Alleged Microsoft technical support employees try to gain access to third-party computers by telephone. Consumer advocates advise simply hanging up.
What initially sounds like good service is actually a nasty scam: a supposed Microsoft employee calls and warns that your PC has been infected with a virus. Then they redirect to infected websites, among other things. Prior to such bogus Microsoft support, the Consumer Center Rhineland-Palatinate already warned in early 2021. But now the calls are increasing again, as TECHBOOK found out for itself.
Fake Microsoft Support is a well-known scam
The fake support agents often speak English or broken German and try to trick their victims into performing certain steps on the PC over the phone. Under no circumstances should personal data be disclosed. You should also not purchase or even install any third-party software.
As I said, the scam is not new, but the fake calls are increasing again at the moment. Among other things, users report that they should enter the “assoc” command, allegedly to prove the problem at hand. A long sequence of numbers and digits then appears, which is said to be used for verification: 888DCA60-FC0A-11CF-8F0F-00C04FD7D062. The number was previously identical in all reports, so it is not used for verification.
What makes calls from fake Microsoft support so annoying is the constantly changing phone number. The scammers change their phone number regularly, so blocking calls on the router or phone will not take effect.
Another Microsoft scam is a fake warning notice. These look like a security warning from Windows itself. Users would then be asked to contact Microsoft support to fix an existing problem. Alleged Microsoft engineers then offer a software maintenance package for several hundred euros. These warnings are said to appear frequently while surfing the Internet and block the entire screen.
Also read: Numbers you shouldn’t answer at the moment
What can those affected do?
If you get calls like this from fake Microsoft support, it’s best to hang up and never get involved in a conversation. Call blocks make little sense due to the changing telephone number, but you should still report the calls. The Federal Network Agency has for such cases a form on the internet made available. She has been investigating such complaints more intensively in the recent past.
For example, a consumer reported calls from five different phone numbers in one day to fix an alleged problem with their PC. If one of the warnings appears, shut down your computer and restart it.
If you did respond to the false calls from Microsoft Support, shut down your computer and disconnect it from the Internet and power immediately. In addition, it is advisable to report the fraud case to the police, advise the experts. Microsoft also offers a form to report fraud attempts. A computer specialist should then check the computer for malware. Those affected are also advised to change all passwords and access data for e-mail accounts, online banking, online shops, etc. to be on the safe side.