| Microsoft will NEVER call YOU direct. Microsoft says people are now falling victim to it every day, as it can be very convincing. And while you may be tech savvy your friends and family members may still fall for this, especially the elderly . Pass this on! How The Scam Works Mr. Smith has had a lot of problems with his laptop, including lockups and blue screens. So he was relieved when the phone rang and the caller said he was with Microsoft Tech Support. "He said I'm from Microsoft, and we have noticed that you have had a lot of viruses," Mr. Smith said. The caller explained that Microsoft, during a routine scan of his system, found his filled with problems that were slowing it down. "I was gullible," Mr. Smith admits. "He said he could show me where the viruses were, and so I let him take control of the mouse."
Mr. Smith says the man directed his to a webpage that, once he logged on, allowed the caller to take control of his computer (something security companies can do). The man then called up an internal page on the laptop that appeared to show it overrun with viruses. It showed hundreds of "errors" and "critical alerts." Mr. Smith was alarmed. "He said he could remove the viruses for a hundred dollars, on a credit card," Mr. Smith said. But something about it made Eyster suspicious at that point, and good thing: It was all a scam. So What's In Your Computer? The errors they show you are not viruses at all. "They are calling about Windows errors," "But everybody has Windows errors. So immediately you are listening." "He spent an hour on the phone and at the end of the hour they told him they were going to charge him $300,". Then she had to remove the "malware" that the caller installed. It's Not Microsoft Remember: Microsoft will never call you unsolicited. The company says this is a foreign scam to collect credit card numbers and install malware. But if you have PC problems, like Mr. Smith did, it's so convincing. "I believed it, and I bit like a fish," he said. Bottom line: If Microsoft calls you, hang up. If you are having computer problems bring it into our showroom and we can assess any virus or malware issues you may be having. | 
