Procurement News Notice |
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| PNN | 4633 |
| Work Detail | Hackers do not always have to break into your computer to rip you off, sometimes you let them in. Stacia Gates says she was on her computer when a pop-up appeared and said it was from Microsoft. Her Microsoft computer immediately froze and the pop-up directed her to call the number on her screen to fix the problem. Once Gates called the number, a man said he was from Microsoft and needed to get inside her computer. She decided to give him access. But the man was not from Microsoft. “I did not have control of the computer any longer, he did,” said Gates. Hemu Nigam, cyber security expert, says it is an old scam that is reappearing in a big way. Since 2014, Microsoft has heard from over 175,000 customers complaining about tech support scams. The con artists often ask for payment to fix your computer. “At that point they got your credit card, they got your expiration date, they got your home address and they got your first and last name and they got the cc code on your card,” said Nigam. Con artists are not only posing as Microsoft employees, but as tech support for Apple. Cyber security experts say there are ways to protect yourself. Never call a phone number on a pop-up. Never give a stranger access to your computer. Make sure to update anti-virus programs and your operating system software. Gates says she realized there was something wrong when the man on the phone asked if she did banking on the computer. “Bingo, a light bulb just hit me, it just went off and I thought, what have I done,” said Gates. Gates says she immediately hung up. After the incident she says she thinks twice when she sees a pop-up. |
| Country | United States , Northern America |
| Industry | Information Technology |
| Entry Date | 03 Sep 2016 |
| Source | http://www.kmov.com/story/32901935/con-artist-use-pop-ups-to-scam-microsoft-users |
