Police warn against Indian scammers: “This is not Microsoft calling”

You may receive a phone call from someone pretending to work for Microsoft, and claiming that there is a problem with your PC. They will solve this problem, but only if you pay. Scammers operate from India. “Victims often lose between 300 and 500 euros”, police say.

Walter Coenraets of the Computer Crime Unit explains that “we have known the so-called Microsoft scam since 2012, but every now and then it pops up again. It’s hard to tackle, because the scammers mostly operate from abroad, like now. That’s why we repeat our warning.”

Fraudsters make victims believe there is something wrong with their computer. They need to install a tool to solve the issue, but with this tool the scammers get access to the PC. “They don’t just check your computer, but say that something has gone wrong and the payment needs to be made again. Before you know it, you lost between 300 and 500 euros.”

The scammers mostly call during office hours. “People who are at home at that moment, often don’t know a lot about ICT. Most victims are older users.”

Flandersnews.be / Expatica