A client recently alerted us about a phone scam that could have impacted them – if they hadn’t already heard about this scam happening to another local business in town. They were forewarned and knew to hang up the phone, but others may not be so lucky.
Although this scam isn’t brand new, it seems to be gaining momentum in recent months, so it is definitely worth it to take a closer look. By now there are are probably multiple variants of this scam, but here is the basic concept:
– A call comes in from a person claiming to be a Microsoft employee.
– The caller reports that there could be serious virus problems on the receiver’s computer, and that the computer could become unusable if immediate action is not taken.
– The caller directs the receiver to a website which will allow the computer to be remotely controlled, and the caller proceeds to “assess” the computer’s status and asks that the receiver pay a fee to fix the computer, or even to subscribe to a yearly support contract.
– If the receiver shows any signs of skepticism, the caller will show them warnings and errors in the Event Viewer – a legitimate log containing diagnostic information for computer technicians – which looks quite alarming to the naked eye, but in reality those warnings and errors most likely occurred over long periods of time or are not as serious as they look.
However the scam is executed, the point to remember is that – in Microsoft’s own words – “Microsoft does not make unsolicited phone calls to help you fix your computer.”
For the latest security and risk updates from us, visit: https://www.smartdolphins.com/category/security-and-risk/
Happy phone slamming!