This news item expired on Thursday, April 30, 2015 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
Overseas crooks pretending to be tech support representatives for companies like Microsoft continue to dial up North Carolina residents. They say your computer is infected and offer to fix it, but it’s a trick to try to steal your information and your money.
We’ve warned about these phony tech support calls before, but reports of the scam are up so far in 2015.
Sometimes the scammers ask for a credit card number to pay for their services. In other instances they ask for your passwords so they can steal data like account numbers from your computer. And they may leave your computer infected with viruses or other malware so they can keep stealing from you.
You don’t have to be a computer expert to avoid tech support scammers, just being a cautious and savvy consumer will do the trick. To spot and avoid tech support scams, remember:
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Technology companies almost never contact consumers by phone.
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If you need tech support, contact the computer or software company at a number or website you know to be valid.
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Don’t surrender your password, account numbers, or remote control of your computer to someone who calls you.
Learn more about these scams from Microsoft and the FTC. If you receive one of these calls, report it to the Attorney General’s Office at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or online at www.ncdoj.gov.
This message brought to you on behalf of North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper.