Beware of telephone support scams where someone phones you and claims to be from Microsoft or from another support company such as BT.
They can call you at home or at work.
The cybercriminals use publicly available phone directories so they might know your name and other personal information. They might offer to help you solve a computer problem or ask you to validate your software licence.
What to do when you receive an unsolicted tech support call
If you are not expecting a call from a technical support company, be wary. Do not give out any information, instead, end the call. Look up your own contact details for the support company you do use and give them a call if you are worried you need to take legitimate action.
Give our Service Desk a call on 01225 383434 to let us know, we can gather information on the scams and do more to stop them.
What the cybercriminals are trying to do
They may try and do a number of things. These include taking control of your computer and getting credit card information.
Microsoft has given the following examples of reported tech support scams:
- Trick you into installing malicious software that could capture sensitive data, such as online banking user names and passwords. They might also then charge you to remove this software.
- Convince you to visit legitimate websites to download software that will allow them to take control of your computer remotely and adjust settings to leave your computer vulnerable.
- Request credit card information so they can bill you for fake services.
- Direct you to fraudulent websites and ask you to enter credit card and other personal or financial information there.
