If someone calls you from Microsoft technical support and offers to help you fix your computer, mobile phone, or tablet, this is a scam designed to install malicious software on your computer, steal your personal information, or both.
Do not trust unsolicited calls. Do not provide any personal information.
You can report this scam to the following authorities:
Whenever you receive a phone call or see a pop-up window on your PC and feel uncertain whether it is from someone at Microsoft, don’t take the risk. Reach out directly to one of our technical support experts dedicated to helping you at the Microsoft Answer Desk. Or you can simply call us at 1-800-426-9400 or one of our customer service phone numbers for people located around the world.
If someone calls you from Microsoft technical support and offers to help you fix your computer, mobile phone, or tablet, this is a scam designed to install malicious software on your computer, steal your personal information, or both.
Do not trust unsolicited calls. Do not provide any personal information.
You can report this scam to the following authorities:
Whenever you receive a phone call or see a pop-up window on your PC and feel uncertain whether it is from someone at Microsoft, don’t take the risk. Reach out directly to one of our technical support experts dedicated to helping you at the Microsoft Answer Desk. Or you can simply call us at 1-800-426-9400 or one of our customer service phone numbers for people located around the world.
Categories: cybercriminals, cybersafety, cybersecurity, Digital Crimes Unit, fake security software, hoax, id theft, Microsoft, phishing, phone scams, Tips & Talk Tags:
If someone calls you from Microsoft tech support to help you fix your computer, mobile phone, or tablet, this is a scam designed to install malicious software on your computer, steal your personal information, or both.
Do not trust unsolicited calls. Do not provide any personal information.
What you need to know about tech support phone scams:
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Microsoft will not make unsolicited phone calls about computer security or software fixes. If you receive a call like this one, it’s a scam, and all you need to do is hang up.
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Cybercriminals often use publicly available phone directories, so they might know your name and other personal information when they call you. They might even guess what operating system you’re using.
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If you have already given access to your computer to someone who claimed to be from Microsoft, immediately change your computers password, download the Microsoft Safety Scanner, and then make sure you have antivirus software installed.
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If you gave someone your credit card information to pay for services, contact your credit card company and alert them to this fraudulent purchase.
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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has received reports that criminals are taking advantage of consumers’ knowledge of the scam by calling to offer refunds for phony tech support. This is also a scam.
For more information, see Avoid tech support phone scams.
Patrick writes:
A person called and said my computer would no longer be supported by Microsoft. Is this true?
What Patrick describes sounds like a typical phone scam, designed to take advantage of the news that support for Windows XP will end in April 2014.
It’s true that if you are still using Windows XP, you should take action and upgrade to Windows 7 or Windows 8. After April 8, 2014, there will be no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options, or online technical content updates.
However, Microsoft is not calling people on the phone to tell them this information, and a phone call like Patrick’s might be a tech support phone scam that could put you at risk of identity theft.
Tech support phone scams are designed to:
- Trick you into downloading malicious software.
- Take control of your computer remotely and adjust settings to leave your computer vulnerable.
- Request credit card information and then bill you for phony services or commit identity theft.
Learn what to do if you think you’ve been a victim of a scam.
Microsoft will not make unsolicited phone calls about computer security or software fixes. If you receive a call like this one, it’s a scam, and all you need to do is hang up. Find out how you can avoid tech support phone scams.
What is Remote Assistance?
Windows Remote Assistance makes it easy for you to get computer help from someone you trust, such as a friend or technical support person whom you have contacted. The helper can use Remote Assistance to connect to your computer and walk you through a solution—even if that person isn’t nearby. You can also help someone else the same way.
When you use Remote Assistance, the helper can view your computer screen and chat with you about what you both see. With your permission, your helper can even use his or her own mouse and keyboard to control your computer and show you how to fix a problem.
To help ensure that only people you invite can connect to your computer by using Windows Remote Assistance, all sessions are encrypted and password protected.
