Scammers are using several well-known brands, including Microsoft, to fool consumers into believing that something is wrong with their computers. The scam typically unfolds in the following manner:
- A cold caller, claiming to be a representative of Microsoft, one of its brands, or a third-party contracted by Microsoft, tells the victim that they are investigating a computer problem, infection or virus that has been detected by Microsoft.
- They tell the victim that they can help and direct them to a website that then allows the scammers to take remote control of the computer.
- The cold caller will then spend some time on the computer trying to demonstrate where the ‘problems’ are and in the process, convince the victim to pay a fee for a service that will fix the computer.
Singaporeans are advised to simply hang up if they receive a call of this nature and not to respond to any communications from these scammers.
For more information, Microsoft recommends the following resources:
- Microsoft Online Safety site
- Singapore Police Force
- The Commercial Affairs Department of the Singapore Police Force
Source: http://microsoftsgnews.com/?p=151
