Support Call Hoaxes

Cybercrime is a growing trend. Several scams are prevalent but one that is rising is supposed calls from Microsoft Tech Support. A computer owner receives a call and is notified that their Internet service provider has found serious virus activity on their computer - thus, Microsoft was contacted to reach out and tackle the issue. The Microsoft security professional will typically run a free scan to "detect" what viruses are on the machine. Low and behold, serious problems are on hand and for only $250 or more, they'll solve the issue while the computer owner sits comfortably at home.

These tactics aren't new, but growing because of the ability of cheap phone calls and cheap labor outside of the United States. Some consumers are fighting back to record information about the scammer's identity and modus operandi.

The tactics used are meant to fool the unsuspecting and prey on the uninformed. First of all, the scammer will speak with confidence and probably use technical words to play on the user's fear. They'll represent a department from Microsoft that is following up on an indication of a broken computer or a system that has been infected by viruses or malware.

While on the phone, the scammer will direct the user to various error messages which indicate virus issues on the machine. Typically, the errors are quite general - like log files - and have no relevance to infectious programs.

The scammer then asks the user to execute DOS command to confirm the system's unique ID. Although this might sound like excellent proof of a legitimate tech support person, when the scammer reads back the same number the user sees on the screen, all that is being confirmed is a generic ID for a file extension that ships with every Windows PC. This technique is nothing more than sleight of hand.

After a bit of drama, it is verified that the user's system has big problems. The scammer requests to remotely log on the system to perform tests. When access is granted, an old certificate is found by the remote access tool administrator to display to the user. The old dates of past certificates back up the scammers story, which usually states the system hasn't been updated in "this many months" or "over a year" and proceeds to run an application that will update security software to protect the system from viruses, malware, Trojans, hackers, among other things.

Once these actions are complete, the user is directed to a PayPal account where he or she should pay the bill. Typically $250, but as I mentioned earlier the costs can be more.

Take heed of these tactics. If someone calls from Microsoft speaking of problems on your computer, just hang up.

George is the online strategy manager for Comset Computers, providing Chicago-based malware removal.

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