Does Microsoft make unsolicited phone calls offering help using Remote Assistance?
Microsoft and Microsoft partners will never call you to charge you for computer fixes; if you receive a call from someone claiming to be from Microsoft offering such a “service,” the call is not legitimate.
For more information, see Avoid tech support phone scams.
How do I get help by using Remote Assistance?
There are two ways to get help by using Windows Remote Assistance. If both you and your helper are running Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows RT on your computers, you can use Easy Connect. Otherwise, use an invitation file.
To get step-by-step directions for both of these methods, see Windows Remote Assistance: Frequently asked questions.
Nana writes:
“I received a telephone call at home from a person claiming to be from “Microsoft Operating Systems.” He had an urgent need to “fix” a virus. I had trouble understanding him, and when I starting asking questions, he got frustrated. Was this person calling from Microsoft?”
This person was not calling from Microsoft. Microsoft will not make unsolicited phone calls about computer security or software fixes. If you receive a call like this one, it’s a scam and all you need to do is hang up.
If you’ve already given your computer access to someone who called and claimed to be from Microsoft tech support, do the following:
- Reset your computer’s password. Learn how to change your Windows 8 password. If you’re not using Windows 8, Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, and then click Change a password. Make sure it’s a strong password.
- Scan your computer with the Microsoft Safety Scanner to find out if you have malware installed on your computer.
- Make sure you’re using antivirus software. Windows 8 includes antivirus protection that’s turned on by default. If your computer isn’t running Windows 8, download Microsoft Security Essentials for free. Note that Microsoft Security Essentials is a free program. If someone calls you to install this product and then charges you for it, this is also a scam.
If you gave someone your credit card information to pay for services, contact your credit card company and alert them to this fraudulent purchase.
More information about how to avoid tech support phone scams.
A great Mother’s Day gift idea: help your mom guard against viruses, fraud, and identity theft. Unless she’s a super geek or an IT professional (or both), we know she’ll appreciate it.
Make sure that your mother:
- Has antivirus software from a trusted source and knows how to keep it updated. (Microsoft Security Essentials can be downloaded at no charge.)
- Understands automatic updating. Encourage her to regularly install updates for all her software and subscribe to automatic updates wherever possible.
- Uses strong passwords and keeps them secret.
- Knows to always keep her firewall on. Turning off this protective barrier between her computer and the Internet for even a minute increases the risk that her PC will be infected with malware.
- Is aware of tech support phone scams and knows not to provide any personal information to callers who claim to be from Microsoft and offer to fix her computer.
- Knows how to lock her mobile phone with a unique four-digit PIN. For more tips, you both can take our Facebook poll about mobile manners and safety.
Get more tips on how to stay safer with security software and scans.
On April Fools’ Day you might have fun being the recipient or the instigator of a harmless prank or two, but it’s good for you to know about online pranks we’ve seen that are far from harmless.
Phone scams. Cybercriminals don’t just email you or post on your social networking site anymore. They call you, pretending to be Microsoft tech support and offering to help you fix your computer. Microsoft will not make unsolicited calls to offer support. For more information, see Avoid tech support phone scams.
Verify your account scam. If you receive an email message that asks you to verify your username and password for your Microsoft account, your Hotmail account, or other account, it’s a scam designed to steal your personal information. The message often includes the threat of immediate account closure. Microsoft will not close your account if you do not provide personal information in an email. For more information, see Avoid scams that use the Microsoft name fraudulently.
Fake security software scams. If you see a pop-up window saying that your computer is infected or unprotected it could be a scam known as “rogue security software” or “scareware.” Rogue security software might report a virus, even though your computer is actually clean. For examples of rogue security software, see our Real vs. Rogue Facebook app.
Learn about how to help protect yourself from other popular scams
Categories: fraud, hoax, id theft, malware, online safety, phishing, phone scams, rogue security software, scams, scareware, security Tags:
In recent years, many of our customers have reported phony tech support phone calls from people who claim to be from Microsoft. These callers are cybercriminals who want to:
- Trick you into downloading malware.
