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6 guidelines to help you avoid the Microsoft Computer Fix Scam

  

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Have you ever received a phone call from a person claiming to be from Microsoft? Well, Microsoft has now started to warn people that they may receive a call from scammers claiming to work for Security Departments of various well known organizations such as Microsoft.

These scammers will phone you claiming they work in the Microsoft Security Department and that they have been receiving error messages from your computer and would like to help you ‘fix’ the ‘problems’. They will also ask you to perform various tasks such as downloading malware disguised as virus scanners, giving them access remotely to your computer or even to go as far as asking for credit card information.

To date, the fraudsters have only been targeting English speaking countries. Luckily, the majority of people contacted by them do not fall for the scam. Those who do fall victim will most likely have to deal with compromised passwords, identity theft and a financial loss. The average financial loss ranges from country to country. In Canada the average loss was $1,560.00, while in the United States the financial damage caused by infected computers averages $4,800.00 to repair or replace the PC.

These guidelines will help you avoid becoming a victim of these scams.

1. Always be cautious when receiving unsolicited calls even if they claim to be from a legitimate company.
2. Never provide personal information, such as credit card or banking details to an unsolicited caller.
3. Never download any software provided to you by an unsolicited caller.
4. Never give anyone remote access to your computer unless you can confirm without a doubt that they are who they say they are.
5. Always use a strong, unique password and change it regularly.
6. Always ask to be provided with additional information, whether the company can mail you various pamphlets or be directed to more information through their website.  Real companies will never shy away from proving their legitimacy through various means in addition to the phone call.

Have you received these calls at home? At work? Have you let your employees know about this scam?