The article first appeared in Microsoft’s On The Issues blog on December 14, 2014. Several days ago, it was referenced again on a tech forum I belong to. Microsoft is going after companies who charge for bogus IT support, some of whom add insult to injury by then stealing personal information.
Such scammers remind me of, say, a discount carpet store. The writing on the windows shouts, “Going Out of Business! Must Liquidate!” A month later, the store remains, along with all of its inventory. The only thing that has changed is the business name (your clue that something fishy is going on). Any entity such as this is not to be trusted, nor should any caller who claims to have a fix to a computer problem you never knew you had.
Your take-away from this post? Heighten your awareness of scammers by reading Microsoft Takes Action Against Tech Support Scammers. It’s a quick read, provides some good tips and supplies contact information if you think you’ve been scammed. Let’s get these fraudsters!