Police Warn of ‘Microsoft’ Scam

The Teaneck Police Department is alerting residents to a scam that could trick a victim into giving crooks access to personal information under the guise of a computer repair.

Microsoft Windows users have reported receiving a call from someone claiming to work for the software company, according to police. The phony Microsoft employee claims the victim’s computer is infected with a virus and asks if the system is running slow.

The victim is then walked through a series of technical steps allowing the scammer to remotely access the victim’s computer.

Once the remote connection is made, the scammer is able to search the victim’s computer files for various sensitive information. In some cases, the scam involves a request for credit card information to pay for the fake computer repair.

“If you should receive a phone call similar to this, please document the name of the company calling, the name of the caller, their location, and their phone number,” township police advised. “Please then call the Teaneck Police Department and file a report.”

Microsoft cautioned that scammers might use basic public information to sound legitimate.

“Cybercriminals often use publicly available phone directories so they might know your name and other personal information when they call you. They might even guess what operating system you're using,” the company said on its security website.

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