A close friend of mine recently became a victim of a fake customer support scam that cost her hundreds of dollars. She was having issues with her PayPal account and searched for their customer support number online. Unfortunately, the first number she found was a fake one set up by scammers. It appeared at the top of search results, making it look official. Without thinking twice, she dialed the number, expecting to get help from a legitimate PayPal representative.

When she called, the “representative” sounded professional, polite, and reassuring. They asked her to confirm some basic details before claiming her account had been flagged for suspicious activity. To resolve the issue, they said they needed to verify her login credentials and requested remote access to her computer. They told her it was the fastest way to “secure” her account and prevent unauthorized transactions. Thinking she was speaking to a real PayPal employee, she followed their instructions.

Within minutes, they had full access to her account and started transferring money out. By the time she realized something was wrong, they had stolen $900. When she tried calling back, the number was disconnected. She immediately contacted the real PayPal support, but it was too late—her money was gone. The scammers had withdrawn the funds and vanished without a trace.

This type of scam is becoming increasingly common, targeting people who urgently need help with their accounts. Scammers manipulate search engine results, place fake ads, and even create convincing social media pages to appear legitimate. Many victims don’t realize they are dealing with fraudsters until their money is stolen.

To stay safe, always get support contacts from official websites, never share sensitive information over the phone, and never allow remote access to your device unless you are 100% sure of the source. If a company truly needs verification, they will never ask for login credentials or direct control of your computer. If you suspect a scam, report it immediately and spread awareness so others don’t fall into the same trap.