Credit card fraud and identity theft are rampant in the US, often using things like phishing emails and card skimmers to garner your information. A common tactic used by these criminals is a phone call from someone purporting to be with “Microsoft” or “Windows” or some non-existent tech support firm with the sad news that your computer is reporting to them that it’s infected or has some major problem.

The scam often progresses to the caller convincing you to open a window or run a command that techs use to get information about things such as IP addresses but looks completely foreign to average users, then they use that information as proof of your problem. They will then offer to remotely access your PC and fix the problems, usually followed by a pitch for a “maintenance” package costing hundreds of dollars and soliciting your credit card or banking information for payment.

A new variant of this scam involves malware planted on your PC that warns of massive infections or other major problems that need to be addressed. This strain of the scam identifies itself as coming from a well-known security company such as Comodo or Kaspersky, or even from your ISP or employer.

Here are some tips for avoiding the problems related to these scams:

• Never give personal or financial data to someone who calls you.
• Never give an unknown caller access to your computer remotely.
• Never call any phone number contained in a pop-up on your computer.
• If you have questions about one of the calls or messages call us at Microdome at 812-265-1140. We can give you advice on mitigating any damage done if you succumb to one of these scams or, hopefully, prevent you from falling for it in the first place.