Report: BEWARE of SCAM where caller offers to help “FIX” your computer!

2013, 01-26:

Report:  BEWARE of SCAM where caller offers to help “FIX” your computer!

This past week, "out-of-the-blue", I got a call from a fast-talking guy with a thick Indian-sounding accent, claiming he was calling from "MICROSOFT"...  As I recall, he knew my NAME (-- but, it & my phone number are on all my e-mails, various "contests" I enter from radio stations, etc.)...

         ...  I had to keep asking him to REPEAT things over & over, as a number of his statements made little "SENSE" to me...  He said, Microsoft's "records" had shown a bunch of "ERRORS" on my computer, & he was calling to "HELP" me get RID of them, because, if that wasn't done, they'd act as "viruses" (I'm "paraphrasing" here!) & start to infect my computer & make it UNUSABLE within like "12 days"!...

              ...  I report certain PROGRAM PROBLEMS (like sudden "disconnects") to Microsoft (as a "pop-up menu" encouraging you to do that is often "built-into" Windows when there are problems that disable normal operations of the program)--  but I do NOT send "identifiable" information "with" such reports, & purposely do NOT regularly send info to Microsoft re WEB-SITES I go to, etc (as I feel it's unnecessary & none of their business)...

                  ...  I specifically asked the caller--  who said his name was "ABEL"(!) -- if he was claiming he worked FOR Microsoft, & he claimed he did.  I asked, what "OFFICE" was he calling from?, & he said, "CALIFORNIA"--  tho he declined to give me a PHONE number there when I asked for it...

                       ...  The guy named "Abel" had some KNOWLEDGE about computers, urging me to go to "Start" / "Run", & type in "eventvwr"...  I tried things, &, under "Applications", I did see some periodic "ERROR" messages he claimed I'd see...  (But, that could be true on ANYONE'S computer, & they usually just said un-vital things like "Application HANG"...)

                           ...  When I asked HOW -- or WHY -- he or Microsoft would get any supposed "REPORTS" of "Error" messages being on my machine, his words were INDEFINITE & made NO real SENSE overall...

                                 ...  Questioning him some more (because I wanted to better understand his "GAME"), I asked, what did he propose be "done" about these supposedly "dangerous" errors on my computer?...  In the midst of his "FAST-TALKING" spiel (which tried to avoid giving "direct" answers), he eventually said, he would DIAL INTO my computer over the internet &, for "a NOMINAL fee", he'd REMOVE the otherwise supposedly "un-removable" harmful "errors" that would otherwise "DISABLE" my machine...

                                        ...  I asked, just what the "nominal fee" was, & he reluctantly mentioned $ 100, with some fast-talk words about how his work would be "GUARANTEED" for a certain period including re any "re-occurrence" of such errors, etc...

                                            ...  I said, I didn't like the idea of some absolute STRANGER who'd called me uninvited suddenly being allowed access to do ANYTHING on my computer [since, tho I didn't say so, he could STEAL PERSONAL INFORMATION off of it!], & best he call back "later", after I'd had time to "discuss" the situation with a computer "PROFESSIONAL" I personally know...

                                                     ...  To my surprise, the guy called BACK in about an hour...  I said, I wasn't able to make any "decision" at this time, & again asked for a PHONE number...  He started rattling one off quickly, starting with an area code of 786...  I said, he was speaking too quickly, please go slower & REPEAT it--  but, he quickly HUNG-UP after that, & NOTHING more was heard from him...

                 ...  Now, I know Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, WASHINGTON...  While they have numerous offices elsewhere, & undoubtedly some in CALIFORNIA where "Abel" had previously claimed he'd been calling from, I checked out the area code of "786" (which I'd written down as he'd spoken), & it's an "overlay" code in the MIAMI, FLORIDA area, clear across the country from where he'd claimed!...

                    …  My "point" is, this appears to be an unusually BRAZEN "DIRECT"-contact scam of a type I haven't personally seen before, & I wanted to "ALERT" you to it…

                           …  When I informed some friends what had transpired, two of them advised me that they ALSO had been involved in a SIMILAR situation...

                                  …  Given that fact, I felt it might be helpful to get the “word” out to OTHER people:

                                           …  I caution you to NEVER allow any stranger who suddenly contacts YOU “out-of-the-blue” to "dial in" to your computer on ANY pretense, or to provide them with ANY PERSONAL information of ANY type, no matter how much they "WARN" you about supposed "problems" of some kind!...

                                                   …  The odds are, it’s a “SCAM”, they’re likely to CAUSE you problems rather than “solving” any, and nothing truly GOOD is likely to be given you by the caller!...  SAVE yourself a lot of “hassle” &, if need be, just HANG-UP on the caller!...
                          

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