It's been around for a few years now: fraudulent calls from fake Microsoft employees.
“ You have a virus on your system! “Give me access and I’ll eliminate it ,” is how the phone usually sounds in English or with a strong Indian accent. What happens next is well known: The fake Microsoft employees install real malware on the PC, often copy private data and charge a fee of several hundred euros or dollars for the “service”.
But that's almost over now. But only almost. Either sites like us have warned about the scammers too often or too many users don't have Microsoft Windows installed at all, but rather a Linux derivative, for example. So the poor call centers whose employees would otherwise be unemployed have to come up with something new!
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The Borken district police authority reports that the telephone fraudsters have now simply changed the brand: Microsoft is becoming Google!
A 71-year-old woman from Gronau fell victim to the Google scam. Previously unknown perpetrators posed as Google employees by telephone on Friday. As with the Microsoft scam, the perpetrators of the Google scam also trick their victim into granting them access not only to the victim's home computer, but also to the victim's online banking. If this happens, the perpetrators clear the account. Neither Microsoft nor Google employees call independently and request electronic access or ask for passwords. In the case of the Gronau woman, the perpetrators were able to initiate a five-figure transfer.
The intention of the brand change is clear: no matter which operating system is used, almost everyone uses the Google search engine or has a Google email address. So it seems plausible to inexperienced users that Google will contact you by phone.
How does this scam work?
- Step 1: You receive a call from Microsoft or Google. The telephone numbers vary; they are both domestic and foreign numbers. The employees mostly speak broken English.
- Step 2: You will be notified of a problem with your computer (virus, hacker attack, error message or similar).
- Step 3: You will be offered help by having the service staff resolve the problem with you over the phone.
- Step 4: If you respond to the assistance, you will first be asked to carry out certain system commands. Finally, you will be asked to download a special program.
- Step 5: After the download has been completed, fraudsters have full control of your computer. You can now log every click live.
- Step 6: Of course this service is not free! You will be asked to pay a certain amount online. This is how fraudsters gain access to your access data and passwords.
- Step 7: Fraudsters have full access to your PC, change passwords, delete and steal data or install malware. You now no longer have control over your computer.
- Step 8: Criminals now have your bank and credit card details.
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We recommend:
- End such phone calls immediately!
- Never allow such callers to access your computer!
- Do not install remote maintenance tools upon request!
- Do not click on any links on the fake support websites that are mentioned to you during the conversation!
- Microsoft itself does not make calls of this type!
- Do not make any payments or enter any online banking details. .
- Have you fallen into the trap?
- Disconnect your network connection immediately.
- Inform your bank.
- Have your credit and debit cards blocked.
- Check your account statements now.
- Write down the number she called and report it to the police
- If there is connection data from the remote maintenance tools, in this case “TeamViewer”, then write this down too!
Article image: Shutterstock / By pathdoc
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