- Take control of your computer remotely and adjust its settings to expose it to security vulnerabilities.
- Get your credit card information and bill you for phony services.
A few months ago, the FTC announced a major international crackdown on these scammers, but you still need to be vigilant and hang up if you suspect a call is fraudulent.
If you think you might have been a victim of a phone scam, downloaded malware from a phone tech support scam website, or allowed a cybercriminal to access your computer, take these steps:
- Change your computer’s password, change the password on your main email account, and change the password for any financial accounts, especially your bank and credit card.
- Scan your computer with the Microsoft Safety Scanner to find out if you have malware installed on your computer.
- If your computer is not running Windows 8, install Microsoft Security Essentials. (Microsoft Security Essentials is free software, so only a scammer will call you and say there is a charge for installing it.)
- If your computer is running Windows 8, run a scan with Windows Defender. (In Windows 8, Windows Defender replaces Microsoft Security Essentials.) Windows Defender runs in the background and notifies you when you need to take specific action. However, you can use it anytime to scan for malware.
For more information, see Avoid tech support phone scams.
Categories: antivirus software, cybercriminals, cybersafety, cybersecurity, fraud, hoax, id theft, malicious software, malvertising, malware, Microsoft, phishing, phone scams Tags:
In recent years, many of our customers have reported phony tech support phone calls from people who claim to be from Microsoft. These callers are cybercriminals who want to:
- Trick you into downloading malware.
- Take control of your computer remotely and adjust its settings to expose it to security vulnerabilities.
- Get your credit card information and bill you for phony services.
A few months ago, the FTC announced a major international crackdown on these scammers, but you still need to be vigilant and hang up if you suspect a call is fraudulent.
If you think you might have been a victim of a phone scam, downloaded malware from a phone tech support scam website, or allowed a cybercriminal to access your computer, take these steps:
- Change your computer’s password, change the password on your main email account, and change the password for any financial accounts, especially your bank and credit card.
- Scan your computer with the Microsoft Safety Scanner to find out if you have malware installed on your computer.
- If your computer is not running Windows 8, install Microsoft Security Essentials. (Microsoft Security Essentials is free software, so only a scammer will call you and say there is a charge for installing it.)
- If your computer is running Windows 8, run a scan with Windows Defender. (In Windows 8, Windows Defender replaces Microsoft Security Essentials.) Windows Defender runs in the background and notifies you when you need to take specific action. However, you can use it anytime to scan for malware.
For more information, see Avoid tech support phone scams.
Categories: antivirus software, cybercriminals, cybersafety, cybersecurity, fraud, hoax, id theft, malicious software, malvertising, malware, Microsoft, phishing, phone scams Tags:
From the latest scams and fraud to how, when, and why to update your computer, here are the stories that you viewed and clicked on the most this year.
Download security update for Internet Explorer. In September, Microsoft released a security update for Internet Explorer. To help protect your computer, visit Windows Update to download and install the update and ensure that you have automatic updating turned on.
Update your browser. In February, if you had automatic updating turned on, Windows Update automatically upgraded you to Internet Explorer 9. Now you can get Internet Explorer 10.
Is my computer up to date? In March, you clicked on this blog entry to learn how to turn on automatic updating and to make sure that your computer had all of the latest updates.
Beware of ransomware. Nearly a year ago, a lot of you stopped by to learn about the resurgence of this scam. It launches a pop-up window warning that illegal material has been found on your computer and then locks you out of your computer unless you pay a fee. It’s still around, and we recently offered new guidance to help you deal with it.
Protect yourself from online tracking. Earlier this year we reported on Tracking Protection, which was a new feature in Internet Explorer 9. Read more about how user privacy protection has evolved and why it is turned on by default in Internet Explorer 10.
