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I Got a Call from Microsoft and Allowed Them Access to My Computer. What Do I Do Now?

Question:

A family member got scammed by a telephone call from someone saying that they were from Microsoft, calling because of PC error reports. Unfortunately, remote access was given. What should be done to prevent further compromise of the PC data? Help!

Note: MS scanner and a Norton scan were done and showed no problems. Remote access software files were removed manually from PC. Could the scammer again access the PC data? Data is backed up to the external drive (not plugged in at the time of the scam). Can the same files/data be safely loaded on to a new HD/computer?

As you point out, it’s a scam. Microsoft doesn’t call people because of errors on their computers. Neither do ISPs, security companies, or pretty much anyone else who might have some role of internet authority.

To quote Admiral Akbar: “It’s a trap!”

In recent years (yes, years) I’ve been getting lots of reports of this scam and its variants. Fortunately, many people are rightfully suspicious and cut it off before it goes too far.

Unfortunately, your family member having fallen for the scam puts you in a difficult and dangerous position.

To start with, let’s not hook up that external hard drive just yet.

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The Scam

The scam is very simple: someone calls you claiming to be from Microsoft or your ISP or your anti-malware provider, or some other authoritative company. Of course, they are not. Microsoft, your ISP or any of the other companies these scammers claim to be from are not involved in any way.

They claim that they’ve detected that your computer is causing many errors on the internet or that there are “problems with your account”. To prove that there’s something wrong, they ask if your computer has been crashing recently. Or they have you open up the event viewer and point out the many, many errors listed there.

And, of course, they can fix it for you.

The scammer asks you to allow them to access your computer. Typically that means they have you connect to a remote access site, such as logmein.com so you can give them access to your computer. Important: Sites like logmein.com and other remote-access services are not involved in the scam. They’re just web services that the scammer uses as a vehicle for accessing your machine.

This then leads to the scam’s hook. While accessing your machine several things may happen:

  • The scammer installs malware.
  • The scammer “discovers” that in order to fix your (non existent) problem you’ll need to purchase something and at this point, they ask for your payment information.
  • You’re quoted a high price for this “service”.
  • Your payment information may be used not only for that quoted fee, but for other purchases you haven’t authorized.

In the end you’re either left with a malware-laden machine (that won’t be “fixed”, by the way), bogus charges on your credit card, or both.

It’s a classic scam.

It's A Trap!!!What about those EventViewer messages?

EventViewer is a mess. Or, rather, the information that is logged by applications in the system and displayed by EventViewer is a mess.

It’s highly technical, often incomprehensible, and honestly really only useful to experienced technicians and software developers.

And here’s the kicker: errors and warnings are expected in EventViewer. It’s completely normal to have lots of red stop signs and yellow warning signs in the list of events displayed by EventViewer.

Put another way, seeing errors and warnings in EventViewer does not mean that there is anything wrong with your system.

Don’t believe anyone who calls you up and tells you different. They’re wrong; and using EventViewer to misguide you is a classic sign that someone is trying to scam you.

Avoiding the scam

Classic scam-avoidance 101: never completely trust someone who you don’t know who calls you.

Listen to them, if you like. Ask questions, if you feel so motivated, but never ever give them access to your PC and never ever give them your payment information.

Let them know that you’ll have your local tech look into it (even if you don’t have one).

Once it becomes clear that you’re not going to fall for the trap, it’s very likely that you’ll get hung up on, or that the caller may even become abusive. At that point, you can hang up on them.

If you’re concerned that there is a real problem, do the research yourself, or contact the technical resources that you trust and ask them about it.

Chances are there’s nothing to see here.

Recovering from the scam

If you handed over payment information, you’ve just given that information to a complete stranger. Immediately contact your credit card issuer or other payment provider and put them on fraud alert.

If you allowed the scammer access to your machine … well, things get ugly.

The short answer is that you have no idea what they did. If you saw them install software in the guise of tools to help repair your system, it’s very possible that software’s really a bundle of malware that’s now residing on your machine.

Even if you didn’t see them download something, they still could have placed malware on your machine.

You just don’t know.

And there’s no way to prove that they didn’t.

There are two approaches at this point:

  • Assume the worst. Revert to a system image backup taken before the access was granted. If you don’t have such a backup, then backup your data, reformat, and reinstall Windows. This is the only way to know that whatever the scammer might have left on your machine is truly gone.
  • Hope for the best. Run up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware tools, making sure that each is running with an up-to-date database. I’d be tempted to scan with an additional tool or two; I would specifically recommend a scan with MalwareBytes Anti-Malware, which seems to catch a lot of the more aggressive malware. I’d be tempted also to try the process outlined here, as well as Windows Defender Offline. And then I’d hope that whatever may have been left was caught.

It’s a scam

This appears to be a common scam right now and the best defense, as you can guess, is to not fall for it in the first place.

If you do, then the next best thing is to make sure that you have regular system backups that you can revert to.

And if you walk away remembering just one thing, remember this:

They won’t call you.

If “they” do, be very, very suspicious.

Do this

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298 comments on “I Got a Call from Microsoft and Allowed Them Access to My Computer. What Do I Do Now?”

  1. Also be very careful when searching for support, especially for a free service such as Hotmail, Facebook or Gmail. Free services generally don’t offer phone support. If it’s a paid service better to go directly to the company’s website, for example, {company_name}.com. Scammers have a lot of fake websites offering fake phone numbers or links.
    The Risk of Searching for a Support Phone Number

    Reply
  2. I was subjected to this scam over a year ago now and immediately, following advice from sites like this, recognised it for what it was. Nevertheless, I allowed the “person from Microsoft” to carry on digging the hole deeper until it came to the point where she told me how I should “give Microsoft colleagues control of my computer” whereupon I asked for her telephone number, just for my peace of mind and so I could check it out with Trading Standards (a UK public organisation set up to protect people from all kinds of illegal and dodgy practises) whereupon she started to bluster, offer excuses and finally hung up.
    A friend of mine with the same ISP contacted me shortly afterwards to say that she had received a similar contact that had so alarmed her that, despite not giving access to her computer, had told them to push off and then changed all her internet banking passwords and on-line security.
    I still receive these calls and adopt one of the following tactics:
    1) I know this is a scam and I am now about to report this call to Trading Standards or the Police or both.
    2) That’s interesting I am a Mac user!
    3) “Just a minute there’s someone at the door….” and return sometime later when they have got fed up of waiting.
    4) Sorry I don’t have any of those new fangled computer thingys!
    5) Just immediately hang up.
    One always works.

    Reply
    • I received a phone call twice in two weeks May 2015 first week I know its a scam somehow I hangup but second week Indian guy called said im calling regarding your computer so I ask him what about it he said turn on your computer and it has virus I called you to help and remove it from your computer and then his said talk to my supervisor I hear noise at background I talk to a lady her sounded European girl I ask her name she didnt tell me she said madam I will help u remove virus from your computer can you type infro in blank space and I did and it take me to where all the file are loaded she told me not to open that its all the virus so I ask her how to remove them she said who is the owner of the computer I told her its me and my husband both are. then she told me the warranty of your computer is expired how long you want the warranty for.most likly I dont give out my card details to any1 so I said my husbands deals all that things .she ask me when me when he will be home I told her I don’t know and she ask me if his home tomorrow I said im not sure so she said ok thank and hang up I know it was a scam which I was falling for but im not sure if they have done anything to my computer I havnt turn on my computer since then .I told my husband about it he got angry on me why I have on the computer they can do any thing to it he said .I need help what can I do now.

      Reply
      • If you only turned on your computer and didn’t install any software or give them an access code, then I don’t believe they had any access to your machine

        Reply
      • Just received a call from {URL removed} along these lines. The people ‘helping’ claimed to be employed by Microsoft the company website is in Israel, the people from India. Do not trust them it is clearly a scam of this type

        Reply
        • How do you undo what Microsoft did /I gave them access in my computer log me in.com/ scared they are getting all my info help thankyou Kathy

          Reply
          • Please read the article you just commented on. It’s very likely that IT WAS NOT MICROSOFT, but a scammer instead. You may need help to backup and reinstall Windows from scratch.

      • I had opened email that I thought was from microsoft about virus infection and urgent need to call to get rid of virus. I had similar sales pitch and did allow access to my computer. I tried restore but unable to reinstall updates

        recommend avoid restore unless computer not working, since updates cannot be reinstalled and computer may not work as well after restore.

        Reply
    • same here… the only difference is that the women had her manager talking to my dad. then the women put some password on the pc now i can’t even get pass that to login…..
      anyone have any ideas to fix that.
      last night i tried to restore but it did not ask for a specific time frame

      Reply
    • Not really. You probably have targets so waiting for ages on a call will destroy your targets. If you’re calling them they aren’t wasting their minutes. People get called by people like yourself all the time. Legitimate calls? (sales, marketing?) I doubt your calls are necessary or genuinely needed.

      Reply
    • I downloaded the file that they told me to download and gave them the id and pass from that file. After that, they told me to not touch anything on my computer, and to wait for someone to work on it. while they were saying that, i did some quick research and found out it was a scam. so i shutdown my pc and deleted the files once i turned it back on. is there any threat to my computer up to this point of the scam?

      Reply
      • Unfortunately, yes. You were far enough into the scam to give them full access to your computer. If you have a recent backup I’d revert to that right away.

        The problem is that the file they had you download was probably an executable file of some sort. Just deleting the file will not remove any programs it may have installed while they had access. It’s likely that they can still do anything they want on your computer. If you don’t have a backup, then you should treat this like a malware infection. Here’s an article from Leo with some steps to take: https://askleo.com/how_do_i_remove_malware/

        Me? I’d do the last step that he calls “Surrender.” A full reformat and reinstall. It’s tough, but it’s the only 100% solution.

        Reply
        • i would try and act weird as can be until they block my number and then they wont call me ever again if i act weird just sing badly or just try and make them feel weird or creeped out

          Reply
    • I thought I was the only person getting this call, and asked Google and then read Alan’s report. This morning alone i have received 3 telephone calls saying the same thing. As it happens I did say to the caller “but I don’t have a computer”, they immediately hang up. Needless to say the call is always call I.D. Withheld. Kacy

      Reply
  3. I have had this at least twice. The last time I told the idiot on the line that there wasnt anything in the errors reports screen ” its empty, what had you done to it ?, return this as it was, oh my god, get the police”. The bloke at the other end was so startled he actually said sorry, I then threatened him, his company, his dog walker and gardener. He was in histerics at the other end saying it wasnt his fault. In the end I simply said “OK, bye” and put the phone down. Yes, it was cruel but I had a blast !

    Reply
    • Had one of these two days ago. Claiming to be from Telstra. Said my Computer infected….about to crash…..guided me into remote control( I realised too late) if i. .. pay $5….. go to 711 store to use money transfer facility. They will send $1,000!!!!!

      Indian sounding. Repeatedly asked if we used Internet banking (we don’t )….after I hung up they rang landline about 8 times then sent hysterical messages onto computer screen for me to pick up the phone.

      iinet maybe could trace the origin of the calls.

      Cheers,

      Reply
  4. I have a more general point about FORMATTING AND REINSTALLING. I once had done so (as mostl windows users unfortunately need to now and then), and after reinstalling, Windows exposed some information that had been present in the old system but not given to the new one (I don’t remember what is was, may be unimportant, some setting or foldername), but how could Windows know? The only explanation is that the formatting consists only in making the files unaccessible, not deleting them effectively. If that is what you want, I recommend a program like Eraser, free and easy to find, that will overwrite all data you wish with random digits. It will take some time, but you can be rather sure that the old data are gone – am I right?

    Reply
  5. It’s been so long since I’ve done any reformatting that I’m rusty on my information. I mean, I’m talking about the old DOS days. But whether DOS or Windows, formatting isn’t just formatting. There’s low-level format and high-level format, high-level being primarily the sector and cluster structure on an already basic-formatted machine. Below that, there is also the partitioning which, if you’re going to clean the slate and start over, wouldn’t be a bad idea to include. And even high-level formatting consists of two types; Quick Format and Full Format. Quick Format (as its name implies) is faster, but it only really formats the allocation table. The rest of the drive is untouched and, although marked available for use and over-writing, isn’t truly empty. The directory won’t show the files from a previous life, but an attempt to read those sectors CAN possibly bring them back to life inadvertently. When re-formatting, if nothing else, ALWAYS do a Full Format even though it takes longer.

    Reply
  6. Microsoft does call. I have had five calls from Microsoft Personnel over the years. Two were out of the blue but were from the individuals in India who had responded to the Trouble Reports I had submitted. Three others were the result of ongoing update issues with OneCare and MSE software that I had also Beta tested.

    Reply
    • They do not call you unless they are calling you back from you calling them. I have called Microsoft myself and asked them if they ever call people, as someone tried to scam me today, and they said the NEVER call people unless returning a phone call. Any other call is a scam.

      Reply
  7. @Bill
    Those were not Microsoft reps, but the same kind of scammers mentioned in the article. I’ve Beta tested MS software and the registration never asked for a phone number. Microsoft never calls unless you’ve just called them

    Reply
  8. I have had phone calls off Microsoft, but never cold calls, it has always been as a result of a specific problem with my computer.

    Reply
  9. If you receive a call from ‘Microsoft’ or another scammer, tell them you have a very slow computer, takes 10 minutes to boot, runs windows 95, has a 33k dial-up modem. They’ll suggest that’s not a problem, they’re happy to wait and will call you on your mobile phone – but you don’t have one! They’ll hang up quick, and you’ll have had a bit of fun!

    Reply
  10. “If you don’t have such a backup, then backup your data, reformat, and reinstall Windows.”
    Won’t the scammers have put malware in your data by then, and you will be transferring dirty data on to your external drive (or DVDs)?

    Reply
  11. @Gwyn
    It is rare that a data file would contain a virus. Almost all viruses reside in executable files with .exe, .com., .dll, .scr and others which usually reside in the Program Files or Windows Folder or some other non Documents folder. While it is possible for an MS Office or other file to contain a macro virus, this isn’t a method that is used by this kind of scammer as they install programs that work quietly in the background. A Macro virus has to be executed by the user opening the infected file, in which case MS Office informs you that the file has a macro. If you aren’t sure it should contain a macro (macros, themselves, can be useful if you write them yourself or get it from a trusted source) then click on disable macro.

    Reply
  12. I tell them they must be mistaken. I run a Mac (OS X), and that Macs just don’t get viruses. Then I hang up… My primary machine runs Win 7, and yes, Macs do get viruses. I just like to hear that three seconds of silence while they work out what to do next.

    Reply
    • Might you be able to help me, Duane? I too, have a Mac (OS X) and just got a call from the ABC Repair scammer and bit. I couldn’t find my credit card, however…and she’s calling back in an hour.

      The problem is, I somehow allowed her access, by pushing the shift key and R or V…. I can’t recall the letter. And she had total access to my mouse. Does that mean that these people have access to EVERYTHING that’s in my computer? What do I?

      What should I do when she calls back.

      PLEASE HELP. I am a dysfunctional older person with MS….and do not understand how computers work, nor do understand how people can be so awful. Anyway….I would GREATLY appreciate anything you, Duane…and ANYONE can help me.

      I’m at a loss. Just hope it’s not too big.

      Thanks.

      claudia gale
      {email address removed}

      Reply
  13. Leo, you are correct to point out that “Sites like logmein.com, ammyy.com, and perhaps other remote-access services used for this are not involved in the scam. They’re just web services that the scammer happens to use and nothing more.”

    However in my opinion it would nevertheless be a very kind thing for these sites to display a very prominent warning to anyone encountering their site that the possibility of it being misused by scammers is a very real possibility and providing basic precautions to guard against that. Of course, they may already do that, I don’t know as I’ve never used them, but if not then perhaps they should be asked to do so – as a public service.

    I’m kinda surprised we’re not hearing more from those companies. These scams are definitely making these legitimate companies look bad by association

    Leo
    14-Jul-2011

    Reply
  14. A very timely article. I work for an ISP in Australia and have lost count of the number of customers who’ve contacted me about these hoax calls. Thankfully a lot of these have some sense that things aren’t right and contact either us or their computer tech before they allow themselves to be conned, but even in my small sample group, there are several who have gone the whole way & given their credit card details to the scammer. Multiply that by all the people being called and these con merchants must be still making a good living. All this despite the scams having been widely reported on TV and in the newspaper in this country. I’ll be sending a link to your very informative article to anybody who contacts me again about this Leo.

    Reply
  15. These creeps are ‘selling’ Windows 7 Total Security under the name of Activebroom 3. Don’t look for them on Google because you’ll be sent a cookie that if opened starts you on the road to ugliness. They have a small shield icon the same as Microsofts Security Essentials. There may be others at the same game. They misrepresent themselves as Microsoft in a very subtle way. The credit card companies won’t do anything about these guys when you identify them to them which I found very responsible on their part – if responsibility can indeed be expected of credit card companies. I suggested they kill their credit card account but they’re protected by privacy legislation and all the rest of the muck we’ve construed to protect criminals and expose the public. These scams can proliferate because authorities are generally peopled by the meek of the Earth and say they can do nothing. Well, we all wanted less government, so we’ve got it – zero government, often. The only way to discourage them is to have handy a football referee’s whistle to squeal into the phone. If you argue with them, they get abusive. When I sorted them out on one occasion, they blitzed me all day with phone calls they never answered. As soon as I’d put the phone down, they wait fifteen minutes and go again. My techo says they’re Russian, but all the callers have sounded Asian to me. Sort of reminds you how low we can go as a species.

    Reply
  16. I received a call from someone who didnt speak english very well saying microsoft was asking them to call me to remove a virus i was suspicious but did what he told me until the point where he told me to look for 7 digits take one digit out and type in 6 digits in a blank box i didnt understand told him i had to write down the numbers then told him i have an emergency and hung up the phone. Is my computer at risk now?

    I can’t tell from the information provided. Sorry.

    Leo
    23-Jul-2011

    Reply
  17. I today got “the” phone. My wife picked up the phone and then gave it to me. Sure enough it was the “tech” telling me to look at my PC. Now you must know that I have been waiting for this call for months and I had devised a plan. I did waht was asked i.e. Start > Run > and then type eventvwr and OK. Sure enough it opens the event viewer, which I am totally aware of. The “tech” tells me to double click Applications which I do. He then proceeds with the guff about all the files in the right hand window are the ones affected by the virus. Hmmm , I tell him there are no files. “did you doubleclick applications” yes I tell him, but there are no files ( they were there of course ! but then I tell lies ). The tech starts to panic and he then tells me I cannot see them because to the virus. “So what have you done with my files ?” I ask “me, nothing !! ( he is starting to stammer now ). ” I need my files for my business what have you done ?, you come on the phone telling me you are from Microsoft and I have a virus, you tell me to type something in the run box and now my files have gone, what am I gonna do ?, oh god my business, my life is ruinned. Let me run Norton 360″ all the time this bloke is jabbering away. I tell him norton 360 says ” a man will phone you and he will tell you that you have a virus and if you give him lots of money he will cure it” silence…… then ” ah that a message the virus is saying to fool you ” I say in a normal voice, “you just aint getting this are you? let me speak with your supervisor. Now all I can hear is many people shouting, at this point I cannot keep up the show. My wife is by my side laughing. I had the best time for a long time. I wasted 15 minutes on this but it was worth it just to here the mans voice change. Probably won’t stop them but, hey, it gave me a great feeling to get one over on them for a change. Now if everyone who reads this remembers what to do… imagine what would happen !!!

    Reply
  18. I spoke to two gentlemen on the phone (they called) from NY, India. #1 man was the tech. the other was the supervisor. The tech. had me hold down the microsoft key and then the R key. I recieved the log in window. he had me enter eventvwr then enter. I recvd a new window called event viewer (local) then u click on custom views. on the screen window click on admin. events then your in. You will see your error messages & warnings. These gentlemens claimed that they could clean my pc of all these errors for a grand total of $189.00. If you go back to the file on the same page and u click on the file you get the delete for all those error messages, on the center of the page. for free. So don’t fall for this SCAM.

    Reply
  19. We have gotten several calls from {phone number removed}, mostly hang ups. I reported them to the National Do Not Call Registry. This morning they called again, and a woman I could barely understand said I had a “hidden infection” on my computer and would I turn it on so she could take a look. After getting nowhere with her, I asked to speak to her supervisor to get some answers. The guy, whose English wasn’t much better, said that he was working with Microsoft to fix infected computers. He said he was from Xion Technologies. I asked which of my PCs was infected, he just kept insisting that I chose a PC and turn it on so he could “look.” I asked several times for a call back number, he danced around it then finally said he couldn’t provide that info “right now.” While I had him on the line, I looked up Xion Tech and sought out answers from Microsoft. What I found was: Microsoft does not make unsolicited phone calls to help you fix your computer.

    Reply
  20. I received a call today from a man who spoke very broken english telling me my computer was sending messages to them that it was infected with malware. I asked him which computer, since I have 4 and he went on to try to tell me it was the one I use the most, which I told him was an apple computer. He kept on and on until I asked to speak to a supervisor who I could understand, who by the way wasn’t much better at english. They tried to convince me to turn on my computer, and I kept telling them I was at work. They offered to call me back when I got home. I asked for the name of the company and tried to verify that they were
    under contract to Microsoft. They then tried to convince me that because the warranty had expired on my computer that was the reason it was infected. I again asked for the company name and he told me Xion Technology, I googled it and then told the guy that I was looking them up and it appeared they were a fraud . I kept asking him what are you trying to sell me? What are you phishing for? He got very upset with me and proceeded to tell me to “Go to Hell” (his ecaxt words)
    and hung up on me

    Reply
  21. Hi Leo i have so many warning or errors in event viewer what i can do for removing them from my computer? plz send me reply ASAP.

    Reply
  22. I just got off the phone with these characters. I kept them on the phone for as long as I could (about 10-15 minutes). I asked several questions – the name of the company (they told me Xion Technology – like above), their phone number, the CEO of the company,… Of course they didn’t answer, just kept on telling me that they were under contract of Microsoft and that my computer has been sending error messages to them for a long time and I had severe problems. I told them (spoke to a “tech” and “supervisor” as described above) that I think they are a scam. They finally told me that the call was over.

    Reply
  23. I’ve gottent the same kind of calls in broken english. They called me 3 times yesterday and the 2nd call I asked who they worked for and the response was “your dad” and many expletives followed from him as I guess he was hoping to finally SCAM someone. They did call back 2 hours later with a silence on their end and I told them that the call was being traced and further calls would be traced as well. We’ll see how today goes….

    Reply
  24. Got the same call… broken English and all… kept asking if they were really from Microsoft… all they could tell me was yes… i asked for confirmation that they were and they gave me a number to a supervisor… i talked to him and he hung up. it was then that i looked online and found it was a scam… i IMMEDIATELY called The Federal Trade Commission ( http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/telemarketing/tel19.shtm ) and reported them. After that i called Microsoft and warned them about the scammers, I was not surprised to hear that they had received similar calls warning them about the scam.

    Reply
  25. i got scammed into i gave access to my husband computer and i dont know what they left on my computer or what info they got but im worried i deleted the file exe. and this other one ran a scan but cant backup my files !!! im in need of desparate help!!!!

    Reply
    • did you get any help? what was it? i’m in similar straits….so any help would be very much appreciated.

      i wish there were a police i could call.

      thanks,

      claudia gale
      {email address removed}

      and now I’m so paranoid…how do i know this site isn’t just for them to gather more info? i’m spooked.

      Reply
  26. I would really love to have some answers on following issue !

    It is about company “Tee Support”, or at least they claim they are company, which offers exactly the same “service” as those scammers do by phone. They have a website or blog or both, and they are a bit pushy when they try to make you visit their website or when they explaining themselves on forums or where and when they find people talking about them and accusing them to be scammers (e.g. WOT Web Of Trust, Firefox Add-On).
    Problem is that I couldn’t find anywhere some reliable informations on these people. Except on WOT service, which is pretty reliable but not exactly professional (more like ordinary people experience), I was unable to get some trustworthy info from professionals.

    Reply
  27. @Santa
    I’m not familiar with Tee Support, but I always mistrust pushy sales people and supposed tech support companies. WOT can have some false positives, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. I personally would never give access to my computer to a person I didn’t know, or I didn’t contact through a website I absolutely knew to be reputable. For example the support website from a major hardware or software company that I personally typed in the URL to access. I’ve done remote support for people and I know the potential for danger.

    Reply
  28. I allowed them to access my computer for about 10 minutes. They showed me a website and also the Wikipedia. The told me to buy their software. I terminated the remote connection immediately, but i didn’t know what he had put inside my computer… I’m so scared right now….

    Reply
  29. i got it too I told them i had my computer fixed and hanged up on them. They told they could fix it for 70.00 and I told them i don’t have the money which is ture and I also hanged up on them that didn’t work they called back. Today I told them to quit calling me that i got it fixed. I wonder how they get our name and number.

    Reply
  30. I have been recieving calls from people claming to either work for z tech or Cyber wizard claiming to have seen many errors on my computer coming across the internet I played along to see what they wanted when they told me to type allowing them remote access I knew,I then asked them how it felt to be a lying thief and a total low life.I recieved no reply.I then called them M F’s still no reply. Their english was not that good [middle eastern accents on all of them] I told them if I could find them I would shoot them.I have been through this same senario about 6 times and they still continue to call.

    Reply
  31. Unfortunately I fell for the Microsoft scam, the one where the indian people call you and tell you the errors and warnings are all viruses, well needless to say I wish I would have caught on earlier but I cancelled my debit card, told the bank to be on alert, restored my laptop to factory settings, and got rid of the old laptop and purchased a new one. These a**holes need to be stopped they are taking advantage of people like me who don’t know about this stuff, well Im here to tell you I will make this scam known to any body and everyone I come in contact with and I will be like a dog with a bone making sure that no one I know falls for this shit.

    Reply
    • its most likely russians with their heart bleed virus i got it and had to get a new computer because they hanged on to me for a year!
      hope this helped :)

      Reply
        • I did the same thing, grant them access to my computer but when they start telling me about paying for the security I started to get suspicious so I stop the call and logged off the computer, what worries me is that I always have my gmail open (one click and you are in), I checked if my emails have been forwarded and according to the POP settings, they have not, but I looked at my google activity and it shows that I logged in at that time I am not sure if the thieves would have entered my gmail account or not, the device does show as it logged in, I’m worried sick because I have important tax information stored in a folder on my Gmail account :(
          Would they have had time to read/copy or forward my information?, I would really appreciate the feedback, thanks.

          Reply
      • There’s no need to get a new computer because of malware. The worst thing that malware can to to your computer is mess up the contents of your disk(s) and force you to reinstall your OS and programs from scratch.

