The Microsoft support or the BT scam begins with an unsolicited phone call, but it can end with you losing hundreds of pounds, or PCs being ruined and personal data in the hands of villains.
You’re at home, it’s the middle of the afternoon, and the phone rings. When you pick up, there’s a voice ask in for Mr or Mrs X, falsely claiming that they are calling from Microsoft or BT technical support, and that they wish to speak to you about the recent computer problems that you’ve been experiencing. They say that your computer is or that internet connection is unreliable.
Of course the call is not from Microsoft or BT, but it is their opening line of a scam, and one that has been doing the rounds in various ways for nearly two years.
PC support scams should not be taken lightly. Beyond the annoyance of receiving the calls, they can leave you out of pocket and potentially at risk of having your personal details copied from your PCs.
Here is the best way to stay safe:
If they say they’re from Microsoft or BT etc:
They’re not. Microsoft will never call its customers directly. The safest thing to do is to hang up immediately.
If they say your PC is running slowly:
They don’t know this. Even Microsoft itself cannot know what state your computer is in, as error reporting data is always anonymously sent to Microsoft.
If they say you have a virus:
You can check this yourself using your security software. Never trust an unsolicited caller who claims that your PC is under threat.
If they want to remotely access your PC:
Never, ever allow them to. This hands them keys to your PC. They will waste your time and money. At worst, they’ll infect it with malware or even steal personal details.
THE NEXT PART OF THE SCAM, is to get you to look at incomprehensible system files that look like there are real problems with your computer. They will them ask you to go to a web site and download some software. This program gives the fraudsters remote access to your PC. Armed with this they can now look around your computer for personal information. But what is worse is they can then put another hidden remote software on your PC. Because if you become suspicious and remove the first software, they still can look at your computer when you least expect it.
Another part of the scam is to sell you a contract or anti-virus software for really inflated prices. All they really want is your credit card details or bank information.
Never ever give out your personal information to strangers over the phone.
If you think you have been attacked like this contact ChalkHill Systems on 01737 845980 and we can sort out your computer for peace of mind.