If you ever get a call claiming to be from Microsoft or some Tech company
please ignore the call and hang up.
Avoid tech support phone scams
Avoid tech support phone scams
Cybercriminals don’t just send fraudulent email messages and set up fake
websites. They might also call you on the telephone and claim to be from
Microsoft. They might offer to help solve your computer problems or sell you
a software license. Once they have access to your computer, they can do the
following:
* Trick you into installing malicious
software<http://www.microsoft.com/security/resources/malware-whatis.aspx>
that could capture sensitive data, such as online banking user names and
passwords. They might also then charge you to remove this software.
* Take control of your computer remotely and adjust settings to leave your
computer vulnerable.
* Request credit card information so they can bill you for phony services.
* Direct you to fraudulent websites and ask you to enter credit card and
other personal or financial information there.
Neither Microsoft nor our partners make unsolicited phone calls (also known
as cold calls) to charge you for computer security or software fixes.
Telephone tech support scams: What you need to know
Cybercriminals often use publicly 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.
Once they’ve gained your trust, they might ask for your user name and
password or ask you to go to a website to install software that will let
them access your computer to fix it. Once you do this, your computer and
your personal information is vulnerable.
Do not trust unsolicited calls. Do not provide any personal information.
Here are some of the organizations that cybercriminals claim to be from:
* Windows Helpdesk
* Windows Service Center
* Microsoft Tech Support
* Microsoft Support
* Windows Technical Department Support Group
* Microsoft Research and Development Team (Microsoft R & D Team)
Report phone scams
Learn about how to report phone
fraud<http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0076-telemarketing-scams> in the
United States. Outside of the US, contact your local authorities.
How to protect yourself from telephone tech support scams
If someone claiming to be from Microsoft tech support calls you:
* Do not purchase any software or services.
* Ask if there is a fee or subscription associated with the “service.”
If there is, hang up.
* Never give control of your computer to a third party unless you can
confirm that it is a legitimate representative of a computer support team
with whom you are already a customer.
* Take the caller’s information down and immediately report it to your
local authorities.
* Never provide your credit card or financial information to someone
claiming to be from Microsoft tech support.
What to do if you already gave information to a tech support person
If you think that you might have downloaded
malware<http://www.microsoft.com/security/resources/malware-whatis.aspx>
from a phone tech support scam website or allowed a cybercriminal to access
your computer, take these steps:
* Change your computer’s
password<http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/passwords-create.aspx>,
change the password on your main email account, and change the password for
any financial accounts, especially your bank and credit card.
* Scan your computer with the Microsoft Safety
Scanner<http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx> to
find out if you have malware installed on your computer.
* Install Microsoft Security
Essentials<http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=168949>. (Microsoft
Security Essentials is a free program. If someone calls you to install this
product and then charge you for it, this is also a scam.)
Note: In Windows 8, Windows Defender replaces Microsoft Security Essentials.
Windows Defender runs in the background and notifies you when you need to
take specific action. However, you can use it anytime to scan for malware if
your computer isn’t working properly or you clicked a suspicious link online
or in an email message.
