Seattle Web Design 
Fake call from fake Microsoft
My phone rang yesterday night at 10:30 PM. It was late night so it couldn’t be from advertisers. My caller ID said “unavailable”. Since I thought it could be my dad or mom from overseas I answered it. It was a woman in a thick accent. She said she was from Microsoft Security Department and my PC’s windows has security issue. She said my windows had virus or maybe Windows key problem and this is why it generated malicious packets.
I was sleepy and on the other hand I didn’t want my windows make problem for others. Since I was aware of cyber scammers I tried to confirm whether she was really from Microsoft. She, with her heavy accent, tried to convince me to fix my windows as soon as possible. Usually no technical guys call late night, it is better to say we customers should spend lots of time on hold to talk to one of techy guys from service providers.
I said thank you for calling me and letting me know my windows problem but since I have three machines at home could you please let me know which one of them had problem.
She just gave me a windows key which did not match with any of my windows operating systems.
I asked how she could find my number and she said they kept all numbers in their customer’s record. I said how they knew my windows had problem and I asked for the broken system’s MAC address.
She said she did not have access to customer’s private information.
I asked what my name was. She said she just had access to my number.
Everything was fishy and so I said please provide me your number and your name.
She did not give me any other information. I was sleepy and I did not want to keep talking with Mrs. No one. I hung up the phone. The next they I searched my experience on the Internet and figured out it was totally scam.
Here are some tips to avoid doing anything wrong in case of facing these scammers:
1- Do not install any software which they recommend
2- Do not give them remote access to your PC
3- Do not pay them on phone and do not give them your credit card number
4- Try to get as much as information. Ask their number, location, Manager’s name, and everything you think could help to report them to the real Microsoft.
Always remember:
If something is broken with your windows, they expect you to call them. THEY WON’T CALL YOU!