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| Bellaggio Computer and Technology Club |
| a proud member of FACUG and APCUG ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Microsoft Scam
from Jeff Robins
I got this email from a friend...
I "Scopesed" it and it's real
Be advised!
I received a disturbing phone call from a man who said he was with Microsoft Tech
support. He claimed that my PC sent a Security Report via wireless to their Microsoft
servers which purportedly told Microsoft that my PC was infected with a virus. He told
me to go to 'My Computer's' Management Panel, to double click on the Event Viewer
and in the Log Summary Window at the bottom to double click on a listing so I could
see application errors that indicated my PC was infected by a so called 'Trojanbug'
virus.
I told the man that I had run my Internet Security program—Trend Micro Titanium
Maximum Security—last night and the scan was clean of viruses & spyware &
malware and that I'd also run SuperAnti-Spyware last night and my PC was clean of
spyware, and malware. He claimed that 3rd party security and anti-spyware software
would not discover this virus and that Microsoft Anti-Virus was the only software that
could find it and destroy it. He directed me to a website called http://www.
teamviewer.com
so he could connect to my PC from 'Microsoft's servers and remotely check my PC
for the virus.
I started Internet Explorer 9, typed in the URL to get to the teamviewer website, but
then an alarm bell went off in my head. I got the feeling that this stranger could
unleash a real virus or spyware or malware on my PC. I asked the man for a phone
number so I could call him back. He told me: (213) 261-7490. I hung up and called
Microsoft.
I was told Microsoft never calls a customer back unless that customer initiated the
call and had a Microsoft Case Number because a problem may not be solved during
the first call and might need further resolution. Microsoft is pretty good at calling back
if you do call them for help and pay the upfront tech support fee. If they can't find a
remedy, they'll refund you the fee. I asked Microsoft if they have a number starting in
a (213) area code and was told 'no.' Following my call to Microsoft, I also called
Trend Micro to tell their tech support about the weird phone call. The Trend Micro
tech looked at the http://www.teamviewer.com
website and said it was not a suspicious (bad) web site, but thought that maybe the
phone call was to try to sell me Internet Security software. Usually, Trend Micro
Titanium Maximum Security will alert me not to open a website that they deem
suspicious. The Trend Micro tech also told me that since I didn't let the caller connect
to my PC remotely, the probability of my getting a virus or spyware or malware from
the website was pretty slim. In any case, I am running a Trend Micro Titanium
Maximum Security Virus/Anti-spyware & malware scan to be on the safe side.
So even if the teamviewer.com website was legitimate remote connection software,
that lets PC's connect to one another, it's still a bad idea to let some stranger
connect to one's PC. Worst case scenario, they could put a virus on your PC, or put
spyware to track one's keystrokes or steal personal information.
If you do have to call a software company's tech support line and the tech person
asks you to go to a specific website so he can connect to your PC remotely, that's
OK, because you made the tech support call and know you are talking to a legitimate
tech support person.
So beware of anyone who calls claiming to be from Microsoft and tries to pull this
Internet scam on you.
from Jeff Robins
I got this email from a friend...
I "Scopesed" it and it's real
Be advised!
I received a disturbing phone call from a man who said he was with Microsoft Tech
support. He claimed that my PC sent a Security Report via wireless to their Microsoft
servers which purportedly told Microsoft that my PC was infected with a virus. He told
me to go to 'My Computer's' Management Panel, to double click on the Event Viewer
and in the Log Summary Window at the bottom to double click on a listing so I could
see application errors that indicated my PC was infected by a so called 'Trojanbug'
virus.
I told the man that I had run my Internet Security program—Trend Micro Titanium
Maximum Security—last night and the scan was clean of viruses & spyware &
malware and that I'd also run SuperAnti-Spyware last night and my PC was clean of
spyware, and malware. He claimed that 3rd party security and anti-spyware software
would not discover this virus and that Microsoft Anti-Virus was the only software that
could find it and destroy it. He directed me to a website called http://www.
teamviewer.com
so he could connect to my PC from 'Microsoft's servers and remotely check my PC
for the virus.
I started Internet Explorer 9, typed in the URL to get to the teamviewer website, but
then an alarm bell went off in my head. I got the feeling that this stranger could
unleash a real virus or spyware or malware on my PC. I asked the man for a phone
number so I could call him back. He told me: (213) 261-7490. I hung up and called
Microsoft.
I was told Microsoft never calls a customer back unless that customer initiated the
call and had a Microsoft Case Number because a problem may not be solved during
the first call and might need further resolution. Microsoft is pretty good at calling back
if you do call them for help and pay the upfront tech support fee. If they can't find a
remedy, they'll refund you the fee. I asked Microsoft if they have a number starting in
a (213) area code and was told 'no.' Following my call to Microsoft, I also called
Trend Micro to tell their tech support about the weird phone call. The Trend Micro
tech looked at the http://www.teamviewer.com
website and said it was not a suspicious (bad) web site, but thought that maybe the
phone call was to try to sell me Internet Security software. Usually, Trend Micro
Titanium Maximum Security will alert me not to open a website that they deem
suspicious. The Trend Micro tech also told me that since I didn't let the caller connect
to my PC remotely, the probability of my getting a virus or spyware or malware from
the website was pretty slim. In any case, I am running a Trend Micro Titanium
Maximum Security Virus/Anti-spyware & malware scan to be on the safe side.
So even if the teamviewer.com website was legitimate remote connection software,
that lets PC's connect to one another, it's still a bad idea to let some stranger
connect to one's PC. Worst case scenario, they could put a virus on your PC, or put
spyware to track one's keystrokes or steal personal information.
If you do have to call a software company's tech support line and the tech person
asks you to go to a specific website so he can connect to your PC remotely, that's
OK, because you made the tech support call and know you are talking to a legitimate
tech support person.
So beware of anyone who calls claiming to be from Microsoft and tries to pull this
Internet scam on you.