        Reply
  32. This just happened to me recently. I had to upload a disc for class and the software did not come with the proper pin to finish the upload so “I” called microsoft and they manually went through my computer the upload was taking to long and they said that I had numerous amount of errors on my computer and suggested that I take my system to Best Buy and have it fixed for a couple hundred I explained to them that I didn’t have that type of money at the moment & I would get ahold of my school to see if they would beable to help me with the problem. Well after being on the phone with a Microsoft rep I tried getting back online and was unable to. I was sooooooo mad. I knew that they were the reason my computer had crashed. I called and called there ofices speaking with supervisor after supervisor. Come to find out when you call Microsoft you are calling and speaking to reps that live in India or other countries. I demanded to speak with a manager they gave me the run around and refused to give me any information about contacting a higher authority at head quarters. I am so glad to read that I was not the only one to go through this. I am also glad that I have a relative that knows about computers and Iwas able to get the problem fixed free of charge. Still my computer is not the same and I can not here anything coming out like it was when I first got it. There should definitley be some type of law or restriction on this issue. The only advice that I would give when speaking with a rep from Microsoft would be to write down everything there name time and date of the call and never allow them access to your computer. Because honestly you never really know what they are really doing. Never again. This should be addressed as a serious issue and presented in a law suit. Seriously include me in. I was behind in school work for 2 weeks causing my grades to drop. Unbelievable.

    If you called Microsoft (and you’re certain that the number you called is, indeed, Microsoft), then that’s a different scenario than the scam outlined in this article.

    Leo
    15-Dec-2012

    Reply
  33. This recently happen to a family member, what I would like to know is if the access granted via the ID they directed them to give will also grant them future access. Or is the ID temporary?
    Is there anyway to know if they copied information from their computer?

    It’s hard to say. The actual connection technology they use initially probably does not last, but if they install malware while they have access they could easily install permanent backdoors.

    Leo
    23-Dec-2012
    Reply
    • Mate, I feel the same about myself now. I cannot believe I fell for it even though I had serious doubts at some point. I hate myself for this. But, the worst is that my computer is locked now and I have no clue how to fix it. Is here anyone who could give me any advice?

      Reply
      • Unfortunately your only solution is to restore from a recent backup. If you don’t have that, the next thing to try is to boot from a Linux disc and see if you can retrieve any of your data files. Even pulling the hard drive out and accessing it via a USB enclosure may work. And then, a full reformat and reinstall. It is definitely a radical measure. Wish you luck.

        Reply
  34. I had one of these calls about 8 weeks ago, and decided to toy with them. I feigned ignorance and dismay and begged them to help me. They asked me to reboot, I lied and told them I did but kept getting a blue screen. I even asked them to send a technician to my house.They gave up very quickly.

    Reply
  35. ok, It’s excited to get to know you, Leo. I think I gonna love to visit your website for something useful and interesting later on.

    I didn’t get a call from “Microsoft” like Alan or Mike, but I indeed had an experience with some tech support team online a couple of weeks ago. It happened to be {company name deleted}, so just try to answer Santa’s concern and share my own experience with him. Lol

    My computer was infected by a virus named fbi with a locked screen constantly. My antivirus didn’t work, so I tried to find someone to help me. Finally got some info via google and picked {company name deleted} online service. Actually I can not express how nervous I was to worry about my computer and my money at that moment, though it was just about $70 bucks. They assisted me via the live chat and got access to my computer through a remote tool called Team Viewer after my permission. They needed my random id and pw in order to connect to my computer and I could end the remote control if I wanted. LOL, I did try to prove this to ensure my security. Anyway, they fixed my computer and got that virus removed eventually. I personally consider this support to be a good one. They would not call me but have a toll free number for me to call them. Just for your reference. Of course, we should take it seriously when trying to contact something or someone unfamiliar for the first time.

    Reply
  36. i fell for this too…when i wouldnt buy a “licence” they put a lock on my desk top, not i cant get on..any thoughts are fixes?..thank you

    Reply
  37. Got this type of call today I was at work so I told the guy I would be home later. I was smart enough to ask if they had a number for me to call back when I got home and that’s when he started acting weird he said no they had my number and he would call me. I came home looked it up and that’s when I got your site and you confirmed what I already knew. Thanks so much.

    Reply
  38. I get calls like this so many times and i just blow them off usually i mention something more technical that the person has no idea about and they just hang up.

    Reply
  39. my aging parents got tricked into this a year ago … and paid over a hundred dollars for the “software update” … i’m glad they told me the day after it happened so we were able to see the charge (not to Microsoft but to a Western Union in India) and cancel their credit card and update/run Norton and do a few hours’ worth of system cleanup. yeesh.

    Reply
  40. I know a friend who is not very tech savvy and fell for the scam and ended up paying them, when her husband found out he was pissed!
    They have called me at least six times now and I tell them “That’s funny I don’t even have a computer” which causes them to hangup without saying a word. I’m hoping they call again because I’m going to tell them we’ve been waiting for you to call the FBI is tracking this number so expect a visit from them soon!

    Reply
  41. I know this old XP machine so well that the first time we got the call from these scammers I knew there was nothing wrong with my computer. I kept on insisting all was well. I was not aware of this scam at first. I now wind them up when they call by acting stupid. We have had 5 or 6 calls over the years. I also posted on an official Microsoft site of my experience with these cowboys and sometimes cowgirls.

    Reply
  42. this is where i think Microsoft screwed up by eliminating installation disks. if you were attacked a
    person could just do a clean re-install. problem solved. without the disk we have to go through
    hell and high water to fix it.

    Reply
  43. Saw a discussion like this on another forum. The best response was: I had my neighbor check my computer just yesterday. He is a Windows expert. His name is Bill Gates.

    Reply
    • THAT doesn’t mean anything…Remember the USB BSOD when Gates showed it the 1st time in public?? He hasnt touched code in decades….he has other people doing that.

      Reply
  44. Hey people! Stop answering phone calls from people you don’t know. That is what caller-id and voice mail are for. If you don’t have both, then get them. If you don’t recognize the number calling, don’t answer… if it’s important, they will leave you a message. Still, if you don’t know the caller, do not return the call. Don’t trust… but, if you must, VERIFY!!

    Reply
    • Funny. That’s exactly what my wife and I do. If we don’t recognize the number, we don’t answer. If it’s important they’ll leave voicemail. Completely bypasses scams and unwarranted sales calls.

      Reply
  45. The unfortunate thing about this scam is the fact that you answered the phone in the first place. They now know they have a “live one”. Over the last few years I have had over 100 calls from these people. Sometimes 2-3 times a week. The first time I answered the phone I let them show me the errors I was supposedly having before finally terminating the call. Mistake. There is a second part to this scam. They have an automatic dialler but if the “tech” at the other end can’t get to the call in time it hangs up giving you some sort of thank you comment. So this is also phone spam.
    So I now deal with these calls either of two ways depending on how annoyed I am. 1. Either a stream of personal abuse (I feel better after this even though it is only for a short time and you have to make sure it IS the scam before starting) or 2. a loud whistle blown down the line and then hang up. I haven’t had too many calls lately so am hoping that they have now taken my number off their call list.

    Reply
  46. I have been called several times by a so-called “Microsoft expert”. I know this is a scam and I reply in several ways, depending on the mood I’m in.

    Sometimes I keep repeating “Hello. Hello. I can’t hear you!” They start speaking very loudly and very fast and so do I, until one of us tires of the “conversation”.

    Other times I speak Welsh and that really throws them!

    I ask them to wait a minute and walk away. The caller gets fed up of waiting.

    Sometimes my husband interrupts on the extension: “We’re tracing the call, Madam” he says and the caller puts the phone down right away.

    Oh dear! We are sad !

    I am surprised some people still fall for this scam as there has been so much publicity to warn all PC users.

    (Love Bob’s comment regarding Bill Gates. Alas the latter doesn’t live in the UK!. Still this particular Microsoft expert wouldn’t know that, would he!)

    Reply
  47. Don’t really understand these replies. All one has to do is hang up very quickly. If done you usually do not get many repeats. Had a friend not so long ago that was being plagued by fanbox !!!. I fixed his comp so that all was transferred to trash. (He was using Yahoo !). After 3 weeks even Fanbox seemed to give up. Or were we lucky????
    As far as I know GMail will auto delete !!!

    Reply
  48. I regularly, a couple of times most months, get the call, ‘I am calling about computer errors on your computer?’ My response now is always, ‘Which computer is that. We have quite a few?’ the phone line always goes dead straight away.

    Reply
  49. I was scammed today but it was alert on my computer to call. I am so dumb I gave them access to my computer but didn’t give them money. But all my personal files were on my computer. When they scanned my computer did they get all my files? I turned off my computer and called all my banks and cancelled everything. Also called federal agency center and trans-union credit bureau to alert everyone of my scam that I fell for. So what do I do now with my computer now?

    Reply
  50. Hi I also partly fell for the scam i never paid any money but I allowed access a moment before realising what an idiot I was from what I saw the guy never got chance as I refused to pay all he did was set a start up password and reset my laptop so I couldn’t get back on with this i straight away started a factory reset blocked my bank cards and disconnected my internet once reset ive ran malware bytes scanned my laptop and found no issues I’m still reinstalling windows 8.1 as my factory reset took me to 8. With this do you think I have avoided everything?

    Many thanks

    Reply
  51. My mom got the phone call, she didn’t realize that it was a scam. She was sold a ” security system” for $300. she had to wire the money . I’m like omg if you have to wire it’s a scam. She didn’t tell us because at the time my dad was in the hospital. Next she calls them back, tells them she wants a refund, they ask for a credit card, they tell her it’s the only way to “refund” her wired cash, so next they charge her another $300. I hit the roof when she told me. I was so mad I think I would have went to India and kicked so bootie. Scamming older folks is so uncool. They are the ones that usually fall for this. I just hope when I old I still remember never wire cash.

    Reply
  52. I have a similar issue only they locked the computer and they want $150 to provide the password to unlock it. Is there anyway around this or does a person have to reformat and reinstall the software.

    Reply
  53. These scammers have been calling me for weeks. The call comes from a weird out of state area code. I never answered the calls but got curious and searched one of the numbers on line and read about the scammers with the Indian accent claiming to be from Microsoft. I sell products to a mostly Indian customer base and know quite a few bad words in Punjabi. I now look forward to their calls. I see how long I can keep them on the line cussing them out in their own language. My record is 4 1/2 minutes. They got quite mad and the phone was passed to at least 5 different people. “Pan-gee” is the most frequently used word to curse some one in India from my experience. Try it out! :)

    Reply
  54. Hello… How are you? Hope all is well. Ive came across a malware software that I TRUSTED ALOT!! And paid them a bunch of money. Then after I purchased it the next time I used my computer for School the very next day I turned my Laptop on and NOTHING BUT MY WALLPAPER SHOWED UP ON MY SCREEN. NO DESKTOP ICONS NO START BUTTON NOR ANY THING THAT WOULD ALLOW ME TO SEARCH THE TASKBAR. I LOOKED INTO THIS MILLION OF TIMES AND I WOULD STAY ON MY COMPUTER FOR SIX TO SEVEN HOURS TO TRY AND FIX IT. But NOTHING that I would do would bring my icons or start button back. Could you PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME?? I’m missing out on my school work and this has been going on since May 2014. I’m 32yrs old and I’m just trying to make it with two small kids so one day I will be a nurse. If you can help me you would make my DAY WELL YOU WILL MAKE ME THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD!!! Thanks So Much For Taking The Time Out To Read This. I Really Really APPRECIATE It ALOT!! Thanks hope to hear from you soon. *Christina*

    Reply
  55. I have been aware of these for some time and never fallen for them. I receive a few calls of this type per year.
    One approach that I use if I have a minute to spare is to reply to them, for example: “So, you have told me your name is Jason, you’re working for the Windows Technical Department and you’ve been monitoring my computer? You have just told me three lies.” They usually hang up at that point.
    Another approach I tried once is to ask, at the end of their introductory spiel: OK, in that case you can tell me my computer’s IP address, can’t you? He hung up immediately. One caller, about 6 months ago, was rather persistent, insisting he was genuine, and had the required Microsoft qualification, but I still got rid of him (I don’t remember exactly how). In my experience they all have obvious Indian accents and they pretend to have common English names, such as Jason, Mac, …

    Reply
  56. I just received my third call from these scammers. I knew it was a scam and so I played along for a while, never turning on my laptop but just questioning the caller. In the end, I told him never to call my number again and to stop trying to scam people. He then said ‘get lost, you idiot lady’ and hung up. This clearly clarifies the scam, no professional organisation would tolerate their customer service representatives saying or behaving like this. I am annoyed that these scammers are preying on innocent people and no doubt sometimes accomplishing what they set out to do.

    Reply
  57. yesterday, I got this pop up that wouldn’t let me x out. I got worried because it said all my personal info is in danger and my identity, to please call this # and get a support tech assist with the problem right away. Of course my dumb a** fell for it and the so called tech pretty much got remote access to my computer, he showed me all my problems and what needed to get fixed and of course the price of the fix. I backed out, and just realized what just has happened. I changed all my passwords, and did a recovery backup to my computer, also got my antivirus active. should I be safe????? i’m also worried just because I gave my name and address and phone #, can he do something with that???

    Reply
    • A recovery backup and a password change to all of your account passwords should undo any of the damage a person like that would have done.

