Microsoft Phone Scam Alert

A Patch reader in Sarasota has shared a warning about a computer phone scam that has weasled its way to Florida.

The caller told Patch that she researched the phony offer and learned that it has been tried in other states and other parts of the world.

She is hoping to warn Florida consumers about it.

What happened in this reader's case was that she received a phone call from a "Steven" claiming that he was from Microsoft and that her computer would crash soon because her email was receiving junk mail. The scammer offers to help – but for a price.

The savvy Patch reader checked out popular fact-or-fiction site Snopes.com and found that as most unsolicited calls like this, it's a scam. The goal of the scammer is to get control of a person's bank account, "sell" the consumer phony software, and end even gain remote accesss to someone's personal computer.

Microsoft does not make unsolicited phone calls to help you fix your computer, according to Microsoft's website:

"In this scam cyber-criminals call you and claim to be from Microsoft Tech Support. They offer to help solve your computer problems. Once the crooks have gained your trust, they attempt to steal from you and damage your computer with malicious software including viruses and spyware.Although law enforcement can trace phone numbers, perpetrators often use pay phones, disposable cellular phones, or stolen cellular phone numbers. It's better to avoid being conned rather than try to repair the damage afterwards.Treat all unsolicited phone calls with skepticism. Do not provide any personal information."

The Florida Attorney General offers consumers protection tips that include information on Internet Fraud schemes.

If you think you've been a victim of consumer fraud you can file a complaint with the AG's office.

For more information

The FBI runs the Internet Crime Complaint Center, at http://www.ic3.gov.