Scam Alert – Microsoft Phone Scam Hitting People Hard

It seems as if scammers are never short on ideas to ripoff and scam people with.  Whether it’s phishing scams, email scams, or even more sophisticated scams such as  wifi sniffing.

However their is a new scam out that involves people with personal computers and Microsoft.  In this article I will cover what it is, how it works, and how you can avoid this vicious scam from ripping you off.

Microsoft Call Scam – What Is It & How Does It Work

The Microsoft phone scam is very simple but very destructive, it works like this.  A person claiming to work for Microsoft calls you and tells you that they’ve been notified that you’ve reported some issues with your computer.

Then then proceed to tell you that they would like to monitor your computer by having you download a special program which is really a virus.  From here they can track everything you do from logging into your bank accounts online, to what your post on social media sites.

On top of that they can build a profile on you to rip you off.  The worst part about this scam is that it’s not even considered identity theft until someone misuses your information.  In fact, some of these scammers are going as far as charging you to monitor your computer.

What worse is that it’s unknown how long it might be before a scammer decided to strike.  It could be a few days or even a few years but one thing is for sure, they will be watching you.

From my research  it also appears that these scammers have an Indian accent and most likely are coming from India.  Below is a video of an actual recorded call from one of these Microsoft support scams and what they exactly say.

 

How To Protect Yourself

When it comes to these kinds of calls it’s always hard to tell if it may actually be a real scam or not.  So here here are a few things you can do to protect yourself.

  • Don’t Open Any Emails.  If these scammer send you an email of any kind do not open it.  Even the simple act of opening a bad email could infect your computer with a virus or malware.
  • Get The Callers Name.  It’s very important when someone like this is calling you that you ask for their full name.  However go a step further and ask to talk to their manager.  A lot of times this will scare callers off, but if it doesn’t take down their name as well and the number they called from.
  • Don’t Give Them Any Money.  Whatever you do, don’t give these people any of your financial info.  Instead tell them you would like to think about it first and hang up.
  • Call The Real Company.  The easiest way to find out if a call from Microsoft like this is legit is to actually call Mircosoft.  However don’t call the number the scammer gives you, instead go to Microsoft’s actual website and call them and they will be able to tell you if it was a real call or just another scam.
  • Contact The Police.  In most case their is usually nothing the police can do about this since the scammer is in a different country.  However if enough complaints are filed the police will typically issue a warning on local news stations and newspapers.

Share Your Story

Did you get a Microsoft scam call?  Share your story below about how it went and what you did to protect yourself from these scammers.  Also take some time to share this article on Twitter, Facebook, and G+, to inform others of this terrible scam going around.

 

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One Comment

  1. On the telephone scams, I have learned say, “OK. First I will need my Case Number. Then I need your name and phone number in case we get disconnected.” Somewhere during those few words, I hear a click on the other end. The “Unavailable” phone number as hung up.

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