By Kimberly Koerth

Scammers posing as AT&T technical support over email and via phone calls are ripping off consumers, compromising their personal and financial information while causing them to lose hundreds of dollars, according to the Better Business Bureau quoted on WIFR.com.

One consumer said when she tried to access her email, a dialogue box popped up stating it may have been compromised and instructing her to call the provided number for AT&T Tech Support. The call was answered by a business identifying itself as Q Tech Care/Expert Tech Support that provided independent tech support for AT&T. The business even gave the caller a website with more information.

After the consumer gave her personal and credit card information to the phony business and was charged $199, she contacted AT&T with her suspicions.

“To be successful, scammers must get their targets to trust them. After that it’s easy for scammers to get what they want,” said Dennis Horton, director of the Rockford (Ill.) office of the Better Business Bureau. “The best advice is always be skeptical of any email or phone call you get from someone you don’t know.”

Another tactic is to promise an account credit if the consumer puts in personal information on a website provided by the caller. Horton said these AT&T scam calls typically have the specific goal of obtaining personal information and/or uploading malware onto wireless devices.