Every single day we are told that a customer has been called by an Indian gentleman (typically) who claimed to be from Microsoft. He will either say that the computer has been "hacked" or is infected with computer viruses or "spyware" but he can fix it.
It's very important that if this happens to you, that you do not follow their instructions and you just hang up their phone This is a scam, which is designed to make you pay for something that isn't needed. These people are called cybercriminals.
Telephone tech support scams: What you need to know
Cybercriminals often use publicly available phone directories so they might know your name and other personal information when they call you. They might even guess what operating system you're using.
Once they've gained your trust, they might ask for your user name and password or ask you to go to a website to install software that will let them access your computer to fix it. Once you do this, your computer and your personal information is vulnerable.
Do not trust unsolicited calls. Do not provide any personal information. Here are some of the organizations that cybercriminals claim to be from:
- Windows Helpdesk
- Windows Service Center
- Microsoft Tech Support
- Microsoft Support
- Windows Technical Department Support Group
- Microsoft Research and Development Team (Microsoft R & D Team)
Report phone scams
If this has happened to you, you should consider reporting it to the local police. This is a crime.