“I am calling you from Windows…”

We’ve all had the calls, but what can we really do about the Windows Tech Support scam? Should you hang up, or lead the callers on? Is there anyone you can report them to, and if so, should you even bother?

Since they persist, scammers are apparently tricking sufficient numbers of consumers into forking over their cash--$250 or more, in some cases--to fix the virus infections identified by the caller's in-house technicians. Windows phone scams--targeting PC owners--appear to have begun in earnest in 2008, and been on the rise ever since, according to the Guardian. Meanwhile, their popularity is fueled by the availability of cheap phone calls and labor in countries like India.

The aim of the scammers is to talk you into installing remote software on your computer, so that they might then take control. Once done, this will either allow them to steal data, introduce a Trojan horse or other malware (the remote software itself may be a malicious tool) or just perform a bit of “tech support theater” to make it seem as though they know what they’re doing.

Once the “virus” is discovered, of course, the scammers will demand money for their services of “removing” it. This can go a number of ways, but if you refuse, there is the possibility that the scammers have remotely changed your password or encrypted your files, transforming this into a one-on-one ransomware scam.

If you ever get a call 'from Microsoft stating that there are some indications that your computer is broken or infected--just hang up.

Story Date: September 17, 2016