An alleged employee of the software manufacturer Microsoft stole over four thousand euros on Wednesday.
Nasty “Microsoft” scam: The man called an older couple that morning. Under the pretext of having to change the system, the unknown man gained remote access to the couple's computer. In doing so, they opened the door to their sensitive banking and access data. As a result, the fake Microsoft man initiated six transfers.
The police recommend that older people in particular not engage in such phone calls with alleged computer experts and fake police officers and instead ask the local police for advice.
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General Note: Microsoft does not send unsolicited email or make unsolicited calls to request personal or financial information or to provide support for problems with your computer. Any communication with Microsoft must be initiated you
Microsoft itself writes on this topic:
Support scams are an industry-wide problem. Scammers try to convince you to pay for unnecessary technical support services to fix device, platform, or software problems by describing supposed problems.
How scammers approach support scams
The scammers call you directly and pretend to be employees of a software company. You can even spoof the phone number displayed to show a valid support number from a trusted company. Then you will usually be asked to install applications that allow remote access to your device. Using remote access, the sophisticated fraudsters are able to manipulate normal system output to appear problematic. Scammers can also initiate contact by displaying fake error messages on websites you visit and providing support numbers to trick you into calling them. You can also switch your browser to full screen mode and display pop-up messages that do not disappear and hinder the use of your browser. These fake error messages are intended to prompt you to call a specified technical support hotline.
If you engage with the scammers, you may be offered solutions to your “problems” and asked to pay a one-time fee or subscribe to a supposed support service.
What to do if support scammers already have your information
- Uninstall applications that you installed on the advice of scammers. For more information about uninstalling an application, see Repair or remove an app in Windows 10 .
- Once you have given the scammers access permissions, you should reset the device. For more information, see Recovery options in Windows 10 .
- Run a full scan with Windows Security to remove malware. More information
- Apply all security updates as soon as they are available. To view available updates, select Start, Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. For more information, see Updating Windows 10 .
- Change your passwords. Here's how to change your Microsoft account password.
- Contact your credit card provider to dispute any payments made to the fraudsters.
- Monitor login activity. Use Windows Defender Firewall to block traffic from services you don't normally use. For more information, see Firewall and network protection .
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Note: Performing severe recovery methods such as: Some tasks, such as resetting your device, can be a bit time-consuming. However, this may be the best option in some situations, such as when fake error codes and messages keep popping up, practically preventing you from using the device.
Sources: Rotenburg Police Department , Microsoft
Article image: Shutterstock / By r.classen
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