Microsoft and Security Company Netsafe have warned Windows users in New Zealand that they should be extra cautious these days because of a new discovery of a series of phone scams which attempts to steal their money and even infect their computers with ransomware.
Microsoft has specifically stated about the scam is that it is similar to the old phone scam trick and has been reinvented. Scammers posing from Microsoft reach to unsuspecting customers to address a number of computer issues, such as infections.
Scammers claim they discovered malicious activity on victims’ computer and often say that this is harming other users online or ISPs detected something suspicious on the systems.
As it usually happens, the phone scammers request a remote connection to the victims’ computers and ask for up to $500 in order to fix problems that do not exist. Microsoft states that, in some cases, attackers even deploy ransomware on these systems, locking down access to files until victims pay the requested amount of money.
Microsoft has once again said that nobody working for the software giant would ever call you and offer computer fixes or security patches, and adds that users should never provide access details to their systems. In case this happens, they should terminate the session immediately and if any financial details have been shared, they should immediately contact their bank.
“There are some cases where Microsoft will work with your internet service provider and call you to fix a malware-infected computer — like the recent cleanup effort which begun in our botnet takedown actions,” Microsoft explains.
