Scams beware

Stuart Strathdee, Chief Security Advisor for Microsoft Australia, discusses the technology scam targeting Australian residents. The scammers are ringing up consumers pretending to be from Microsoft, saying incorrectly there is a virus in their computer that they allege they can fix. Our advice continues to be that anyone who receives such a call should bear in mind that Microsoft does not cold call consumers nor pass contact details onto third parties to do so. If in doubt, hang-up.

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Comments

• Anonymous
  March 30, 2011
  I just got the call and they gave me a phone number to ring them back they said they were in Queensland the number is 0756411009 in case you can trace it. I was stupid enough to give them access to my computer but not my account can they still access my computer? And I do Internet banking can they get my details?

• Anonymous
  April 05, 2011
  I had a call last night from India claiming to be a company that deals with "error reports for microsoft".  I was told I had so many "malicious software" errors because my software was out of warranty.  If I pay to renew this warranty I would get all this technical assistance for free. I had my suspicions that it was a scam so did not purchase anything.

• Anonymous
  April 08, 2011
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• Anonymous
  April 15, 2011
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• Anonymous
  April 19, 2011
  I have recieved two calls doing this, I told them I wouldn't deal with them via the phone and they would have to deal in writing, they didn't have my email address and no way was I providing that to them, they had my name and address.  They provided me with a website to "verify" them which was not microsoft.  I checked this site and was glad I hadn't provided details.  They rang again today and I told them I knew that they were a scam and that I would forward both the website and the phone number to the police.

• Anonymous
  April 19, 2011
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• Anonymous
  April 19, 2011
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• Anonymous
  April 21, 2011
  Thankyou!

• Anonymous
  May 01, 2011
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• Anonymous
  May 06, 2011
  i have received a call from a foreigner claiming he was calling from victoria and was part of microsoft support group, are questioning i obtain his contact number and have reported this on the scam watch website. i also advised the if he continues calling me i would report that had his is number to do so. i also made my isp aware of what was happening.

• Anonymous
  May 08, 2011
  My phone call today 9/05/2011 from a company Calltoassist .com 863654453 saying it was microsoft allerting me about hackers the automated call was really quick and then you had to press 1 and then an operator wanted me to be aware of hackers

• Anonymous
  May 14, 2011
  I got a call on Friday saying they were from Microsoft Systems. I asked where they were located and they said Sydney.  They told me I had downloaded viruses and trogans and that my hard drive will crash in about a month unless they fixed it for me.  They said that only Microsoft can do this and and then told me that I needed to pay a one-off payment of $105.  Needless to say I did not pay or give them any details.

• Anonymous
  June 07, 2011
  I got one of these calls today, and they even left me a number to call back 0390084256.  I googled this number, and there is even a website for this company called 1 stop computer fix.  Luckily I said my husband would call them back, so didn't give them access to anything.  

• Anonymous
  June 19, 2011
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• Anonymous
  June 26, 2011
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• Anonymous
  July 04, 2011
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• Anonymous
  July 06, 2011
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• Anonymous
  July 08, 2011
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• Anonymous
  July 08, 2011
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• Anonymous
  July 25, 2011
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