• Microsoft phone call scam

  • The help fix computer scam

    The Microsoft phone call scam is one of the oldest scams in the world. I remember as a child when computers and internet came into the market in South Africa calls came through to my parent’s landline. The cyber criminal claims he is from Microsoft Tech Support and that they need you to go to the computer to fix a problem or Virus.
     
    The scammer asks for you by name or can I to speak to the owner of the computer. The Cyber criminals often use available phone directories, so they might know your name and other personal information when they call you.
     
    They might even guess what operating system you’re using. Microsoft will never call you out of the blue and request access to your computer. You should immediately hang up and do not engage in any communication with the scammers or give them access to your computer. 

  • What do they do

    The scam artist calls you on your landline and asks for you by name or they ask to speak to the owner of the computer. They claim to be from Microsoft or from technical support companies.
     
    They start by saying that they detected viruses or other malware on your computer to trick you into giving them remote access or paying for software you don’t need. What happens now depends on the type of scam with which you have been targeted.
     
    Once the scammers or cyber criminals gain access to your PC or laptop they damage your computer with malicious software including viruses and keystroke spyware.
     
    Some scam artists will ask you to give them remote access to your PC or laptop and then use that access to get hold of your personal data.
     
    Some tools allow them to take over your laptop or PC and then they demand money in return for a lifetime of 'protection' from the malware they pretend is on your machine.