‘Windows’ caller is a scammer

Recently, a resident of Oak Harbor was contacted by phone. The caller identified himself as‚ “Windows tech support.” Since the resident had called her Internet provider earlier in the week, she wasn’t surprised by this call, so she complied with his request. On her computer, he had her look in a directory and when she found what he was looking for, he informed her the computer was “infected.”

He gave her instructions turning on Remote Access. Once done, he took control of her computer. She reports he moved the mouse so fast and clicked so many things she couldn’t follow what he was doing. He told her it was a serious Windows problem. After a few minutes, he asked if she was using Visa or MasterCard. Luckily, this alerted her, and she did not give out that information. But he gave her an 800 number to check (Google search later reveals it to be a scam), and told her he would call back. She unplugged the computer (a safe choice!), and called for professional help here in Oak Harbor. The scammers actually called back later, and she refused to answer their calls.

Be aware of this scam, you will NOT be called by your Internet provider, nor will “Windows” call you. If this happens to you, hang up. If you see any “mouse movement” or other computer activity you don’t understand or didn’t initiate, either unplug from the Internet or just turn off the computer. If you believe you are a victim of this type of scam, please call a local professional to check your computer.

John Hellmann

The Computer Clinic

Oak Harbor

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