NexusAmazon, Apple and Microsoft support scam calls
Real tech companies don't call out of the blue to say your computer has a problem. If a caller claims to be from Amazon, Apple or Microsoft and wants remote access to your device, or payment by gift card, wire, crypto or a payment app, it's a scam. Hang up, then check your account yourself using the company's app or website.
How these calls usually go
The caller says they work for Microsoft, Apple or Amazon. They say your computer has a virus, your account was hacked, or someone placed an order you didn't make.
Caller ID may even show the company's name. Apple warns that scammers fake caller ID to look like companies such as Apple.
Some start on a computer instead. A pop-up tells you to call a number right away. The FTC also warns about fake renewal notices for tech support plans, often using names like Geek Squad, McAfee and Norton.
Once you're talking, the caller asks for remote access to your computer and pretends to scan it for viruses. Then they charge you to fix a made-up problem, or say they refunded you too much by mistake and ask you to send the difference back.
What the real companies say
Microsoft says that unless you contact it first, it won't call you to offer tech support. It also says its real error messages never include a phone number to call.
Apple says to just hang up on unsolicited or suspicious calls from someone claiming to be Apple Support. It also says never to use Apple Gift Cards to pay other people.
Amazon says it will never ask you to buy a gift card, won't ask for payment over the phone, and won't ask for remote access to your device.
What to do if one of these calls comes in
Hanging up is enough.
- Hang up. Don't press any buttons.
- Don't call a number from a pop-up, text, email or search result.
- Check your account yourself in the company's app or website, or call a number you already know is real.
- Never let a caller connect to your computer or phone, and never share passwords or texted codes.
- Never pay a caller with gift cards, a wire transfer, cryptocurrency or a payment app.
If you already let them in or paid
These callers are convincing, so don't be embarrassed. The FTC says money sent by gift card, wire, crypto or payment app is hard to get back, so act quickly.
- Change your passwords right away, starting with email and banking.
- Check your bank and card statements. Report charges you don't know and ask your bank or card company to reverse them.
- If the caller connected to your computer, update your security software, run a scan and delete anything it finds.
Where to report a support scam call
Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. In North Carolina, also report it to the NC Department of Justice at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or ncdoj.gov/file-a-complaint.
You can also tell the company being copied. Microsoft takes reports at microsoft.com/reportascam. Amazon takes them at reportascam@amazon.com.
How Nexus handles it
Numbers on the spam list are refused, and most callers you don't know are asked who they are before your phone rings. An automated assistant asks who's calling and why, and callers are told the call is being screened and may be transcribed. Anthropic's Claude reads what the caller says to decide.
Real callers are put through, or leave a voicemail turned into text you can read. People in your contacts always ring. Calls with no caller ID are refused. A number caught as spam on more than one member's line is blocked for everyone, along with numbers from public FTC complaints. Only the number is shared, never what was said.
Nexus works on Android and iPhone. You keep your own number and carrier. More about how it works is on the About page.
Nexus is invite-only. The price is on the wait list page, and you can cancel yourself any time.
Common questions
Does Microsoft or Apple ever call you about a virus?
Microsoft says it won't call you to offer tech support unless you contacted it first. Apple says to just hang up on unsolicited or suspicious calls claiming to be Apple Support. The FTC says real tech companies won't call to tell you there's a problem with your computer.
Is a call about a strange Amazon order real?
Treat it as a scam until you check for yourself. Hang up and look at your orders in the Amazon app or on the Amazon website. Amazon says it won't ask for payment over the phone, won't ask you to buy gift cards, and won't ask for remote access to your device.
The caller ID said Apple or Amazon. Doesn't that mean it's real?
No. Caller ID can be faked. Apple warns that scammers spoof the phone numbers of companies like Apple, so a familiar name or number on your screen doesn't prove who is calling.
I let a scammer onto my computer. What should I do first?
Change your passwords right away, starting with email and banking. Then check your bank and card statements, report any charges you don't recognize, and report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Sources
Last updated 2026-11-09. This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. To report a scam, visit reportfraud.ftc.gov.