LSkaalen:
I'm glad you are satisfied Darin,
I'm having trouble getting WGT acknowledgement of my problem of interruption of my games by a pop-up voice and screen alert that "Microsoft" will crash my computer if I don't phone a certain phone to correct some data error this program, etc. Only option is to shut down before their threat time ends. Subsequent malware scans disprove the allegation of a "worm" in either of the computers that I use to play in WGT tournaments; and the worm does not appear in any other program.
Everything You Need to Know About the Microsoft Support Scam
May 12, 2016
Computer scams happen every day, and they’re
constantly evolving. Some scams begin with phone calls, some arrive as a
message in your email. One recent scam is the scary pop-up window on
your computer that shows warnings like “Firewall Alert: Your Computer
May Have Adware/Spyware Virus,” or “Computer Security At Risk!,” or
“System crash and identity threat detected.” There may also be a warning
not to touch your computer. The warning may even come as a voice alert.
Sometimes the pop-up window is accompanied by a strange noise emanating
from your computer.
The pop-up message will direct you to call immediately for assistance
to remove the potential virus. A toll-free phone number is provided.
These warnings might appear to be part of your operating system, but
actually they are not.
If you call the phone number, often times they will tell you that
you are speaking with a Microsoft technician. But the 'technician' is
likely an Internet criminal, and rather than removing a virus, they
install malware on your computer instead. Once malware is downloaded
onto your computer, they may have access to passwords, and important
documents.
They may even ask you for payment at the end of the conversation, further exposing you to identity theft.
What Microsoft Says
Microsoft says it will never
prompt you to call an 800 number for tech support—you should always be
the one to initiate a call for help. According to Microsoft:
The popup with the telephone number you are seeing is the
malware/adware issue on your computer. It's a new wrinkle on the cold
call scams and the fake anti malware programs that were previously being
installed on computers that we have heard about for years. It's nothing
but a scam to get your money and credit card info. Some of them use
what appears to be a local number but in reality the scam may be from a
country which will not cooperate with law enforcement agencies trying to
identify the scammers.
Whenever you receive a phone call or see a pop-up window on your PC
and feel uncertain whether it is from someone at Microsoft, don’t take
the risk. You can reach out directly to one of Microsoft’s technical
support experts at the Microsoft Answer Desk or at 1-800-426-9400.
How to Protect Yourself
Never browse the internet without up-to-date
anti-virus software. Be aware of the links you click on and avoid any
suspicious websites. If possible, change your browser settings to block
pop-ups. If you see a pop-up alert, don't click on it, no matter how
threatening it may be and definitely don't call the 1-800 number. Close
your internet browser instead. If you are using an Apple computer, you
may have to force-quit your browser. If you are running Windows, press
Ctrl-Alt-Delete to bring up a link to launch the Task Manager. From
there you should select your browser and click "End Task."