Windows scam phone calls

Although law enforcement can trace phone numbers, perpetrators often use pay phones, disposable cellular phones, or stolen cellular phone numbers. For more information, see Avoid tech support phone scams.

If you think you might be a victim of fraud, you can report it. For more information, see What to do if you think you have been a victim of a scam. Skip to main content. June 26, Is that call from Microsoft a scam?

Eve Blakemore. I don't know how useful this information is in tracing these people but hope it assists. Report abuse. Details required :. Cancel Submit. How satisfied are you with this discussion?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site. Bill Smithers Volunteer Moderator. We don't work for Microsoft, but see if this assists you. This is information I usually give topeole who have that problem with calls Thank you for posting that warning.

These scams happen world-wide 1,s of times a day and have been for many years. It is a Scam. Microsoft will never contact you with cold-calls, popups, etc.

We all have errors and warnings in our event viewer, which is another ploy they use to scare you These so-called "Microsoft" Tech Companies either want to sell you worthless software, or gain Remote Access to your Computer to try and steal your Banking and Credit Card details and to also carry out an Identity Theft on you. Feedback will be sent to Microsoft: By pressing the submit button, your feedback will be used to improve Microsoft products and services.

Privacy policy. Tech support scams are an industry-wide issue where scammers use scare tactics to trick users into paying for unnecessary technical support services that supposedly fix contrived device, platform, or software problems. Scammers may call you directly on your phone and pretend to be representatives of a software company.

They might even spoof the caller ID so that it displays a legitimate support phone number from a trusted company. They can then ask you to install applications that give them remote access to your device. Using remote access, these experienced scammers can misrepresent normal system output as signs of problems. Scammers might also initiate contact by displaying fake error messages on websites you visit, displaying support numbers and enticing you to call.

They can also put your browser on full screen and display pop-up messages that won't go away, essentially locking your browser. When run, this malware may display fake error notifications about your computer or software, similar to tech support scam websites. However, because they are installed on your computer, criminals will likely use them to perform other malicious actions, such as to steal data or install other malware. Scammers may also use other ways to reach you, such as email, text messages, or chat.

These messages may resemble phishing emails; however, instead of pointing to phishing sites designed to steal credentials, the links lead to tech support scam websites.

This listing might help you recognize and avoid tech support scam phone calls. It's not a comprehensive list, just a sample of numbers that have been used by scammers in the past. Tech support scams adapt and persist in , per new Microsoft research. Need more help? Join the discussion. Was this information helpful? Yes No. Thank you! Any more feedback? The more you tell us the more we can help.

Can you help us improve? Resolved my issue. Clear instructions. Easy to follow. No jargon. Pictures helped. Didn't match my screen.