![]() In the above screenshot, note the URL in the address bar: It has zero connection to Microsoft. The combination of that voice and the page with warnings and dialogue boxes are designed to rattle your nerves and make you do stupid things. You’re looking at a website, perhaps some news site – I was on Caixin Global to read about a bond default by a Chinese company - when suddenly an authoritative, insistent male voice of the type to be expected at a crisis center in the US hammered on me with dire warnings about my computer, while a new browser window popped up that looked like a Microsoft Windows screen with three dialogue boxes (click to enlarge): This time around, I took screenshots to document it. It was super-scary the first time – fear is what they prey on. So it must be more common than I thought. The first time I got this was over a year ago. And now you can have some fun at their expense, literally. If you think you might be a victim of fraud, you can report it.Here’s how I dealt with it, screenshots and all. I think I might have already fallen for this scam It’s better to avoid being conned rather than try to repair the damage afterwards. Do not provide any personal information.Īlthough law enforcement can trace phone numbers, perpetrators often use pay phones, disposable cellular phones, or stolen cellular phone numbers. Once you do this, your computer and your personal information are vulnerable.ĭo not trust unsolicited calls. Once cybercriminals gain your trust, they might ask for your user name and password or ask you to go to a legitimate website (such as to install software that will let them access your computer to fix it. Don’t let scammers encourage you to install dangerous software They might even guess what operating system you’re using. If you receive a call like this one, it’s a scam, and all you need to do is hang up.Ĭybercriminals often use publicly available phone directories, so they might know your name and other personal information when they call you. Neither Microsoft nor our partners make unsolicited phone calls (also known as cold calls) about your computer security or software fixes. ![]() This is not a legitimate call from Microsoft. Then they said they could prove that they were from Microsoft by giving me my serial number if I would go to a website called Is this call a scam? I thought it sounded fake, and I told them that I had no way to know if they were who they said they were. I received a call from someone who claimed that my computer had been identified by Microsoft as vulnerable. ![]() You can also read our latest blog, Teaming up in the war on tech support scams.) (Note: Our Tech support scams FAQ page has the latest info on this type of threat, including scammer tactics, fake error messages, and the latest scammer hotlines.
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