A big scam with supposed problems on your computer

a scam From the old days, it returns in recent months in Greece and in general all over the world. Scammers call cell phones, landlines and businesses, pretending to be their technicians MicrosoftThey try to deceive the unsuspecting citizens.

The perpetrators claim that they can help solve supposedly problems on their victims’ computers. They try to convince unsuspecting citizens to download and install software on their computers, which “helps” repair their devices.

In fact, this program is a “Trojan virus” and within a few minutes people can lose the money they have in their bank accounts. By deceiving their victims, supposed Microsoft technicians can remotely access their victims’ computer, extracting sensitive data (passwords, bank accounts, passwords). In other cases, scammers convince their victims to go to scam websites from which they can harvest these codes again.

According to a reader who contacted enikos.gr, she was called today by a woman, who did not speak English well, and presented herself as an artist. Tell her that there is a problem with her computer and she should follow some steps. Fortunately for her, she was skeptical and did not step on her. The phone started with the code 0049 which indicates a call from Germany.

Related complaints have been made in the past in Greece and Cyprus, where numbers usually associated with this scam begin with 0044, 0046, 0049, 00340, +442. +412, +462.

Microsoft announces the scam

They will never contact you to provide computer support or technical support without your request. If you receive a phone call purporting to be from Microsoft, or if a pop-up appears on your computer with a false warning message and a phone number to call to resolve the alleged issue, we recommend that you do not click Any link” said Microsoft’s announcement about the specific scams.

How to protect yourself from tech support scams

As Microsoft points out, you should follow some tips to keep your PC safe.

It is also important to consider the following:

• Microsoft does not send unsolicited e-mail messages or make unsolicited phone calls to request personal or financial information or to provide technical support to repair your computer. If you do not ask us, we will not contact you to provide support.
• If you see a pop-up or an error message with a phone number, don’t call the number. Microsoft error and warning messages never include phone numbers.
• Microsoft will never ask you to pay for support in the form of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or gift cards.
• You only download software from official Microsoft partner sites or from the Microsoft Store. Be wary of downloading software from third-party websites, some of which have been inadvertently modified to collect malware and other threats.
• Use Microsoft Edge when browsing the Internet. It is prohibited to support known fraudulent sites with Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. Also, Microsoft Edge can break pop-up dialogs used by these attackers.

What to do if the scammer already has your details

• Uninstall the apps the scammers asked you to install. For more information about how to uninstall apps, see Repair or uninstall programs in Windows.
• If you have given crooks access to your device, consider resetting it. To learn how to do that, see Recovery options in Windows.
• Run a full scan with Windows Security to remove any malware.
• Install all security updates as they become available. To view available updates, select the button beginning then select Settings > Update & Security> Windows Update. For more information, see Windows Update.
• Change passwords.
• Contact your credit card provider to dispute the fee if you have already paid. Let them know what happened. They will most likely want to cancel and exchange your affected cards so that fraudsters cannot use them again.