Maberly man warns of Microsoft scam

A Maberly resident is hoping his close call with a Microsoft scam artist will serve as a warning to others.
On June 23, Rob Richardson received a phone call from someone claiming to work for Microsoft. “He asked if I had a Windows Operating System and that they had found a glitch in it and he wanted me to go online,” Richardson said. “I knew where he was going to head with this so I ended the conversation fairly quickly.”

Richardson said he knew it was a scam because his aunt had recently received a similar phone call.
Unfortunately for the scammer, Richardson’s aunt didn’t have the internet. "She isn’t even on the internet so that’s what threw her off,” he said. 

Knowing it was a scam, Richardson told the man he was calling the police, which he did.
They directed him to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, formerly known as Phone Busters, and Richardson reported the fraud attempt. 

Richardson said he hopes by sharing his story, others won’t falls for the scam. “I thought people in the area should probably know this is going on,” he said.  Louis Robertson is the RCMP officer in charge of criminal intelligence with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. He said the centre began receiving reports of the scam last year, but peaked this spring.  Approximately 1,992 incidents were reported between January and May of this year.

Scammers use recognizable company names such as Microsoft, Windows, Jars Support or Online PC Care to gain the trust of victims. Robertson said the scam has been executed in a few different ways.
In some instances, someone claiming to be a Microsoft employee calls the victim and tells them they have a computer virus, or that their computer has somehow been compromised. The victim is then asked to supply personal information such as addresses and passwords so the “technician” can check to make sure everything is in order. 

In another instance, victims are instructed to download a software program that will protect their computer; however, the software is actually a program that allows the scammer to gain remote access to the computer.  Robertson said the software program is often a completely legal, free download available on the internet.
The program is often used by companies to allow someone, such as a computer technician, to gain access to a computer from a different location. 

“If you install it on your PC and you gave me the identification and password, I’ll be able to connect to your PC and see your screen,” Robertson said about the program. “I can control the mouse and keyboard.” In the wrong hands, the program can be used by scammers to gain access to a victim’s home computer from anywhere in the world. “Imagine when you do decide to do your online banking and that little (program) turns on and they basically see all your passwords and all your banking information,” Robertson said. “It’s a good scam.” Sometimes, victims will be asked to send money to ensure their computer is protected from future viruses. Robertson said the amount is usually between $200 and $400. 

Robertson said it is believed the calls are originated from a call centre in East Asia, and that the individuals hired to make the phone calls may not be aware they are participating in a scam.  “They’re basically hired by fraudsters to pitch the scam,” he said. “There is a strong possibility they don’t have a clue it’s a scam.” John Weigelt, a technology officer for Microsoft Canada, said the company is well aware of the scheme.

Microsoft even performed a survey in Canada, the United States the UK and Ireland to find out how prevalent the scam had become. Out of 7,000 people surveyed, 15 per cent had been contacted by scammers since the beginning of 2010. In Canada, that number was nine per cent of 1,000 people surveyed.
Almost 80 per cent of people contacted were duped by the scammers. Robertson said fraudsters use fear tactics, in this case, the fear of a computer virus, to scare people into following their instructions. “They use that magic word, ‘virus’,” he said. “People are falling for it.”

Robertson said the best defense against this scam is to simply hang up the phone. Corporations such as Microsoft never call individuals at home to let them know they have a problem – unless they are returning a call from a customer who has called them first. Anyone who believes they have been victimized by the scam (if they have provided information or sent money) should call the police, as well as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.  Robertson said victims should also call their bank and other financial institutions to put an alert on their credit profile. 

For anyone concerned about computer security, security software is available for free at Microsoft.com/security, Weigelt added. 

Robertson said internet fraud has become “the crime of the 21st century.”
“A dumb criminal will take a gun and go to your local Mac’s Milk and see if he can get $50,” he said. “A smart criminal will definitely go online.”