Microsoft Tech Support Scams

Microsoft is not in the business of scamming people, at least not the real Microsoft. There have been in the last year or so, companies that because they are located in other countries, have gotten away with posing as Microsoft and offering tech support help to people in need.

They call you, pretending to be Microsoft tech support and tell you that they have noticed that your computer is having problems. Then they have you go to a fake website and change some settings on your computer so they can “help” and then, at the end of the call, tell you it costs X amount of money. By then your computer is probably worse off than it started.

How do they know you need help when they call? Good question. It’s because they are using their own spyware or malware that has found its way onto your computer to cause you problems in the first place.

Do they really help? No. They may “fix” certain issues that you are having but they are issues that they created in the first place. So when they fix them, they are really just telling their spyware to leave you alone temporarily so they can create more problems for you later.  They also hope you will call them at a later date so that they can take your money.

How do you know if it’s really Microsoft? Microsoft never calls people. The only time they would ever do so is if you purchased something from them recently and there is a problem with your purchase or if you called them recently and left a callback number. Regardless you would have initiated the communication at some point.

If you ever suspect a tech support scam, simply ask if there is any kind of fee for the service. If the answer is “yes” then immediately hang up. You can then report the phone number to the Federal Trade Commission.

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0076-telemarketing-scams.

After that I would highly suggest having you computer checked for spyware. You can always contact me if you need further assistance.