We’re regularly asked about phone calls from “Microsoft” claiming that your computer is infected, and whether or not it is a scam – it is. Sometimes it’s a call from another “tech support” company, or a warning message on your screen. The truth is that Microsoft and other companies will not contact you to tell you that you have a computer problem through a phone call, email, or a pop-up warning message.
These scams are nothing new. We blogged about this previously in April of 2013 and a lot has changed in the malware world since then, but these scams continue. That we’re bringing these scams up again tells you one thing though – people continue to fall for them – don’t let yourself become a victim of one of these scammers.
If you’re contacted by one of these scammers, hang up, don’t click that link, and don’t call that number. Usually they’ll try to get them to let you access your computer remotely – don’t let them, and certainly don’t give them any personal information or a credit card number.
As long as you don’t let them log on to your computer remotely or download and install any software because of these scams you probably don’t have anything to worry about. These scammers don’t typically install malware on your computer; the scam is to get you to pay for tech support that you don’t actually need.
More information can be found on scams using the Microsoft name at the following links:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/msname.aspx
http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/avoid-phone-scams.aspx
http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/avoid-phone-scams.aspx