      Reply
  58. Hello!
    (Note: I am very ignorant about technical matters)
    Last month while on holiday in France, I was targeted by the infamous “Microsoft Phone Scam”, which is documented on this site (fake Microsoft technicians who claim to want to clean your computer of dangerous malware). Although I was suspicious, I went along with the procedure, because the computer was a light, small ASUS eee-book, which I rarely use, and in which no data, as far as I know, is stored. (I always log in, log out, don’t tell the computer to remember my passwords, don’t store lists of passwords and numbers, etc. Documents and picture files are practically empty.) The group claiming to be Microsoft technicians spoke with an indian accent. They did, unfortunately, trick me into giving them remote control. In the end, communication was terminated when I refused to give my credit card details for payment of a fake protection program, the price of which was ridiculously low, only 1 or 2 $. (They must have figured I’m a really low income person, judging by the lack of content and simplicity of my computer. I told them this was the only computer I had and that I didn’t have a credit card, which of course is not true). Asking me to input my credit card may have been their basic goal, but I began to worry if they had installed a spyware. I am told some such software may not be detected by a security scan because they may look like legal stuff I installed of my own free will. I anyway later ran a Windows Essential Securities Scan, which found nothing. Friends have scared me by telling me these pirates may have accessed my hard disk and got all my passwords and previous history, including details of payments if I ever made any (although there are no records that I can identify). Is that possible? I changed all my important passwords using another computer. I also checked my bank account: nothing suspicious. The computer that was targeted has not shown any sign of damage or deleted functions, but it is now disconnected and stored away for 3 months, until I travel again to that address. Of course, I would like to be able to continue using it without fear that they will see everything I do! My friends have advised me to reinstall Windows7. I am now hesitating whether to try to do it myself (this model has no install-CD) or go to a repair shop, or just simply forget about it? It seems the price of reinstalling in a repair shop would be about half the amount I paid when I bought the new computer! Has anyone here had proof that they do actually implant malware?
    Thanks for taking the time to read.

    Reply
    • If someone like that had remote access to my computer, I would reinstall everything from scratch to feel safe. Actually since I have an image backup, I’d restore to the version just before the hack.

      Reply
  59. Hello, Just to let you know that,as of 29 th of october 2014 , the microsoft scam is still in action. A supposely microsoft agent called me ,(lucky me ) to help me with windows crash. She was VERY aggressive, saying the call is recorded , that I’ll lose access to any microsoft product, and that I could not hold microcoft liable if I do nothing as of this morning. I told her, I would take my chance…

    Reply
  60. Got contacted today by a man with a heavy Indian accent. All of the information above as described – I asked him which of my 8 computers was infected, was it my server, what about the Unix box, – was that infected? Adamant it was a Windows Vista/7/8 problem and all I had to do was log on any machine and he would take me through it. I asked him what my IP address was that routed the messages being sent to Microsoft, he just told me he knew I was in France and could quote my phone number. Not sure how he got the phone number as even I don’t know it – so never use it for registering anything. We always use United Kingdom based mobile phone numbers so that is a bit of a mystery. Also, he knew I was in France and I immediately answered in English (to avoid nuisance French cold calling) and he responded in English. I wonder what would happen if I were to respond next time in French/German/Spanish/Russian/Italian? Perhaps it’s time to learn a few polite words of Swedish or Japanese ready for next time! Good Luck to all of you who manage to read this BEFORE you get the call!
    Perhaps it is time to learn

    Reply
  61. this is not a question, it is a request, please send me your emails! have missed them, some how I lost you, switching emails etc.

    Reply
  62. I too am aware of “the AMMYY scam”. I too was tricked into downloading logmein123 and AMMYY. I had no idea what was going on in the background until it was too late. They had total control of my laptop and are now holding my files and my pc for randsom! Expose those conmen and conwomen before its too late! I will take my laptop to mr notebook (who are more trustworthey than theese clowns) to get the supposed virus (which i believe they planted in my computer) removed along with logmein and AMMYY. Beware of this scam and don’t give them any info! And don’t go to walmart and get a $300 walmart money card they will take your money and laugh all the way to the bank!

    Reply
  63. Helllo, i would like to report a problem while loading my windows 8.1 on Sony Vaio Mod. N: SVE151E11M AND Product Name: SVE1512P1EB. Affer an update that has been made from my computer i am not able to log in to windows again. My computer is keep restarting an says that Windows 8 is not able to start because of some error. The message that shows to the screen is:

    :( Your pc ran in to a problem and needs to restart.We’re just collecting some error info, and then we’ll restart for you.

    And after the restart is keep restarting without any results. Could you please tell me what i have to do? I don’t have any instalation dick because when i bought my laptoop they were no Instalation Disck with it.
    Ty in advanced Michalis Iosifides.

    Reply
  64. I fell for something similar but I was actually looking for some help online. I found this site that was labeled “MS Associate” and I, like a fool, allowed them access to my computer and gave them my CC information. I realized very quickly it was a scam and closed my CC account, had the charges reversed and a new CC issued. In the mean time while they were there they seem to have added backdoors to my register and about once a month I see a icon on my desk top that has been downloaded. It refers to a Dos file that checks my computer. Weather or not it does is up in the air. I talked to the Tech Support people at Norton and he showed me the backdoors in the registry and told me I should reinstall my software which I did. But it seems that while reinstalling windows 8.1 it doesn’t clean everything as it saves system settings and the backdoors persist. (I assume that the recovery saves the registry so the issue persist.) I’ve tried several “format” tools and they don’t seem to work on Windows 8.1. Yes I’ve added the CD and thumb drive to the boot process ahead of drive C. What I’d like to do is to edit the registry and just remove them but I can’t seem to find any information on what I should be looking for although there seem to be plenty of information on how to edit. I’ve ran Norton’s Reg cleaner and CC Reg cleaner and they come up clean. Does anyone have any ideas short of replacing the HHD?

    Reply
  65. I am a stupid dope – I gave them my credit card & paid $300 for their “services”. These people sound like the ones – Indian accents and difficult to understand. But here is a new wrinkle I’d like to share. I guess because I changed my credit card info, they couldn’t get any more money. But these sly thieves actually opened a PayPal account in MY Name and started charging monies that way. Be watchful of all your finances. (I have contacted PayPal and have closed those accounts.)

    Reply
  66. My boss fell for the scam too and though she didn’t pay them, her laptop is now password protected by them. is there nothing to be done except a total new windows? She is a real estate agent and all her files and pictures are on that computer. Is everything lost now?

    Reply
    • Try to Reset Windows Password

      Using NTPassword Reset Tool

      http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/

      Clear Password for UserID needed. Login again by press “Enter” Change Password from ControlPanel. Disable any new/unknown user listed

      Make sure Internet Access is disabled during all this operation. Run Latest update Antivirus scan later.

      Reply
      • Unfortunately, this has nothing to do with the Windows Login. The data files on the computer were encrypted by malware.

        Reply
        • Its a little know feature that has been around since WinXP!!! System Advanced Key…you can get the CMOS but thats it….once past the CMOS boot, the screen comes up for password….to get rid of it using the recovery mode off the DVD, you have to be an Administrator…and usually they lock you out there by making you a STD USER…so much for fixing it..

          Reply
  67. I got one of these calls a couple of years ago from an individual with an Indian accent telling me he was calling from Microsoft windows”. He told me my of was reporting errors over the Internet. I quickly told him in colourful language that he was a crook and hung up.

    A lot of Internet scams can be avoided simply by applying a bit of common sense. How is Microsoft or any other commercial organisation benefitting by having a call centre of illiterates monitoring your computer? Who would finance that? Why would they be interested in a pc you did not buy from them? What errors do you think your computer is broadcasting over the Internet? Come on people, wise up. And before providing remote access to your accounts or computers then take a moment to think clearly. Verify who the caller is – find the relevant phone numbers independently – do not rely on the phone number they give you which has one of their crook friends on the end of the line. And don’t start giving out credit card details.

    Reply
  68. I’ve had lots of these calls over several years and like to have a bit of fun with the caller. On one occasion I was playing dumb and telling them I didn’t have a Start Button on my screen. The guy called his Supervisor who told me my keyboard had a virus! At that point I started to laugh and they hung up.

    Reply
    • Vic and others,
      I used to play a game called “Tormenting telemarketers”. The objective was to keep them on line as long as possible. Of course you had to waste your time as well. Getting their name and other info won you points. You got points for each minute and talking to their supervisor got more. The highest point value was getting them to swear at you. I only managed that once. I had her begging me to end the call after telling her several stories, having my brother come to the door, etc. This took 45 minutes. When insisted on ending the call, I explained we had been playing Tormenting telemarketers, she called me a bastard. I thanked her for giving me the maximum number of points. I didn’t get another call for weeks.

      Reply
  69. In the past week I’ve had 4 calls from these people, 3 of the calls my mother answered as I was not home yet and they kept telling her it was really urgent they must speak to me, so she told them they could try me today which they did. I first got a woman called Anna (Indian) saying she was from Microsoft Tech and I had virus on my computer. She say’s your windows computer so I’m like what windows computer I have many computers she then got frustrated and asked me to hold and then I got some man and he says please are you on your windows, so I said know they are to high up to sit on and he says please go to computer open windows, so I said ok I’ve opened my windows its a bit cold and I’m at my computer, he got very agitated and insisted I log on to my windows, so I just told him at this point to get lost I work for the police and I’ve now traced his call and hung up. He called me back and had the audacity to ask me why the F–K I hanged up the phone. So I said because because nobody in there right mind would ever call me back if they were representing Microsoft and ask me why the F–K I hanged up the phone and I hung up. Waiting to see if they will try again. I loathe these people I think its wrong and a major crack down on these scams needs to be put in place, to help other people who don’t have a clue about these scams.

    Reply
  70. they called me at the end they told me to pay 10 e I paid with visa and they still 600 e .Money went to wester union and skype .Is the possibility that my bank will give me the money back _fraud ?

    Reply
  71. I have a customer who allowed the scammers in the last 4 weeks…and of course she is locked out (they probably had it in a delayed mode…..it did NOT run when they were the phone with her..but it started on the 6th…

    tried to remove the Adv Sys Password….nope!! THEY CHANGED HER ACCT from local admin to user……so much for that…I MIGHT add this is a DELL Ispirion 15..very nice looking BUT………(DAMN POS the way they partition the drive)…..and NONE of the partitions are UNLOCKED…..I cannot reinstalled Win 8!!!!

    Tried refomatting the largest partition….got to 76% and STOPPED!!!! NADA!!! tried a quick format thinking this is a bad idea and it was….that did not work either….
    I have tried loading Windows in all SIX partitions…(System, Restore, OS, Back up System, Back up Restore and Back up Data iirc…NONE of them were UNLOCKED!!! WTF!!!!!

    Friend who is Sr Eng at HP/CPQ told me to try a Linux boot and use THAT to set all the data to 1s….I have the latest Ultimate Boot CD (V5.something) and am headed there now to try it…

    BUT this woman is also suffers from epilespy and she nodded off and leaned over to me….I had the audio recorder app in the LTE phone running to be safe……..BUT YOU NEVER KNOW!!)

    Anyone else have a good suggestion before I may waste 5 hours on her PC again (and I am getting paid flat fee of course)
    (DELL was totally helpless….as I suspected)…

    Chris
    Southeast Texas Telecom, LLC

    Reply
  72. Today these screens get popping up and insisted I call tech support. When I called I was told to allow remote access by a man with a southern middle age accent. It wasn’t till he was rambling on for several minutes before I realized what was happening. When I tried to close the session he hung up on me. Honestly I felt raped and I cried. I am still trying to get a hold of my husband but he’s at work. I feel scared and furious.

    Reply
  73. Hi, I have been scammed today by an Indian man as well. Fortunately, I did not purchase what he tried to sell me but I followed all the steps that he instructed me to follow and had to punch in a six digit password that he gave me to punch in. My husband is furious as he knows that it is a scam. I was wondering that is my computer now hacked into? If save all my files on to a USB and then insert the USB into another computer, will the next computer also get hacked into?

    Reply
  74. hey man,

    Why are you removeing the phone numbers? You do know internet trolls like to waist the scamers time?

    I love finding call back numbers on the web calling them up in skype and getting them to connect to my virtual box.

    I usualy clame that I see two mouse pointers on my screen and I normaly have bonzi buddy installed. to make it all even more like im an internet noob.

    I have also started to record the calls I’ve been making and its geting a small amount of views over on the tubes.

    Reply
  75. This happened to me yesterday:( they called and i did give access to my computer then there was a folder of pictures on my desktop and the caller immediately copied the folder. when i asked him he said that i have to pay him $400 otherwise he has all my pictures and he will upload them on social media websites:( i turned off the computer and hung up the phone. Now when i try to turn on the computer it asks me for a password which i never set in the first place. And after i type any kind of password it takes me to a “start-up repair” page which fails to repair the problem . I turned off the computer and after few hours it would turn on by itself but the screen was black i could only hear the noise of the machine and the light of the desktop. I am so scared whether they might still be controlling my computer:( and whether they have my pictures.

    Reply
  76. There are some big BPo hiants here in Pakistan and Indian who are running call centers full of agents running these cams…ther are big and well respected names he who run these scams and no one to touch them? I once was discussing this with a friend of mine who is in intelligence and he said just be quite bro… for whistling about these things you will get a bullet in your head and wont even know weher it came from and it wont be lead but a steel bullet. lol… so I guess the whole system is corrupted.

    Reply
  77. In between crying I am trying to write this message. I’m a young college student who worked and saved to buy this laptop. I received it last night ( june 3,15). This morning (June 4,15) like many of you I received a scammer call pretending to be from Microsoft. I kept telling him I was very uncomfortable and I think it’s fraud. He assures me it’s not and to open “run” and type in some crap which opened my applications (I think that’s what its called) he then asked me to count how many things said “stopped” or “not running”. He pointed out these are viruses and he will transfer me to his boss. I knew something was up and even told his “boss” aka senior scammer I was uncomfortable. He proceeded to tell me he understands and just to feel more comfortable before we start to go to Microsoft.com and search for “people connect usa” to verify it’s a real company, which I did like an idiot. I have no idea how to find this website again however there were 36 reviews, some good others bad (stating these people ask for bank info and it’s fraud) which made me even more concerned. I told the guy on the phone I was extremely uncomfortable and I will not give any credit card info because the reviews were so terrible I had to look into it and ill contact them back. He says he wont ask for my CC info and how will I contact him back? I then hung up. Since I just got this laptop i’m not very familiar with it yet and I remember while I was on the phone with senior scammer a box on the bottom right hand screen popped up I didn’t read IT nor did I open it, I simply scrolled and clicked on the closed option. I never gave them any ID number or credit card info however could that box been there way of trying to get me to accept the virus? Is there a way to know if anything was downloaded? Do you even have to accept a virus? Could they have gotten info just by me going to that site? I’m sick to my stomach over this considering I haven’t had it for all but 16 hrs before this happened and it took me months to save up for this laptop. Just to be sure i’m taking my computer to my local geek squad and getting it checked out. Please help!!!! Thank you so so so much in advance :)

    Reply
  78. So I completely wiped and rebooted my entire computer since it wasn’t sitting very well with me. I hope if they added any “backdoors” this would wipe anything they may have done. Would that get the job done? I have an anti-virus protection but I think they disguise it as something else because like many others it didn’t show as a virus. I also changed my password to all things like email, social media, etc. Fortunately for me the computer was so new I literally had nothing uploaded on it. I’m going to try to add antimalware to my computer, not tech savy so I hope it’s easy. You know what is crazy? If you go to Microsoft website and go to their “pin point trusted partners ” section they actually have them on their website so now I’m convinced MS in on it too. It’s my personal I do not have hard evidence to prove it so it’s not set it stone but why would they allow these a-holes as a trusted partner? Anyway Thank you Leo and Mark for getting back in a timely manner.

    Reply
    • If by “wiped and rebooted” you mean “reinstalled Windows” then, yes.

      MS is not in on it. Many of these scammers try to impersonate MS’s trusted partners so as to look more legitimate.

      Reply
  79. Yes I fell for the ‘Microsoft’ scam after they called three times in one day. I now feel stupid and gullible. I don’t dare to connect to the internet with the computer they accessed even though I changed passwords. My confidence in doing anything has been eroded. If I can’t tell the good guys from the bad guys, everyone is a bad guy.

    Reply
  80. i had the same call and allowed them access to my computer. they told me my windows license had expired and i needed to purchase a new one. when i would not give them any money files started disapearing from my desktop he told me he just crashed my computer and then hung up. now when i turn on my computer it asks for a password. i never had a password for startup, and now cannot get windows to start. how screwed am i? is that computer now just a paperweight?

    Reply
    • No. You’ll either need to restore it from a backup, or reinstall Windows, or perhaps find a technician who can determine exactly what damage was done. But you NEVER need to discard a computer because of a software problem, and that’s all this is.

      Reply
  81. I received this same call from a heavy Indian accent person, he told me that he was with Microsoft and that my computer was sending them virus error or something like that and since I have been noticing viruses on my computer I believed him. He then tells me to turn on my computer and press the windows start button and hold r key this took me to “run” and from there he took me to something viewer take were it showed a bunch of error and warning signs and he explained that these were the “viruses” and I believed him. So then he told me if I could right click and delete an error code which I said no so he said were goin to have to do it by controlling your computer so he made me downloader this application called showmypc.com and they then told me to give them the password for this application which I do because I believed them. Then I went to tell my parents what was going on and when I came back to the computer they had complete control of it and where moving things, so in my reaction I quickly shutdown the computer and ended the call. When I turned the computer back on a password was required to login which they have put and I didn’t know, I called the official Microsoft windows support and they said that they would lock my computer with a password as they have and ask for money for the password. So I said I’d die before I’d give them money so I just factory reset my computer and its been working fine, but never trust these sketchy phone calls they’re all scams and hopefully you guys read this in time before they get you.

    Reply
  82. I just hung up from a call where I was told that the guy was from People Connect USA and that Microsoft noted that many of my drivers were stopped. I actually remember the same voice about a year ago telling me that Microsoft had seen a number of viruses on my computer. As was the case last time, he wanted me to go to LogMeIn, which I used to use to get remote control of my computer.

    I know what these calls are about and since I didn’t have anything pressing to do this morning I was able to keep him on the line for almost 35 minutes. My hopes are that that time kept him from calling two or three other people and getting access to their computer.

    Reply
  83. Fell for scam via computer virus alert – I allowed remote access on my computer but did not give credit card to purchase anything. I took computer to Mac dealer and they cleaned off all the malware on the computer and I have changed online banking password. But VERY CONCERNED about other information on my desktop — documents with social security numbers. Could they have accessed those documents and SHOULD I WORRY? If so, WHAT SHOULD I DO? HELP!!!

    Reply
  84. Ok, First of all I got a call from the supposed microsoft people. They messed up my computer with their Event Viewer. (if it’s happened to you, you know the story.) The real number for Micro soft on the back of my install disk for Vista. I called them and they said unfortunatly, they do not call unless you have written and emale or called prieviously. So it was a hacker. The remote viewer is also called a rookie kit. (remember that) They record and transferr your documents this way and can use your computer to do transactions and then you are cought in a serious legal matter with your IP. if they get personal information, they will sell your identity, or any images and songs or anything else you got.
    What I did was unhook it from the net. They can not get back into it if you are disconnected from the net. Then I changed my computer’s code to make sure they did’t already do that. (cause if they did, you will never get it back into it after a restart.)
    I went in configuration pannel/system tools/services and I disabled: transactions, remote access, users,
    Then I went to the bar at the bottom of my desktop 9to the far right with the internet access icon, (left click/ internet access) and disactivated internet sharing, everything accept protect with a password.
    The I went into my documents clicked tools and switch to see hidden files. Then i went into control pannel/installed prgrams to check for the team-viewer and deleted it. Then go to my computer/programs and in program files and i tried to erase the files in connection to but it wouldn’t delete, so i did a right click, then properties/security/advanced and took the control as the owner of the file and refused trusted installers for everything, and refused other users. it deleted after that.
    So then, I went out to get a few USB storages to put everything I wanted to keep.
    I went to online to get service pack 2, and put that on my storage. I put my google file from my computer/programs and put that on the storage as well and also in downloads, I put my security agent on the storage
    I put in my install disk and did a fresh swip. it took 6 hours.
    With the USB storage, I installed service pack 2 after the updates bacause, Vista don,t come with it and you will need it to reinstall security. Then added back my google file to programs.
    Then flash player and then…. No more team-viewer.
    I Put everything back they way it was.
    left the internet connection disactivated and protected with a code.
    The I downloaded Ccleaner. that helps, but these idots charge you for it. The free version is good enough, but make sure you only download it from the Piriform site. Do not trust sonic downloads.
    If you don’t have an install disk, take it to a tec. it might cost about 50-100$ to repair. Do not trust download programs to help cause they can make eveythng even worse, then you will have no choice but to take it to a tech.
    Tell him about the Team-viewer and th rookie kit, but please make sure to check that your computer’s password is working before you shut it off.

    Reply
  85. Hello, I recently received a phone call from these people and fell for it unfortunately to the point where i gave them access to my computer, while in the process of whatever they were doing i searched them up online and realized it was a complete scam. I then proceeded to tell them i would just take it to the store and to stop everything, the caller then tried to tell me he is from the store and then called me a bastard and hung up. After this i panicked and took off everything from the screen then shut the computer off. I called Dell right away and they told me to reset my computer back to factory settings. My main concern, since i have only had this computer for about 5 days so nothing is on it, is if they can access my computer once again or should i be worried that they can access it again?

    Reply
  86. do you lose any files or data if RESTORE TO FACTORY SETTINGS ?
    My husband fell for this today while I was taking a nap.
    THANKS, Leo !

    Reply
  87. Lucakeaney1
    Aug 26, 23:39

    Hi,

    On the 26th of August i was streaming movies through a website known as Vidics. When I pressed play on the movie 3 ads popped up. I dismissed 2 of them but a blue screen would not delete when I pressed the red ‘x’. It said I had a problem with my computer and that it was critical and to solve it I would need to call an it number. I thought about it being a scam but called thinking it wasn’t. When the phone answered an Indian man with a very thick accent answered. There was a lot of background noise as if he was in an office block and it was very busy. He asked me what was on the screen and I described the situation. He then told me to go to my task manager and go to file. He then asked me to type in ‘iexplorer www.{removed}(can’t remember the rest). This then brought me to a website which prompted me to download some software which would allow him to access my computer. I did so and he was able to control my computer. He accessed the CMD and started to type in code. It said that my computer had a Trojan horse. It said this twice and he eventually brought up code and said something like “do you have a bank account beginning with the number 4?” I then got nervous realising it is most likely a scam. I took control of the computer and pressed ctrl+del and then shut down my computer. I stopped the call with the man and turned off my phone for a period. ( I am emailing with my phone right now). Do you know if he now has access to my computer or any bank or personal details?

    Hope to hear from you soon,
    Luca

    Reply
    • The only safe thing is to assume that your computer has been compromised. The thing about your story that’s important for others to understand is that often these “phishing” popups will create a fake “X”. Instead of shutting down the popup (as expected) it will launch the next series of their scam.

      You should start with this article: https://askleo.com/how_do_i_remove_malware/

      Reply
      • I must have received this call 15 or more time over the past two or three years and the moment that I am told that it is Microsoft and the are getting error message from my computer, I say “I don’t own a computer’ and click, they are gone, because there is nothing more to talk about. Clean, brief, final and I like it!

        Reply
  88. I contacted a site on facebook. It was a yahoo customer service site and they asked me lots of questions about my computer as it was acting up
    and being scammed. I was put through to a company called WEMO tech support. They spent nearly an hour and then said that my computer had no protection
    and that they could provide that for £199 for two years. Is this normal practice?

    Reply
    • The thing is… are you sure it was a Yahoo facebook page? This sounds suspicious. I would always go someplace local where I can look the tech support team in the eye.

      Reply
    • Definitely a normal practice… for a scam. Seriously, I would never trust a reference from a Facebook or Yahoo group. For that kind of money, and probably much less, you could get a local tech person to fix it. And if there’s still a problem, you know who to go back to for followup.

      Reply
  89. I’ve had this happen a few times on my work phone. We are an IT company and as soon as I say ‘Ah that’s interesting I run an IT/computer business and are Microsoft partners’ they soon get flustered and hang up! They’ve tried it with my mother in law too, but as soon as she says her son is an IT consultant and looks after her computer they soon hang up.

    Reply
  90. This just happened to me today, Nov. 4, 2015, computer went to blue screen , while I was looking to print a simple Nov.2015 calendar. Called the provided # and allowed access, Indian accented guy, apparently with Brain Bro technologies a real software fix-it Company. Gave them my CC # paid $300, for 3 yr. contract. I have called my CC provider, they’re supposed to call me back in a.m. I had a back-up flash drive in a usb slot, is it compromised too? Should I trash this machine? What’s my next step…..distraught…..

    Reply
  91. So a friend’s mom got a call from “Microsoft” yesterday. The caller was insistent that her mom turn on the PC and see all the problems there.
    Eventually, her mom gave out her bank account number and routing number in order to purchase a monthly subscription to Windows Defender. Now, she has Norton 360 Premiere installed and running.

    I got a frantic call to see what damage had been done and if I could help clean things up. I think I made things safe, but I could use perhaps a more experienced set of eyes on this one.

    I was able to connect remotely using TeamViewer.

    Details
    Windows 10 PC
    upon connecting, a LogMeIn session was still active, or so it appeared
    LogMeIn header said “MICROSOFT SUPPORT CENTER”
    It said the support session was started by (the rep’s name – you may redact it if that is prudent – “william birch”)
    In Task Manager, a process or two was TightVNC Connector or something like that
    When I clicked on the process’ file location, it took me to a folder named c:\Program Files (x86)\ShowMyPC or something close to that
    In the Run (Win-R) dialogue box were three entries – msconfig, eventvwr, and http://www.support.mex (where X is added to invalidate the link, the real link ended in .me)

    So I’m very concerned about the running TightVNC processes. There was no installed program under Windows’ Programs & Features about any VNC or ShowMyPC or anything like that.

    I was able to delete the process and then delete the showMyPC folder and reboot and those processes did not come back. Was that a backdoor?

    Reply
    • This definitely feels like a SCAM and a backdoor. And that she gave out her bank account number is VERY scary. I would contact the bank IMMEDIATELY and make sure block all unauthorized transfers. My guess is that the machine needs to be thoroughly cleaned or reinstalled from scratch to be completely safe.

      Reply
      • So, mom did close the bank account and reopened another. Not sure if there was any loss.

        I’m wondering if I can help reinstall Windows 10 remotely. I know Windows 8 had a refresh the install feature, but it seems to require installation media. Seems that recovery partitions on hard drives aren’t being used anymore. But manufacturers are only offering a way to create recovery media – which has worked for me on a number of PCs & laptops.

        I haven’t tried that in Win10 yet, though.

        But I agree, a clean install is the safest bet!

        Reply
  92. they tried to pull this crap on me. i had them on the phone for 3 hours as they tried remote desktop service after remote desktop service. finally when they weren’t getting it they they were being toyed with, i just asked the guy if for all this time and work (an no success) does this really pay better then a legitimate job?

    Reply
  93. so I just fell for that scam!!! so mad at my self. unfortunately they only got one payment from me before I realized what was up. they asked for more payments I refused so they locked me out of my computer and I don’t know what to do not. please help!!!!!!

    Reply
  94. it happened exactly like that but I do not know how to format and reinstall my computer as every time I turn it on even to format and reintall it asks for a password but does not boot from the boot cd

    Reply
  95. i think a good tip-off that the phone call is a scam, aside from all the above comments, is if you hear loud “boiler room” chatter in the background.

