Tech support scams are on the rise, especially ones conducted over the telephone. These scams are incredibly complex and use genuine call-centre staff who don’t realise that they’re being used by criminal gangs to scam money out of unsuspecting victims. There are several ways that scammers try and trick you into giving them access to your PC, or to pay them money for non-existent services.
- Receiving a phone call, either purporting to be from Microsoft, or from another tech company
- Displaying a fake virus or security alert message on a website you visit
- Pop up alerts on your PC after the installation of malware
To be clear, nobody from Microsoft will EVER call you to say there is a problem with your computer!
Microsoft, Google, Apple and other big tech firms work collaboratively with international banks, and law enforcement agencies worldwide to combat tech-support and other types of scams and criminal activity, and I have been lucky enough to tour the Microsoft Cyber-Crime, and Cyber-Security Centres in Redmond (WA), USA. Microsoft have guidance, that it updated regularly on their website about how you can make sure you don’t become the scammers’ next victim. It’s well worth a read, and well worth sharing with friends, family, and colleagues. You can find this advice on THIS LINK.
