Wellington OPP is reminding county residents about the “Microsoft scam.”
The scam involves an unknown person calling and claiming they represent Microsoft Windows and the victim’s computer is sending them an error message. They will ask the victim to run through a series of checks on their computer with the intention to convince them their computer is at risk, or already compromised. They will offer to fix it by remotely logging in. A request will then be made to send money to an account.
Scammers have also been known to be very persistent and will even make follow-up calls to people who initially were a victim.
OPP are urging residents not to accept anything at face value, if it sounds unlikely or too good to be true, it probably is.
Recognize the signs; if you’re being pressured to act, disclose personal details or send money to a stranger, it’s almost certainly a scam. For example, Microsoft never makes unsolicited phone calls about its products, police state.
Act quickly, contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 and stop scammers in their tracks.
Never respond. Just simply hang up the phone and report the incident to the OPP and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre.ca
Remote service is perfectly fine and safe, but only when you instigate the call for help. Don’t be a victim. Fraud is a multi-billion dollar enterprise that will only stop when the scammers stop getting money, banking information or personal information.