    Reply
  96. I got this call just this morning and spoke to a young woman w/ Indian accent from “Microsoft” and she was very pushy! Said her name was Jen (yeah) and I told her I woud not be buying anything from her today and she said, “oh no we don’t sell anything, we just give you suggestions and referrals when we are done fixing your computer. There were many people talking loudly in the background like a real call center! She then had me look at all the errors in my event viewer and asked me to open an internet connection and type in www. teamviewer.com. As soon as I saw what this page was (remote access/group use kind of thing) I freaked and said “I don’t allow people into my computer” She said oh no, you can see exactly what we would be doing at all times and most people are worried but we are a legitimate company and can’t do anything that you can not see for yourself. I said yes, but anyone can upload spyware in the background or get remote access without my seeing it on a desktop. She got very angry and insisted that this could never happen on their company’s Microsoft page. I immediately said no thank you, I won’t be doing anything like that today and hung up.
    The thing is, I ‘d never heard of team viewer and hopefully just by opening this page I didn’t allow them access. All I did was look at it and then click out. She was trying to give the impression that her company worked through this website and it was a reputable website.
    Afterwards I googled this website and I think it is for businesses to work together. Hopefully I would have had to sign in or at least do something first to have allowed her access (which I did not). Am I correct in thinking this?
    I KNOW older people must be falling for this horrible scam constantly! I’d never heard of it, but I wish there was a way to warn more people of this one.!!! I thought most Indian people believe in Karma, and this scammy theivery will definitely cause them to be reincarnated as a slug in their next life!!

    Reply
    • Teamviewer’s a very legitimate program (I use it myself) and simply visiting the website did nothing. Had you downloaded and installed teamviewer you would possibly have given this scammer access to your computer.

      Reply
  97. I get these calls occasionally. I try to keep them on the phone as long as I can. I sometimes have kept them on the phone for over 20 minutes without ever going near my computer.

    For example, I delay them by saying “waiting until the computer is turned on” or “I’ll need to finish my current process.” or “what happened? The screen went blank. Hang on. Let me re-boot.” I always respond to their questions very slowly. Sometimes, when they say things like “Press the Windows button”, I respond with “There isn’t one, it is an old keyboard. Do you think I need to get a new keyboard before we continue?” Sometimes, after a long while of failing to accomplish what they want me to do, I’ll let “slip” that I don’t use Windows. They always eventually hang up.

    Reply
  98. I got the page on my ipad to call Safari support to get it fixed, called the number and he had me plug my ipad in on my computer and asked me to launch the windows + R button to “remoteme”, he then told me to put in a technician number to connect, which I did, then said to click RUN in the pop up box. I did not click Run as it seemed fishy. So I hung up with him and went looking to see if I was scammed by the number I had called, and when I clicked on the page that looked like it was telling me it was a scam then my Edge browser froze like my Safari one did. I was finally able to fix that and I ran Windows Defender with nothing coming up. But am I at risk for anything or did I stop things before I let anyone get any access?

    Reply
  99. I received a call today (3/4/16)- a man called and told me he was with working with Windows & they’d been receiving errors messages from my computer. He read my computer ID number & had me look at the eventvwr & see the “threats”. I allowed access but then started to get suspicious when he told me about then rebuilding my firewall and the pricing options. I got out of it by saying I couldn’t afford it and he tried to lower the price -only if I purchased today. I said I’d have to talk to my husband about it but asked if I could call back (so I could get their number). Got the number, name of the company (geeks4help) & his ‘name’. I then googled and saw comments regarding this being a scam. Should’ve followed my instincts but I got suckered into fearing for my computer. I managed to delete the software (supremo) that he had me download in order to access my computer but I’m terrified that there are more hidden files or that he’s accessed any of my personal files. I’m in the process of running the malwarebytes scan, I’ve already run my McAfee & Microsoft security defender & changed my passwords for emails and bank account. What else should I do to protect myself and my computer? I gave no financial information but I’m still scared and distraught over this whole thing. Please help!

    Reply
  100. This worked the other way around for me. I Googled Canon tech support and found what appeared to be Canon’s legitimate site with tech support number. So I called them for help with my printer. I use a Mac and have them access but the guy who sounded Indian started a conversation about some pictures of my dogs on my desktop. He didn’t make complete sense before that, but I have a hearing loss and outsourced tech support is often difficult to understand. For sure, this guy should not have been looking at my personal files. I grabbed my iPhone and Googled the telephone number: 855-213-4314. The first hit was “this is a scam” but every one after it was stuff like Windows support, Microsoft support, Canon support, Mac support…. So it’s not just scammers calling you; it’s finding a completely bogus site on the ‘net that looks entirely real. And you calling them!

    Reply
    • Very good point. We get questions from people complaining that someone from Microsoft installed a rogue program on their computer when they visited a “Microsoft” suppot site. It’s a good idea to Google any support websites or phone numbers before accessing the site. I Googled the phone number of one of those sites which someone claimed was Microsoft. The results were fake ads purportedly the “official” support site for Microsoft, Amazon, PayPal and a number of others.

      Reply
  101. Hi !
    I’m kind of worried because yesterday I let a tech have access to my computer through LogMeIn Rescue. Well, on the contrary of you all, it was me who “called” them. I had some problem with my wifi and thus i decided to contact HP technical support (because my computer is a Hp Pavillion Gaming). At first I “chat” with them and then the technician asked me if he can remote access to my computer to solve the problem. He send me an “applet” and i let him take control. The whole support took approximately 2 hours. I did watched what he was doing, i was also asking him a lot of questions and since he sensed my worry, he called me. The number was the right one since i’ve verified it on HP official website. But seeing so many people being scam and since it’s my first time that a tech propose this kind of support, i’m kind of worried. Can he during this 2 hours of free access in my computer, steals my data (passwords, id…) ? Or can he put some virus in my computer ? I’ve reinstalled windows 10 with an usb key (media creation tool) so i think that if there was a virus, he would be suppress. But concerning my data, i don’t know…. Help please !

    Reply
    • It’s something he could have done, but if you are absolutely sure that number is on the official HP website, I wouldn’t worry. Major companies have safeguards to protect against things like that.

      Reply
      • Really ? I don’t really undestand what is a safeguards…..
        I have changed all my passwords in case of but i’m not sure if it would change something.
        I mean, i kind of trust the whole support thing of major companies, but i’m not really sure for the technicians. Some may be really professionnal, meanwhile others could be more sly ?
        Anyway, by reinstalling windows 10, even if he put a virus or something like that, it wouldn’t still be in my computer right ?
        And if he did stole my data, does it mean that he even has my wifi password ?
        I’m so sorry to bother you like that but i’m kind of a pessimistic person and just a little thing could get me worried to death….

        Reply
        • Your level of pessimism should relate to how much control you let them have of your machine. If you only answered the phone then you have nothing to fear. If you did let them access your machine then fearing the worse is completely reasonable. If that is the case it would be good to follow the instructions in this article under “Recovering from the scam”.

          Reply
          • Ok. Thanks ! Just, i really want to know the possible risk of being stolen… By data, does it mean passwords ? For example, if he did stole me, would he be able to have access to my router and then spy every move that me and my family make (since we share the same ip address) ?

  102. Hey so i did fall for this scam and gave them access through teamviewer they downloaded something then put a password so i could not access my computer from the windows login screen so i went and did a revert to a older version before the it happend. SO do i have anything to worry about should i reinstall windows again or should it be fine. I did a malware scan and all that and removed all things that it could find that where harmful.

    Reply
      • i used a restore point before it happend on the harddrive so any changes that he did should be gone right? or am i wrong about it? :(

        Reply
        • In most cases, that won’t work. A restore point will only back up your registry and maybe some configuration files, but it can’t delete malware installed on your computer. The only thing which would give you a real restore point would be a system image backup which would return your computer to the state it was in ta the time of the backup.

          Reply
        • Restore points only backup certain things, and are in my experience quite unreliable. So, no, it would not protect you in cases like this.

          Reply
  103. You only talk about malware – do I have to worry about personal information that was stored on my computer? Sorry if that’s a silly question and Malware encompasses that also. I’m not very technically savy and had a copy of a tax return in a PDF file temporarily stored – Yes I now realize how stupid that is. But should I be putting Fraud alerts on my credit reports?

    Reply
    • There’s no way to know. They had access to EVERYTHING – but what they do is anyone’s guess. My sense is that they’re more interested in installing malware and/or extorting money than scanning your data for anything interesting. But again, there’s simply no way to know.

      Reply
  104. Hi,

    I was just surfing the internet yesterday and then I got this pop up message saying my PC was at risk and have been hijacked and that I should call official Microsoft technicians, with a given number. I usually ignore the pop ups but yesterday I wasn’t thinking straight plus that pop up have voice messages saying “Warning etc” and I couldn’t close the pop up either. I took the picture of the screen of the pop up and I turned off the computer and everything’s seems fine and I should have left it like that but I really panicked. The popup website is something like microsoftsupport/yourpcisindanger (something like that). And I have called the number (which was the biggest mistake of my life).
    A man with an Indian accent picks up and he ran through remote access (which is pretty scary). I have never done anything like that before. What he asks me to do was to go to {url removed} then gave me the security code to access my PC. He has done some fake scannings and told me my PC was in danger and that in order to fix it there will be one time fee of $100 and that it will take 2 hours to install necessary software and I must let him still access my PC. I realised I was scammed and stopped it and refused his offer. However I am still suspicious of his remote access and was afraid if they could have access to my PC anytime when connected to internet. He says it’s one time and that he got no access anymore but am still paranoid. Should I reformat my PC or leave it and believe that remote access really is one time?

    Reply
        • What Connie said should work. A system image backup to preserve your data, and a reinstallation of Windows and all of your programs is the most sure way to remove malware. Then you can restore your data from the backup.

          Reply
  105. i also got a call today. it was a so called “microsoft support”. like everytime starting with “your computer is causing a problem….” and so on i just answered: “i think you are talking bu11sh1t”, waited two seconds and hang up the phone. Five seconds later again a call from the same scam-team, an angry person telling me “.. microsoft will lock/block my computer now”. i answered: “OK!” … the funny thing is, i was dreaming about some microsoft-windows-problem and they woke me up :D

    Reply
  106. I just got a call from elite support in New York. I told him I heard these are scams and in was busy. He tried to explain but I hung up on him.

    Reply
  107. I just received same call. I kept asking who the person worked for, he finally told me he worked for {removed}.com. I looked up the website and called the number on the Contact Us page. I told the person who answered the phone what happened. Within 5 minutes I got a call from a different number (British, Columbia) saying he was told by someone in admin that I called and he wanted me to know it is not a “scam”. I told him their phone numbers were all over the internet as scammers and now that I know {removed}.com is a part of the scam I would put that out there too. He said a few ugly things then hung up on me.

    Reply
  108. {phone number removed} this is a scam phone number that called me I am only 15 so you know of course I went with it thinking it was Microsoft so know I have a computer that cost me almost $1,000 that doesn’t work so yeah I am in trouble with my parents. :(

    Reply
  109. My father and my mother have both fallen for this scam over the past several of years. My Mom is 67 years old and only uses her lap to go on Facebook and play games. After she got sucked in the last time we took it to a computer tech place to be reset and she no longer has any banking info on it. I am now living with her and use the same internet connection for my own computer. I found out today that she was almost sucked in by this scam again. This may seem like a stupid question but if she allows access to her computer, are other computers on the same internet connection at risk in any way?

    Reply
  110. Similar situation happened to me today (9-2-16). Got a pop-up message (allegedly from Microsoft) on my laptop advising of a problem or problems and that my access to the internet would be blocked if I did not call the toll free number on the message and talk to one of their engineers who would walk me through the process of fixing the problem. I try to delete the message box but it keeps coming back.

    Reply
  111. Admiral Ackbar “ITS A TRAP” {love it leo btw.} Permanent penned in bright admiral ackbar red just above your screen so no matter how slick these sharks {scammers} are you never get eaten. Had the Microsoft page appear in chrome, right bells, whistles, looked legit, then the windows pop-up box over that, Urgent. call NOW, corrupt..unprotected.virus..crash. imminent. DON’T close this box. Curious..but what..freeze me out naked!!.no internet!! SCARY. Dialed, very slick, explained pop-up box microsoft alert installed ON my computer, acting independently from web page warning. {very clever} Background noise ..other “microsoft techs” giving directions {a recording?} implying I was not alone in this crisis. Insisted he was Microsoft here to help me. Laughed and gave him an A. adios. My point, these people are ruthless, highly evolved systematic predators with no moral conscience, criminals. They abuse and violate honest trusting people, victims, not stupid fools or idiots. forgive yourself, turn it into a lesson and buy a big red pen . xxx

    Reply
  112. I feel ashamed. How could I have been so stupid! My computer screen got frozen and a message from Microsoft appeared. All your data are endangered, you must immediately ring (!800) xxx xxx I’ve got trapped, rang and gave them access to my laptop via remote access.
    The guy was fiddling with my computer for about 15 minutes. Only when he started asking for money – in a typically Dutch response, I shut down the computer and ended the phone call.
    I restarted my computer but did not connect to the internet again and disabled the remote access functions via control panel.
    I have tried to restore the computer to an earlier point twice, but it failed to do so.
    Using another computer, I changed all my passwords.
    What should I do?

    Reply
    • hi . read my post above yours. your are not an idiot just a trusting person. turn your mistake into a lesson mate. now youve learned a new thing. forgive yourself

      Reply
    • a) you did not get a message from Microsoft – you got a message from a scammer pretending to be Microsoft.

      b) your options are outlined in the article you just commented on.

      Reply
  113. A suspicious E-mail from “Cox” cable led me to call a number for Cox off the internet. The woman gave me a number for “tech support” which found out after I gave them remote access–were scammers from India. My computer is now a wreck. Everything from facebook to Emails is not running properly and we’ll have to take it in for scrubbing. Just letting it be known-use your bill or something legitimate for phone numbers because even “Offical site”s can be bogus.

