If this number calls you: 0018504347982, then do not answer this call.

If this number calls you, do not answer it. These are cybercriminals who want to “bless” your computer with a Trojan!

This number is a so-called Microsoft fake call! We were informed by an intern who wrote us the following:

Hello everyone,
I got a call today from 0018504347982, supposedly Azure from Microsoft (supposedly based in Denmark, spoke only English, accent towards India and very intrusive) and they had the information that many users have “lost” their PCs recently “If there had been a Trojan in circulation.

I let him drool, he wanted me to open the Windows event viewer with “eventvwr” and tell him how many errors and exclamation marks there were because you would see it there and no one else knows the event log (yes of course 😉 ).

I then completely blocked it out, said that I might have the PC checked by a service technician and he then wished me, slightly annoyed, “have a lovely day”.

We have reported on these cases very often. As well as the consumer advice center:

False Microsoft calls: Call center closed in India

Fake service staff try to gain access to the PC via telephone. You should end such conversations immediately without further discussion.

The essentials in brief:

• Investigators have taken action against call centers in India. From there, a fraud scheme against local victims was apparently organized on a large scale.
• Supposed employees from Microsoft, for example, call and report that their home computer is infected with viruses.
• You should end such a conversation immediately. If it has already happened, disconnect the PC from the network and change your passwords.

The computer is allegedly infected with viruses, alleged employees of companies like Microsoft claim on the phone and offer to help clean the PC. What initially sounds like a very good service is actually a scam: the aim of the callers is to get computer users to install remote maintenance software or a Trojan.

This allows fraudsters to easily access the computer and spy on data. The fake service staff, who often only speak English or broken German, try to persuade their victims over the phone to carry out certain steps on the PC under their instructions. Since the calls often come from foreign numbers or other numbers that cannot be traced, it is difficult to identify the callers.

As of September 2016, investigators know of more than 7,500 victims in Germany. The number of unreported cases probably includes “a large number of other victims”. Perpetrators demanded money from them for an alleged repair. Or they deleted data until those affected gave up. The callers demanded amounts between 180 and 250 euros.

Indian call centers raided in May 2016

Local investigators have now taken action against call centers in India. The Lower Saxony public prosecutor's offices report that public prosecutors and the LKA traced many calls to the country and carried out a search there with Indian colleagues. Seven people are now in custody and several call centers are out of operation. Criminal charges in Germany have declined noticeably since then.

Microsoft itself also warns on its homepage about these and other fraud attempts that misuse the company name and offers tips for those affected as well as a form for reporting attempted fraud .

The best reaction:

End such a conversation immediately. If software has already been installed at the behest of such criminals, you should disconnect the device from the Internet as quickly as possible and have it checked by an expert. It is also very important to change access data and passwords immediately, especially for online banking. ( Source )