We have heard numerous stories, and have even experienced firsthand
a growing number of Microsoft, scam calls that can have dire consequences.
They are getting more cunning and trying new tricks to convince you the caller,
that they truly represent the company they claim to be.
here are some key factors to consider so you don’t fall victim to their tricks.
The number one key factor to remember is that Microsoft will not call your house or business. You have to call them, and then wait thru their automated system to reach a tech. you then will have to speak to a technician and they will charge you a remote assistance fee. “first time callers sometimes get a free session depending on the severity of the condition you call in for.
Microsoft is not the only company they pretend to be, You may hear such introductions as I am with Windows Support, Norton, Spy Guard, and many others including AVG and Apple Support. remember they wont contact you first.
If you haven’t heard similar stories, they usually go something like this: a person calls and says that he is a tech with …., that’s contacting you because your Windows-based computer is infected with a virus and he wants to help fix it. Over the course of the conversation, he’ll ask to remote into your PC, and ultimately tell you that the level of support required to fix it requires payment and that you’ll have to provide a credit card number.
More nefarious scammers will then go the extra mile and convince you to install a helper tool. This can be very dangerous and has dire consequences should you allow them access to your machine.
Their ultimate goal is to install a special program on your machine to snag your passwords and other personal information. It is basically a digital spy.
The programs range in design and can be used to access your bank accounts or even steal your identity.
furthermore some can even allow them to lock you out of your system.
this attack is known as a ransomware attack.
When this type of attack occurs you usually have to pay a excessive fee
to possibly regain access to your files.
Do not agree to anything Just hang up.
Report the number to The actual companies so that the proper action can be taken to catch these crooks.
All of the top tech companies have ways to report such attacks via a special email (example: Spoof@microsoft.com) or may even have an 800 phone number for these things. In most cases they have the information on their website.
If you are unable to locate this information, search the internet for the information using “report spoof calls or emails by the Specific company”