ALERT: Fake “Microsoft Support” Telephone Scam

Several customers have alerted us to a telephone scam involving attackers that call pretending to be “Microsoft support”.  The attackers will try to sell you an extended warranty and ask you to log onto a website with the intention of taking over your computer.  If they are successful, they will lock you out of your computer and demand payment.  I would have to assume that, if they did receive payment and return control of their computer to you, that it would be temporary and they would try again to ransom control of your computer to you as soon as they had processed the payment and the funds had cleared.

I am currently re-installing the operating system  for a customer who fell for this scam now.  Their data is safe and the re-installation will still cost less than the $250 that the attackers were demanding.

Don’t fall for this scam!  If you receive a call from “Microsoft”, do not give them any information and do not go to any websites they ask you to on your computer.  Write down everything they tell you and call BCCS Computer Systems.  If it is too late and they have control of your computer, give us a call and we will be glad to remove the malware and return control of your computer to you.

Here are some links to articles about the scam.

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/499573/this-computer-is-configured-to-require-a-password-in-order-to-start-up/

http://triplescomputers.com/blog/casestudies/solution-this-is-microsoft-support-telephone-scam-computer-ransom-lockout/

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_xp-system/ammyy-phishing-scam-cant-access-my-computer-now/520bc002-87aa-4c98-9501-2607d8db4aba

https://www.google.com/search?q=This+computer+is+configured+to+require+a+password+in+order+to+start+up.