Here are five more stories that were popular with you this year:
Categories: Automatic Updates, automatic updating, free, hoax, id theft, Internet Explorer 10, Internet Explorer 9, Microsoft, online safety, phishing, phone scams, privacy, rogue security software, scams, scareware, security, security updates, social engineering, updates, virus, windows update, Xbox Tags:
From the latest scams and fraud to how, when, and why to update your computer, here are the stories that you viewed and clicked on the most this year.
Download security update for Internet Explorer. In September, Microsoft released a security update for Internet Explorer. To help protect your computer, visit Windows Update to download and install the update and ensure that you have automatic updating turned on.
Update your browser. In February, if you had automatic updating turned on, Windows Update automatically upgraded you to Internet Explorer 9. Now you can get Internet Explorer 10.
Is my computer up to date? In March, you clicked on this blog entry to learn how to turn on automatic updating and to make sure that your computer had all of the latest updates.
Beware of ransomware. Nearly a year ago, a lot of you stopped by to learn about the resurgence of this scam. It launches a pop-up window warning that illegal material has been found on your computer and then locks you out of your computer unless you pay a fee. It’s still around, and we recently offered new guidance to help you deal with it.
Protect yourself from online tracking. Earlier this year we reported on Tracking Protection, which was a new feature in Internet Explorer 9. Read more about how user privacy protection has evolved and why it is turned on by default in Internet Explorer 10.
Here are five more stories that were popular with you this year:
Categories: Automatic Updates, automatic updating, free, hoax, id theft, Internet Explorer 10, Internet Explorer 9, Microsoft, online safety, phishing, phone scams, privacy, rogue security software, scams, scareware, security, security updates, social engineering, updates, virus, windows update, Xbox Tags:
This week the FTC announced a major international crackdown on scammers who call you on the telephone and offer to fix your computer. These criminals often charge their victims for bogus services and install malicious software on their computers.
The FTC also acknowledges investigative assistance from several computer companies including Microsoft. Federal regulators have already charged 14 organizations and 17 individuals in 6 different legal findings. For more information on how you can protect yourself, see Avoid tech support phone scams.
Gabby writes:
I just wanted to let you know that I received a phone call this evening from a guy called “Daniel” from “Technical Maintenance of Microsoft Windows.” He said that Microsoft had received error messages from my computer and he asked me to turn my computer on and follow his directions to fix this. I told him that I would sort it out myself and hung up on him.
That sounds like a typical tech support phone scam that cybercriminals use to:
- Trick you into downloading malicious software.
- Take control of your computer remotely and adjust settings to leave your computer vulnerable.
- Request credit card information so they can bill you for phony services.
Gabby did the right thing by hanging up on “Daniel.” For more information, see Avoid tech support phone scams.
Categories: cybercriminals, cybersafety, cybersecurity, fake security software, fraud, hoax, id theft, malicious software, malware, Microsoft, phishing, phone scams, rogue security software, scams, scareware, security, social engineering, spyware, tech support, virus Tags:
If you receive a phone call from someone who claims to be from Microsoft and says that your computer has a virus, hang up.
This call is probably from a cybercriminal who wants to charge you for a bogus service or trick you into installing malicious software on your computer that could capture sensitive data. Then, they might even charge you to remove the software that they tricked you into installing.
Microsoft does not make unsolicited calls to ask for personal information or to charge you for computer updates. You can update your computer automatically and for free with Windows Update.
For more information, see Phone Scammers: Here to help…themselves.
If you think you might have already been a victim of this scam, learn how to report it.
Get more information about how to avoid tech support phone scams.
An anonymous blog reader writes:
“Someone keeps calling me every other week claiming to be from Microsoft tech support. They even gave me a number to call back. Can’t we report them?”
Yes. Learn about how to report phone fraud in the United States. Outside of the US, contact your local authorities.
Microsoft is aware of this scam and is investigating it. For more information, see Avoid tech support phone scams.
