The exact reason why the scammer asks for your money depends on the type of scam. Usually, it’s the point with the most obvious red flags, as the scammer will have to justify not only why he is asking for money but also why he is asking for payment in gift cards instead of other methods.
Tech support scams
The most common variation of this scam starts with a simple phone call. A person usually imitates a representative of some big tech company, such as Microsoft or Apple. He then will tell you something is wrong with your computer and require remote access.
Now, in some cases, a virus or other malware is already planted in the victim’s computer. Then, remote access isn’t necessary. The scammer can simply request a payment right away. In other cases, remote access creates problems that don’t exist.
It might involve installing some hardware or changing some settings in the operating system to create the illusion that there are problems. Then, he will ask you to pay to fix them and will hold your PC hostage until it’s fixed.
