02/07/2026
A Warning from Two Rebels Tech ~
Tech Support and other scams are becoming very prevalent 🤬 and sometimes they cost a LOT of $$$ as well as inconvenience.
We would much rather spread the word and help everyone avoid it in the first place than help you after the fact.
You can run across one in your email, a text or web page on your computer, phone or tablet, or an actual phone call.
If you did not order that $700 item in your email, then don't panic it's probably a scam and not an actual transaction. Double check with your actual bank instead of calling the number on your screen.
When you need to contact a company's Support; do not Search for it. Go to the company’s website, find the Support page and call or chat from there to be sure you are not contacting someone pretending to be that company.
For any banking related concerns, do NOT interact with a text or email. Call the # on the back of your card or go to your local branch.
There are MANY text message scams. Look and see who the message is from for clues. Feel free to message us at 509.486.6042 with a screenshot of the message or come by the shop, before reacting to it.
Do not believe any message saying your Account is about to be deleted or similar. Definitely don't click the link or call the # and proceed to give account information. Your phone or tablet will pop up a notification box regarding your Account if something is wrong.
Anyone wanting you to go and get actual GIFT CARDS to send them in the mail are definitely scamming you.
Any calls you receive on the phone that are not in response to an issue YOU already contacted them about, are also all scams! Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Amazon, Yahoo etc. will not call you - ever, without you contacting them first.
Regarding Tech Support specifically, our overall advice is to be very cautious before you trust someone you don't know. There is hardly ANY Free Tech Support, even when you have a legitimate need and it is not a scam. But in our experience 90% are scams, so it is best not to allow Remote Support - assume they are not that trustworthy!
The most common computer/device related scam:
This can happen no matter what kind of device you are on.
If you ever have a fake 'support' page load in an internet browser "We have detected a problem on your device; do not turn off your computer/device, call tech support at 1-800-123-4567" etc. sometimes with a very obnoxious audio. It is the very bad guys who put that on your screen that you are calling for 'help'.
Do not call any 1-800 #'s on your screen to fake support.
Shut down the computer/device, restart and it may be gone. If you cannot X out of the program, or click on the Power Menu, you can disconnect power, or on a laptop - press and hold the power button for 15 seconds until the computer shuts off. It will appear to shut off much sooner, but keep holding!
In the future if you should come across a fake support site that doesn't go away with forced Restart, you can safely use another browser as an alternate until you can get in for removal.
At this point all you have is a persistent WEBPAGE; you are not infected! They are lying to you to get you to call. Please don't.
What we call 'Bad Apps' or 'Junk Apps' are apps that install their 'friends' in the background and use your system resources. Some Free Apps sound great, but can cause problems! Everything from pop-up ads to making it so you can't make a phone call.
NEVER purposely install any 'Cleaner' or Battery Optimizer' Apps, QR Code Readers (your Camera App reads QR codes) or Flashlight Apps (swipe down from the top right of your screen and tap the flashlight icon). Be wary of Free games; they are often the culprit and have ads for the Cleaner Apps. Those ads LIE to you and say you have 5 viruses or your storage is full etc.
It is a good habit to get into to keep a running list of Apps you install and on what date. Wait at least a week or 10 days between installing apps in an attempt to see if any issues arise.
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