Fake Phone Calls Claiming To Be From Microsoft-Hang Up

If you receive an unsolicited phone call from “Microsoft”, claiming that your computer is having problems, is infected, etc. HANG UP. This is a scam!

According to Microsoft, “…Neither Microsoft nor our partners make unsolicited phone calls (also known as cold calls) about your computer security or software fixes.”

These calls are from shady businesses using phone dialers to RANDOMLY call people and attempting to trick them into giving up control of their computer, so they can be sold services and software that are not legitimate.

Even worse, should you give the scammer remote access to your computer, or install their software, you could very well become the victim of identity theft, or have your money stolen. The “security software” they install could record all your keystrokes, looking for usernames and passwords, it could take screenshots, it could copy any files on your computer, it could encrypt your files irreversibly, and anything else the programmers designed the software to do.

We’ve seen many cases where the “fix” these scammers applied broke the computer, requiring costly repairs. We’ve even seen cases where the scammers have asked for social security numbers, credit card numbers, ATM PINs, drivers license numbers. With some or all of that information, a thief would have an easy time stealing your identity, and possibly gaining access to your financial accounts.

Remember, if you get such a call, the easiest thing to do is hang up. There’s no need to engage in conversation with a scammer.

To read the full article, please click the link: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/securitytipstalk/archive/2014/06/26/is-that-call-from-microsoft-a-scam.aspx