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Scammers Posing as Microsoft Employees

Saturday, 25 February 2017 at 09:07

The OPP are warning the public to hang up the phone if you get a call out of the blue from someone claiming to work for Microsoft.

The OPP are warning the public about a popular computer scam that is starting to make the rounds again in our region.

How it works is you will get a call from someone claiming to work for Windows or Microsoft.

The scammer can be very convincing and they will tell you that they have detected a virus on your computer. To confirm the diagnosis, the caller asks you to open Windows Event Viewer on your machine to check if it is infected.

Once they get access to your machine, they are looking to do a number of things:

- Install an antivirus program on your computer, typically the kind that you can download for free from reputable companies and charge up to $250 for the service.

- Ask for your credit card details but install nothing. Your details might then be sold to other parties or used for fraudulent purposes.

- Install malware on your computer-this enables your computer to be controlled remotely for other illegal and harmful activities.

- Access and steal personal and financial details from your computer.

Scammers have also been known to make follow-up calls to people who initially fall victim to the scam. In these calls the scammer falsely claims to be from a foreign government, foreign law enforcement body, or from your bank, and offers to recover the money that you initially lost - in return for a fee.

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