As technology advances in the industry, many companies are looking for the best competitive edge.  Some companies go above and beyond to provide the greatest service possible to their clients.  Unfortunately, there have been more concerns about scams via phone calls and other sources.

We’ve had a number of clients receiving phone calls (sometimes multiple per day) from ‘Microsoft’ or other well know companies, telling them their computer is infected or they’ve observed virus emails and bad traffic being spewed from their IP address.  The worse news is if they don’t take action, they’ll have to shut down their Internet services.  Others have called in with a concern about a popup on their computer stating similar infections or potential Malware.

The caller requests access to the client’s computer so they may “remotely take a look at the existing issue”.  Sadly, their intentions are not what they claim… Once they have access to the system, they have full access including potentially sensitive information and then deposit a payload of other nasty’s, Malware and Viruses. Next step is to show you what they “found” and then charge hundreds of dollars to repair what they intentionally infected.

*Some things to keep in mind:

–          Microsoft does not keep track of your computer’s Internet traffic.

–          Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) is more likely to have access to the type of traffic coming from your computers and network, not Microsoft or the BBB. If you do receive a call or email from your provider, best to call them directly for assistance.

–          There is no public database of information linking your computer and your cell or home phone numbers to your Internet at Microsoft. The scammers are counting on the hopes you don’t know.

 

Please don’t fall victim to these techniques. If you do receive a random call stating your computer is infected, tell them you will contact your help desk team and then ask them to not call you again. If you get the popup, shut down your browser(s), reboot the computer if necessary and see if the popup comes back through regular computer use. If it does return or you have concerns, give us a call at CSI Onsite and one of our Techs You Can Trust will be happy to assist you.

Our goal is to have our customers and audience be more educated and aware of how to be a safer and smarter computer user.  In addition to education, we offer a full suite of products and services that can assist with keeping you protected and able to recover.

Check out our post on Ransomware from last week and keep checking back for more updates.

 

Be safe out there and hopefully we’ve impacted you in positive way today!