Don't Fall for This Nasty Computer Scam, Police Warn

A Greenwood Drive resident may have become a victim of a growing scam in which a caller offers to "fix" your computer over the phone, but is actually stealing your information.

The resident reported April 20 that she got a call from someone claiming to work for Microsoft. 

The caller asked her to turn on her computer so he could walk her through some steps to fix it.

The woman obliged, but then realized it was probably a scam and ended the call.

"You're actually giving someone access to your computer," Detective Lt. John Janowski said. "Then they can go anywhere on it."

The hacker looks for personal information on the hard drive, including passwords and bank accounts. 

Even worse, he can even install a program that runs in the background and delivers new information as you enter it.

It was the first incident reported in Strongsville, but the scam has been documented by other police departments in the area. 

Janowski said residents should decline the "fix," no matter how sincere a caller sounds.

"I wouldn't let anyone have access to my computer," he said.