Microsoft Singapore warns of “Windows Live” Phone Scam

Microsoft today warned Singaporeans to be wary of a phone scam that has been spreading throughout Asia, which has left some victims hundreds of dollars short.

Scammers are using several well-known brands, including Microsoft, to fool consumers into believing that something is wrong with their computers. The scam typically unfolds in the following manner:

• A cold caller, claiming to be a representative of Microsoft, one of its brands, or a third-party contracted by Microsoft, tells the victim that they are investigating a computer problem, infection or virus that has been detected by Microsoft.
• They tell the victim that they can help and direct them to a website that then allows the scammers to take remote control of the computer.
• The cold caller will then spend some time on the computer trying to demonstrate where the ‘problems’ are and in the process, convince the victim to pay a fee for a service that will fix the computer.

“In reality, there may be nothing wrong with their computer but the scammer has tricked the consumer into believing there is a problem and that paying the fee is the best way to get it fixed. Often they will also push the customer to buy a one-year computer maintenance subscription. They are just trying to get innocent victims to hand over their money,” said Freddy Tan, Microsoft’s Security Strategist for Asia Pacific.

Tan also said that the callers presented themselves in a professional manner and sounded genuine.

“Microsoft is not cold calling consumers with regards to malfunctioning PCs, viruses or any other matter. Microsoft does not call consumers or send unsolicited e-mail requesting personal or financial information, credit card information, passwords, or other personally identifying information,” he said.

“We strongly advise Singaporeans to simply hang up if they receive a call of this nature and not to respond to any communications from these scammers.

“Some scammers take advantage of security vulnerabilities caused by computer systems that are not properly updated. Counterfeit or non-genuine software usually have their updating function switched off and this results in a highly vulnerable machine that is easy for scammers to exploit. Consumers who are uncertain if their Windows Operating System is genuine, should go to http://microsoft.com/genuine/validate to validate their system. If you suspect that your machine may have counterfeit software installed, contact Microsoft Singapore at 800 852 3543 or the Police,” he said.

For more information, Microsoft recommends the following resources:

• Microsoft Online Safety site
• Singapore Police Force
• The Commercial Affairs Department of the Singapore Police Force

ORIGINAL SOURCE

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