a fraction of the usual cost. However, the scammer will require you to pay up front for several months or will require remote access to your TV. The scammer will then install malware and steal personal information.
Protect Yourself
- Turn on automatic install for manufacture software updates
- Use strong passwords that avoid words found in the dictionary
- Decline all unexpected requests to link a device or start a remote session
- Verify all websites and programs before visiting or installing
- Disable your TVs microphone and cover up the camera if it has one
Being on constant look out for the latest scam can be exhausting, but always remember: taking the time to slow down and think about the situation is one of the best ways to prevent a scam from happening.
SOURCES
https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/28221-bbb-scam-alert-scammers-may-be-target-your-smart-tv