Microsoft Technical Support Virus Scam Calls from 850-785-9004

Received via email: "Recd email stating they were MICROSOFT SECURITY alert and to call 8008681782. Man who answered had heavy accent. Hung up as I knew it was fake. Recd call back immediately (same voice) from 8668637942 asking if I called w/computer problem. Said no...wrong #. He didn't want to hang up. I called MICROSOFT SECURITY & THEY SAID IT HAS A SCAMMER."

Received via email:
"I just received a call from a "certified windows technician" who informed me that there is a problem with my computer. These people won't stop calling me. I have already been scammed by them once, shortly after I got my first computer and before I knew better. Every time they call me I tell them to stop calling me and that I know it is a scam, that I have already been scammed - lost money, had my computer crashed by them and then had to spend more money to get my computer up and running again, and scrubbed clean. The man was foreign sounding ( every time they have called me it is a foreigner) and the number is 215-485-6225. I believe every time one of these people call they are using a different phone number. I just want them to leave me alone. Also a few days ago I had an alarming noise on my computer and a big blue warning screen popped up telling me that my computer had been compromised and to call the number listed immediately. I believe this was identified as "Windows" or "Microsoft" in the message. I was instructed not to X out of the screen, shut down or restart my computer. I DID exit the screen and I DID shut down my computer and restart it. I also ran a security scan through McAffey and that showed no problems detected. I am weary of this harassment."

Received the following from an anonymous user via email: "I had a call from someone purporting to be in the UK. He had a heavy Indian-Sub-Continent accent and when the call came in the screen showed ‘INTERNATIONAL’. When I said his number was INTERNATIONAL he said it wasn’t – he was in London so I asked what his number was and he said it was 02088547621. He was overbearing and rude and I felt quite intimidated initially so I put the telephone receiver down. He called me back and asked why I had cancelled the call since he told me my PC had errors and he was from Microsoft. I cancelled the call again. He called a third time and suggested if I did not want his help he would disconnect me from the internet and I should get a pen and paper as he was going to give me a termination ID number. He told me he was not here to convince me but just to help me I told him to stop calling me. He then told me my computer would be disconnected from the main server I would be blacklisted from the Microsoft program. My response was, “so now you’re threatening me are you?” and he responded with, “No I am not threatening you but your computer will be disconnected from the main server in half an hour”. I put the receiver down. Your computer contacted me because it is in critical condition – it reported to the main windows server. He called back again (4th time) and was very apologetic and asked why I was cancelling the calls and I told him I didn't trust him - he asked why and I told him I was not comfortable with the conversation nor with him nor with the issue he suggested he could fix. He told me he was from Microsoft and advised me to open the RUN screen and type something that provided me with a list of 1778 errors on my laptop. This seemed quite credible since my laptop had seemed a little slower than it had previously and when he said he was from Microsoft (again) he sounded plausible but I again said I didn't trust him and he became very angry and said he would terminate my internet connection. I told him not to threaten me and he calmed down somewhat. He then offered to pass me to the 'technical expert' who would help me solve my software problems. The 'technical expert' came on the telephone line and told me to go to the RUN box and type www.showmypc.com /ShowMyPC3161.exe When I asked why he was asking me to install an ‘exe’ file he became very cagey. I asked him who he represented and he said Microsoft. – that is why they knew I had problems with my PC because their server was getting error messages from my PC. I put the phone down again since this insistence they were from Microsoft was beginning to wear thin. The calls stopped."

Got the call today.. apparently he didn't like my tone and threatened to shoot me! I recorded the conversation.

I just got called too, funny we're from the same town! They must be making the rounds.

Is there any fraud agency to which we can report these people? While those of us who are informed will not fall for this, there will be many who will become taken advantage of.

You can report it the police, but there is not much they can do, because the internet is hard to police.
The internet has no borders and the laws in one country don't apply in another.
So, educating our friends and family is the best thing to do until someone comes up with a solution to find those cyber-criminals.

Except it's not just the internet, these are phone calls.

Back in November of last year or so, I paid around $1120 to have the supposedly "Microsoft" technician to remotely scan my computer for viruses and security issues. It took nearly two or three hours for them to do so. I later got a call that the wrong security software had been installed.
They needed to gain remote access to my computer again. Trouble was that the first time they did the transaction they took extra money from my account which the bank kindly reimbursed me for.
In later calls I told them they were a scam and I wanted nothing to do with them. They offered to give me back my $110 but I didn't trust them. I'd been hacked before and didn't want it to happen again. I just hung up on them & didn't allow them remote access to my computer.
But they keep calling insisting that I don't have the proper security software on my system. I just ignore them now. They can keep their money. I just don't trust them. I tell them not to call me any more but they continue to do so.

Telephone number: 844-205-0171, is another number the calls are coming from.