    Reply
  114. Never call a support number you find listed on the internet without checking it out thoroughly. The first step would be to enter that number in a search engine. If it comes up as the support number for more than one company, you know it’s scam. If it brings up one website, then be sure that’s the official website for the company you are trying to reach. For example, if the number is 800-555-5555, and the website that comes up when googling it is a Microsoft website, check to see if it really is by looking at the web address and making sure it ends in .microsoft.com not something like .service-microsoft.com or anything with anything other than just .microsoft before the .com. There might be exceptions where it could be legit, but better safe than sorry.
    https://askleo.com/i-searched-and-found-a-hotmail-support-number-but-is-it-legit/

    Reply
  115. I got involved thinking it was Microsoft they told me that my computer had been hacked, like A dummy I let them in my computer. The person wanted me to immediately go to the bank and wired them money before they could work on my computer.I then realized that I was in trouble, I did not go to the bank, nor did I take there calls. I want you to know that they put 500 malware programs on my system, I had to take it and have it fixed. It cost me $2,000. They are still calling me and putting information on my computer that it will be crashing unless I call them. how can I get them out of my computer?

    Reply
  116. When I got my first “Microsoft” call I had time to kill so I just played along. He led me through the BS about looking up the CLSID that he claimed was my unique Microsoft ID. Eventually when he asked me to download and install something I explained to him that the CLSID he referred to was the same on all Windows installations. I also explained to him exactly what it was and why he was supremely full of [stuff]. When I got my second call from “Microsoft” I was prepared with one of those little hand-held compressed air horns.

    Reply
  117. I was installing Norton Antivirus and a screen popped up saying there was an error and to call a number on the screen. I was suspicious when they wanted to connect to the laptop remotely to fix it and declined but my son-in-law took the laptop from me and allowed it. The logged on and opened Notepad and put some unprofessional sentences on it (I think they were hiding what they were actually doing on the screen) and eventually said it would cost £120 for a 2 year protection and £200 for 5 years. I kept asking my son-in-law to turn the machine off, but eventually after a raging argument, he found the screen locked and they wanted money to unlock it. The laptop was turned off and the call disconnected but they kept ringing back.

    I now have to presumably get the disc formatted, load the software to get it running again and the reload Office etc AND Norton. Question is, have they done anything else that could be hidden? Could they have hidden a Trojan on the. Motherboard or done something else sinister? I am very cross!

    Reply
    • Once they had their hands on your computer, they could have done anything to the software, but it’s not possible to install anything on the hardware. A format and fresh install will undo any damage done.

      Reply
  118. I got svammed my new hp stream notebook screen popped up vitus threat call this number i took a picture of it and called this lady accessed my computer then said here is the cost 250 or 440 to repair i said thats more than what it cost me im 47 years old needing my computer im waiting on a heart transplant can you help me fix please.. Doctor bills are killing me and then that had to happen please fix my stream notebook i will pay what i can i knew something felt wrong….

    Reply
  119. I had this happen to me on November 3rd by a company called wizlink LLC. They also put an app called Tetris or something like that. I forgot to write the name down and today when I found out that the help desk phone numbers they gave me were not valid numbers and when I put in the address in Auburn,MA it just showed a house where a family lived. I uninstalled the 2 programs from my laptop. Now I do not know what I have or what has been done to my computer or if I have any protection for my computer. I really do not know what to do or who to trust at this point. Thank you for listening to my story. I know I know I have lost my $160.00 that I sent to them that was deposited in Bank of America. I tried to talk to them but could not get to the proper people at Bank of America where my check was deposited into Wizlink,s account on Nov. 1, 2016.

    Reply
  120. Hi, I have a Hp Notebook Windows 10. I gave someone saying he is a Microsoft tech remote acces to my computer. I realized it was a scam and turned the computer and internet/wifi OFF while I was still on the phone with him. I then restored my computer to an earlier date. How can I make sure he no longer is accessing my files /computer? I never gave my financial info I realized it was a scam before that.

    Reply
    • There’s no way to tell absolutely. Depending on what kind of “restore” you did, and the specific type of remote access he used, chances are you’re safe.

      Reply
  121. I gave a technician access to my laptop last night but ended the call before giving him my credit card information. I took my laptop to Geek Squad, where I learned the scammed put my computer in safe mode. Should I be concorned about the scammer accessing my email and personal files?

    Reply
  122. I just got a pop up warning me my computer was infected and to call Microsoft. I immediately turned off my computer and cut power to it. Now what? We are on a home network … are my other computers at risk? I am not computer savvy so have no idea what to do now

    Reply
    • In most cases, those popups are simply malicious ads placed on websites. The real danger is if you call those people and allow them to access your computer, otherwise, it is unlikely that any damage has been done.

      Reply
      • my friend fell victim to this exact scam yesterday. the scammer had @ 2 hours access to her laptop before she finally cut it off when they asked her for $. They also asked for their cellphone numbers and the phones seem to have been hijacked now too. We have changed all passwords for banking, and other log in type website, all credit cards have been stopped and will be replaced. We will be running Microsoft Defender (as advised by the real Microsoft) to try and undo any harm done. Is there anything else you advise as part of the prevention/fix going forward? What express risk do you think they are now potentially subject to?

        Reply
        • Your friend, likely, still has malware installed on her computer. The only safe thing is to restore to a backup taken before she allowed the scammer access to her machine. If she doesn’t have that, and if it were me, the only safe thing is a complete wipe of the hard drive, reinstall the operating system and all programs from scratch, and only selectively restore important data.

          Reply
  123. Hi, i even had that pop up sign saying to call and after sometime they bloked my computer so i had to call them ,they took remote control from me . With the help of u rube i removed that pop up but what about remote access . Is it still with them ?? What can i do now ?? I am in a new place i cant even go to any technician as i dont knw anyone???plzzzzzzzzzzz help as fasaaasst as u can …..

    Reply
  124. Yes a supposing provider accessed my computer band I saw that he was working on it.ia ling story short I did not send any money and now I’m licked out of my computer,i am computer illiterate!!! It even has a wrong email on my computer, close but not it ,now I cannot put my password in it says go to account live.com I’ve done that and still cannot get any where, and on top of that I bought it at a pawn shop,and they said it was a very nice computer!! Help wat do I do??

    Reply
  125. I have fallen pray to a scam as I have poor broadband speeds my provider said they would open a case with bt open reach so when a call came and said they were bt open reach I fell for it even plugged my laptop into modem with ethanet cable so they could excess it better(as I have poor internet speeds. ) phone call lasted over an hour in which time he made me install at least 5 programs one of which was some sort of team viewer . Only goy suspicious when he said I was due a refund of £240 and just needed to confirm my bank account to repay me , at this point he turned nasty and up I popped on screen where he very sinisterly told me he had been watching me and could see every thing in my house and unless I did exactly as I was told he even described my clothes and told me to shut an open door behind me , I closed laptop put phone down and phoned police and all banks / accounts I had on laptop c, computer is now useless and will not respond at all so I’ve taken out battery and will never use again (shame as nice laptop) but don’t want to pay large sum to mend as I use tablet mostly now , but I m concerned on what they may do with files/family photos which were on there , how can they be used for criminal activities

    Reply
    • Not sure how much data they would have got from your computer, but your computer is not useless, depending on the OS you can download the appropriate version of Windows and install it from scratch if you have a licence. Or it might be possible that your computer came with restore discs to restore your computer to factory state. If not, you can try contacting the computer manufacturer for restore discs.

      If none of this is possible, you can install Linux Mint which will let you run your computer and even comes with most the programs most people need preinstalled.
      https://askleo.com/should_i_convert_to_linux/
      https://askleo.com/how-do-i-switch-to-linux/
      Linux can run directly from the DVD or USB flash drive, so you can use it to recover any data from your hard drive before installing itself.

      Reply
  126. Renter allowed a scammer access to his laptop while connected to our wireless network. Could this affect our other devices connected to their network?

    Reply
      • Much thanks Leo, we have 3 additional laptops, a smart TV, IPad and 4 cell phones all connected. Everything is working fine with no irregularities. Appreciate the advice, will be switching out modem and router in the am.

        Reply
  127. Hi. My husband and I let the guy access his computer but we didn’t pay anything or give the credit cards. As soon as he asks the money to pay him we sense its a scam so while my husband talking to the guy from geek squad the Indian guy try to run something in the computer but my husband keeps pressing cancel. is there any possibility that they can have access to his online banking or history or website that he visited? we didn’t turn the computer on since it happens as the guy from the geek squad told us that once we turn off the computer they can’t have any access to it.

    Reply
    • Unfortunately, the answer is yes. The malware they installed is capable of almost anything. The first thing I’d try is Windows Defender offline as mentioned in the article. It runs it’s own version of Windows and wouldn’t activate the malware.

      Reply
  128. If you paid these entities with a credit card you should contact the dispute department –NOT FRAUD. In banking terms it is not fraud if you provided your payment information willingly. Instead, you can dispute the charge. This falls under the category of a quality dispute.

    Under VISA, it’s “service not as described, terms of service misrepresented.” This applies if the person claimed to represent Microsoft or Apple, etc, and if you suspect malware was downloaded to your device. Even if they did not make such claims or download malware (to your knowledge) you can still dispute the charge. The agent makes the decision about what type of dispute to file, so don’t worry about that part.

    Under MasterCard the dispute is similar; still quality of service, not as described.

    The dispute agent will ask you specific questions and usually perform a chargeback–remove funds from the merchant’s bank and place them on your account temporarily while the charge is disputed against the merchant’s bank.

    The merchant has two billing cycles–not to exceed 90 days–to challenge the dispute. The good news? About 99% of the time no challenge is received. This means the temporary credit becomes permanent. Even if a response is received, that doesn’t mean the dispute is final, as you have the right to re-dispute the charge.

    To learn more about your billing rights and the dispute process, contact your bank. They’ll be happy to help, and glad to answer your questions. Don’t be embarrassed; these things happen to a LOT of people. Just make the call.

    Reply
  129. I have an issue with my computer right now. I work on a few click sites. I know that leaves me open for viruses, but I do have Norton antivirus installed. When I contacted Norton through the chat window, they remotely take over my computer and show me what is wrong. The employees are polite and efficient but there is no resolution without a fee. I am told that they will fix it for one time for about $99.00 and also they have a couple of year plan for about $340.00 or so. I told them I would go to my usual tech guy because and they asked me if it was a money issue and I said yes. After a talk with the manager they lowered my price to about $69.00. Are the employees working for Norton and my feeling is why do I pay for a Norton scan when my computer messes up like this. My regular tech guy charges around $100.00 to fix my problems and he is reliable. I just didn’t feel like going out to have it fixed this time and he is pretty busy. Do you have a solution to keep my computer free from adware? Please don’t tell me I shouldn’t go on my Click sites because I love them and have done them for many years with minimal issues.

    Reply
  130. This case here I confirm from Microsoft. I rang my internet provider and I was given the phone number to contact Microsoft as I was told it is a problem with window 10. I talked to someone from Microsoft and I was given a case number. I had no problem with my laptop except that I found that I can’t connect to internet on cable/wire (only on wireless).

    The problem should be fixed in five minutes but dragged on for hours as I was asked to joint Microsoft. To cut the story short, I had to call back as I did allow Microsoft to get into my computer. At the end, Microsoft stuff up my laptop, I couldn’t log in to use my laptop at all. They more interested in getting me to join then fixing the problem that I went there at the first place. How can you trust someone (to join) if they haven’t done anything for you to prove it is worth going into it.

    Reply
  131. Feel pretty stupid- on computer, message pop up-panicked called the number,gave the guy remote access. powered computer off after about a min.Question could me have gotten access to tax cut software,during that time

    Reply
  132. Issue: I have issues w my laptop so when Windows call came in I sort of believed him & wanted his help.
    The issue I have w my laptop is with User Access Control… My Admin PW is not working. I had changed the Admin user to my email from my sons email address. Now I cant access anything because the Pws that I thought were valid are NOT. I’m so confused & I think I screwed up my Laptop when I changed Users account. The Laptop has 3 User accounts but only my sons account has ever been used. I tried to change it back & I cant even do that! Please guide me on how to fix this. = )
    Scam: A call from a man w an Indian accent claiming he was Tech from MWindows & my computer was in danger of hackers. He said look up my CLSID # to prove he was legit so I did & confirmed it. I didn’t know this is universal. Anyway I have McAfee as well as windows security. He suggested to help me resolve my issues w chrome, but I use windows edge. Then he said open Int Explorer. This is what made me suspicious, becuz Explorer doesn’t work well w Windows 10. He then passed phone to Another tech guy . I was looking up Microsoft scams & started to write down what they were telling me to do. Websites they wanted me to go to & Run commands. And just pretending to do it & say I have msg that wont allow it. Then I asked why go to my Internet properties what are they trying to do? He said so my browser would go faster. I said that doesn’t make sense & I wanted explanation. A 3rd guy got on phone & said he’s Sr Tech Supervisor & he gave me a BS explanation of my laptop being in danger. I said You are the Sr AS$&*! Supervisor of BS & hung up!
    BTW Thanks for the PDF Internet safety tips… So Awesome!

    Reply
  133. They DO NOT, DO THAT!!! You gave “THOSE PEOPLE”, access to your’ PC, you’re so screwed. I hope you DIDN’T have personal(credit) info on there. Judging by previous info discussed you DO!!! Call tech support. Claim you’re an elderly so, you can save FACE!!!

