Know About the Microsoft Support Scam

Everything You Need to Know About the Microsoft Support Scam

Computer scams happen every day, and they’re constantly evolving. Some scams begin with phone calls, some arrive as a message in your email. One recent scam is the scary pop-up window on your computer that shows warnings like “Firewall Alert: Your Computer May Have Adware/Spyware Virus,” or “Computer Security At Risk!,” or “System crash and identity threat detected.” There may also be a warning not to touch your computer. The warning may even come as a voice alert. Sometimes the pop-up window is accompanied by a strange noise emanating from your computer. 

The pop-up message will direct you to call immediately for assistance to remove the potential virus.  A toll-free phone number is provided. These warnings might appear to be part of your operating system, but actually they are not.

If you call the phone number provided on the pop-up, you will be told you have reached a Microsoft technician. The “technician” is most likely a cyber criminal promoting bogus remote support services. He/She will ask to remote into your computer and then attempt to make you pay a substantial amount, possibly hundreds of dollars, for their malware removal “services”.

While accessing your computer several things may happen:

• The scammer installs malware.
• The scammer “discovers” that in order to fix your (non existent) problem you’ll need to purchase something and at this point, they ask for your payment information.
• You’re quoted a high price for this “service”.
• Your payment information may be used not only for that quoted fee, but for other purchases you haven’t authorized
  

What Microsoft Says
Microsoft says it will never prompt you to call an 800 number for tech support—you should always be the one to initiate a call for help. According to Microsoft:

The popup with the telephone number you are seeing is the malware/adware issue on your computer.  It's a new wrinkle on the cold call scams and the fake anti malware programs that were previously being installed on computers that we have heard about for years. It's nothing but a scam to get your money and credit card info. Some of them use what appears to be a local number but in reality the scam may be from a country which will not cooperate with law enforcement agencies trying to identify the scammers.  

Whenever you receive a phone call or see a pop-up window on your PC and feel uncertain whether it is from someone at Microsoft, don’t take the risk. You can reach out directly to one of Microsoft’s technical support experts at the Microsoft Answer Desk or at 1-888-229-5195

How to Protect Yourself
Never click on pop-up alerts. Don’t even click on the cross to delete the pop-up alert as this may result in getting more pop-ups. Keep your anti-virus and anti-spyware software updated and use a good firewall. Never rely on the contact details provided in a pop-up message. Finally, avoid questionable websites. Some sites automatically download malicious software onto your computer.
 
Recovering from the Scam
If you handed over payment information, you’ve just given that information to a complete stranger. Immediately contact your credit card issuer or other payment provider and put them on fraud alert. Change any passwords you gave out.If you allowed the scammer access to your machine, you have no idea what they did. If you saw them install software in the guise of tools to help repair your system, it’s very possible that software’s really a bundle of malware that’s now residing on your machine.

Even if you didn’t see them download something, they still could have placed malware on your machine.

If you are computer-savvy, you may be able to remove the malware using the guidelines provided by Microsoft or by using the directions on another reputable website. However, if you’re not sure if the malware is in your computer, or your computer is slow or otherwise acting strange after the episode, assume the worst and get help. You can search for and compare Accredited computer repair businesses at bbb.org.

Report the Scammers
Be sure to report all scams to the BBB Scam Tracker at bbb.org/scamtracker. You can also report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission, contact your local law enforcement agency, and report the crime at the internet crime website of the FBI.

If you need help identifying a scam, contact your local Better Business Bureau at bbb.org.