    Reply
  134. No need to post this, but wanted to say many thanks; confirmed my suspicions. Bloke hung up on me when I wouldn’t ‘eventvwr’ for him, lol

    Reply
  135. I am like the other people who received a call from I thought Microsoft stating that they detected a errors an they were going to fix the problem for me, they had me let them put crap on my computer that was supposed to fix any hardware problem that was effecting my computers speed ect They offered lifetime tech support , anytime I had a problem, also stated the system was protected from any malware and viruses an programs that weren’t working. I paid $$ for this !! I feel so stupid that I let this happen, when I know that Microsoft is a huge Business an doesn’t make calls. I was Dupped. What I would like to know is can I install my windows cd again? an what happens to all the updates that have already been installed on my computer? Thank you Susan

    Reply
    • Before reinstalling Windows it’s always a good idea to run a system image backup to preserve your data, It won’t help you preserve your installed programs, but an image backup is the best way to assure you don’t lose any data. You would have to install all of your programs from the original installation mede, whether that is a CD, DVD or downloaded data file.

      This article’s title mentions backing up before an upgrade but would also apply to a reinstallation:
      https://askleo.com/how-should-i-back-up-my-computer-before-an-operating-system-upgrade/

      Windows should automatically perform any of the necessary updates after the installation. It might take a few sessions of updating as it doesn’t always install all of the updates in one go.

      Reply
  136. A friend’s son, a college student, fell for this scam a couple weeks ago. They have contacted the bank and changed all his passwords, and have asked me to clean up the computer. He has not used it since this happened. There is no backup except for the factory image on the computer. They bought the computer last August, so it came with Windows 10. I have been planning to do a factory restore once I get the needed info to reinstall his programs, but after reading your article I’m wondering if that’s enough. Is it likely that the factory image has been compromised? Or do you think it’s safe to use?

    Reply
    • It’s highly unlikely that the factory install is compromised, but not 100% impossible. Factory reset files are usually contained in a proprietary image format which the hackers wouldn’t be able to go into and change. If anything, they might have damaged the file to render it useless, but that would be easy to determine by running the installation.

      Reply
  137. Recently fail pray to a scam. I would not pay so he locked up my computer. I am currently running factory reset will this unlock it so I can get in?

    Reply
    • It depends on what they have encrypted. The only real solution is a full backup. Unfortunately that would have to be done beforehand.

      Reply
    • If by get in, you mean gain access to your computer again, then yes. First step would be to perform a system image backup using Macrium Reflect or EaseUS Todo backup (free version is fine). You’d have to download it and create a rescue disc or bootable USB Flash drive in case your data hasn’t been encrypted and can still be recovered. Then you can do the factory reset and reinstall the application programs. Install the backup program you used to create the backup and open the backup file as a virtual drive. You can look for your user files and see if they are still intact.

      Reply
  138. No time to read through all the comments, so if this was already mentioned, sorry.
    Keep a whistle (metal referee whistle) by your computer.
    When they call, go along with them without actually doing anything (harmful).
    Oh and ah appropriately, ask them to repeat, misspell a command, just keep them on the line.
    While talking to them, keep speaking more quietly, just lowering your voice a bit for each respsonse.
    They will turn op the volume of their headset (oh, I see you’ve figured out where I am going with this.
    When you are just above a whisper, act real confused and draw them in with a “now listen, this is what I am seeing”.
    Move the phone from your mouth, inhale deeply, put the whistle in your mouth, hold the phone close to the whistle and blow as hard and long as you can.
    This will hurt their ears (not damage, just leave them “ringing”).
    I did this when they were calling me weekly. I had 6 months of blissful silence.
    Then I got another call, found and used my whistle, which worked for another 6 months.
    I read this on a website and have found it to be the only method that actually get’s you off their call list.

    Reply
  139. I got a call from a person sounding like a Hindu. He told me he works for Microsoft and said he wanted to check my computer. He then gave me a computer ID to install on my computer. I told him to call back in 10min as I wanted to check first. I then turned on my IMAC computer and asked SIRI to check out the information given to me by the caller. SIRI then gave me the choice of several sites, one of which was this one.
    When the person called back, I asked him if he was working for Microsoft and he assured me he was. I then asked if he was going to sell me anything and he said no. I then told him that I was looking at an internet site that was fitting to our situation and he suddenly disconnected.

    Reply
  140. I tell McAfee tech that I have a problem, McAfee will not install till pc is restarted, it has been restarted – numerous times, he says, clear the cache, that’s been done, use a registry cleaner – used 3 different ones – “Oh, sounds like you have a technical problem.” Isn’t that why I contacted a tech? So McAfee will no longer install.

    Reply
  141. Hi so I had a scammer call my mom’s phone today and they asked to have access to the computer and my mom gave it to them but in the process she called my brother who is a computer tech he told her to turn the computer off and she did is there anyway we can save our stuff?or no?

    Reply
    • There’s no way to know what they did. You may need do nothing at all, you may need to run scans and be very VERY careful. If your brother’s a computer tech, he would be the one to talk to now.

      Reply
    • I also allowed the microsoft scammers access to my computer. Once allowed into your system, you must buy a new modem and router because they can access any other computer you have including the one they had accessed to even though you wiped your system and redid windows. These people are now trying to get into my bank, paypal, credit cards and this is a nightmare. They got all of my files that contain copy of my driver’s license, my social security number, my finances, everything.

      They are trying to change my information with my internet carrier. I have never felt so violated in my life as I do now.

      Reply
  142. I called a number that was allegedly supposed to help me get access to my email account. They asked for my name and bday and zip code and then got me to download a remote control software. I didn’t know what it was i thought she was showing me the steps to getting my account unlocked. So after a while she told me my email was full of hackers and i needed to buy a 100 dollar itunes gift card. But i knew it was bs because all i needed was to change the phone number associated with my account what does buying anything especially an itunes gift card have to do with my email account. I am 16 i don’t have anything like my bank account password on the email i could just make a new email. But the computer is my moms computer she uses the computer for work email or facebook and netflix she also has pictures on it. I don’t think any bank or any password info is going to be on her computer because my dad uses his email for that and so does she. And my dads email is only used on his computer and his work computer. I should have known it was a scam but my mom was mad at me for not trying to get access to the email so i looked up Yahoo phone number and typed in the number and then after i called i couldn’t find the website I got it from again. Now the scammers have my information and the stuff on my moms laptop. I am really freaking out that they are going to do something with my bday name and zip code and then im scared they are going to gain access to my moms stuff what should i do? Also if i deleted the software can they still access the computer?

    Reply
  143. Hi my husband & I have been scammed by MYPC Care {phone # removed} not just once. Have paid lots of $$ to be rid of viruses they said they would remove and we’d never have problems but they call back 6 mos. later with the same story. They have downloaded their Supremo product. How do we get it off? My husband & I are not all together computer savvy. Please help. Just happened this week.

    Reply
  144. Is congress or law enforcement doing anything about this?. I too got scammed. I allowed them access they then told me to buy a girt card for $100.00. Of course I say no. He installed malwear I now cannot use my NEW laptop. I thought I was speaking to a reputable source, since I called one of the help support numbers I found the net. This is going to come off racist but this has been my experience . When dealing with tech support I always ALWAYS have problems the people who sound like thier from India or the Middle-east. Sorry my experience . They answered the phone microsoft ,then Sai oh give me your phone Uber I will call you back. I should noticed the unlisted number message on my phone. What can I do, and what can be done to prevent these people from doing this?

    Reply
    • Various law enforcement agencies do try to track these folks down. Problem is they’re often overseas making it extremely difficult. You can try notifying your credit card company if you gave the scammer a card number, but if they had you get a gift card it was probably exactly for that reason. If you have malware, you’ll need to clean it off your machine. Most importantly: learn from the experience, and perhaps help others not to fall into the same trap.

      Reply
  145. I received tons of calls from a Texas number. Indian gentleman (name starts with a j and rhymes with basin) tells me that he has a $300 refund for antivirus/ security monitoring that I purchased along with the laptop I bought. I thought that was odd because I specifically remember DECLING ALL WARRANTIES AND ADD ONS bc the clerk that rang it up starting joking around with me about being a baller and how I shouldn’t be a cheapskate, yadda yadda yadda…
    So, I finally accept his call and he instructs me to download anydesk or teamviewer so he can access my computer. We all know how the rest goes…

    Reply
  146. Please Beware.
    Scammers and stalkers are using “Non medical unauthorized or hacking a implant through another implant” to send subliminal sounds back and forth illegally…that almost sound like voices or it is a reversed electric through lines almost like powering up backwards…It ruins the electric lines and your electrical devices, TV set ,Computer while doing other stuff( Snooping maybe even Burglary in computer in reversed like piggy backing the electric signal not like the regular legal way police would do investigating……so police don’t know!) then makes sounds almost like a voice type system! It’ s scam to scare people from their homes or even their job and use it also like a harassment! A electric company worker who works for a electric company with years of schooling told me this !

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  147. Hi Leo, unfortunately I fell victim to this game. They called so frequently that I thought it may be legit, then gave me so much detailed information that I let my guard down. They performed an initial scan that said “Trojan detected” at the bottom.After that I got super nervous as suspicious then hung up and disconnected the computer assist. I’m kind of freaking out but my computer is encrypted. Will the fact that I have bit locker help me at all?

    Reply
      • Thank you replying so quickly. I read thru most of the comments/relpies but there is a LOT. Just to clarify….will a “reset to backup” work? Along with changing all passwords and running anti-malware? Is the anti malware you recommended in the article still a good one?

        Reply
        • Depends on EXACTLY what you mean by “reset to backup”. Yes, a restore to an image backup taken prior to the access would undo whatever they did. HOWEVER they still could have stolen information, so you definitely will want to change passwords.

          Reply
  148. hi Leo
    got the call today, after some tooing and froing I told him my son works for windows and I’ll get him to sort it out…… he asked me what dep’t I said cleansing he said what does he do …… I said …….he’s a window cleaner… he hung up….. wonder why

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  149. A very convincing version of the tech support scam:-
    I was phoned by a very assertive MS agent. I forcefully told them that they were scammers, and ended the call. They phoned back several times; and even called me a liar for denying having Windows Computers.
    Yes there are scammers; but we really are from Microsoft; and we can prove it.
    1) They gave me my computer’s unique number.
    2) Took me to a Command Prompt window.
    3) Told me to enter assoc and look at the line third from the bottom; and yes amazingly the clsid was exactly the same as MY personal number NB This “PROVES”, we are really from Microsoft
    4) COST? Free. We are Microsoft, not scammers (unless the hackers have done so much damage we will need to charge a one of fee.

    I opened a tab and searched clsid scam i.e. “This number is not unique”; and they gave up. Finally; they were amazingly self assured and authoritative.

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  150. Tech support scammers use many different tactics to trick people. Spotting these tactics will help you avoid falling for the scam. Tech support scammers may call and pretend to be a computer technician from a well-known company. They say they’ve found a problem with your computer. They often ask you to give them remote access to your computer and then pretend to run a diagnostic test. Then they try to make you pay to fix a problem that doesn’t exist. Listen to an FTC undercover call with a tech support scammer .

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  151. My friend knows very little about computers He fell for the Microsoft scam where he had to call their “support line.” They took control of his computer. He realized just in time that there was a problem and managed to hang up and shut down. But, when I had him check things, we found Go To Assist Customer from Logmein on his computer. When we tried to UNINSTALL it said there were other users on. We continued anyway but it asked for a password. How do we eliminate the program?

    Reply
    • Two things to try: 1) an uninstall program like Revo, 2) reboot into safe mode and see if the uninstall will work there.

      When is it asking for a password? What password is it asking for?

      Reply
  152. I gave these people everything they asked for: control of my computer, banking info, personal info. I’m concerned they could have left malware on my computer. Called my bank and cancelled my credit card, changed pins, placed Freeze’s on my Credit, set up a Fraud Alert.
    I’m not computer savvy, elderly, that’s why I fell for their jargon, I’m out $210.00, they almost tricked me into sending them a $1,000 gift card (2 $500) for an error I supposedly made when receiving my refund as they were going out of business. That alone should have woken me up. Microsoft is a legitimate business, I was the stupid one, not the scammers, I blame myself.
    Will be searching for help in getting my computer cleaned up, protect my data as I’m a short story writer and I afraid they even infected my removable disk.

    Reply
  153. I have all my drives on hot swap drive not so much for hot swapping, but for ease of changing drives depending on what I am doing. You still have to power down to change the boot drive obviously but…I made a special drive for just the occasion when this scan occurred and it did. One day I got a call from someone claiming to be from Microsoft and saying they had a problem with my computer, I didnt tell him the drive is a fresh install, I just ran the guy around a bit long enough to shut down the computer and put only the special drive back in boot slot and powered up. I was telling him I dont know a thing about them other than doing a little word processing and he asked me to let him in which I did and watched him destroy the drive with encryption. When he said “you have a virus and we can fix it for you for $250.” Well I got a screwed up mess now , I watched you put it there but here is the catch. In your hurry to destroy my stuff if you took stuff off that drive you probably took the financial directory which upon arrival in your computer started looking at your network and infecting every drive you have. Problem is for you, with in a couple hours one or two of your computers will crash and when you fix it another computer will re-infect it and then tell two other computers at random to crash also. The fix is to power down all your computers, do a low level format of your hard drives and the infected disk will be every hard drive it can get to so all your hard drives need to low level format. After you do that you have to do a regular hard drive format, then reload windows in which case you will have lost all the data on your computers in your effort to collect data and rob people via your scam, and oh by the way the disk you destroy was a special disk waiting for someone like you and no other disk was in that computer. Boy was he ticked, I told him you can sue me but you wont because I will take the drive you destroyed and present to the court for you to explain, have a nice day. I would not really do something like that but I sure would have like be a fly on the wall in that guys office for the next dew hours.

    Reply

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