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I have received calls over the last few months and lately everyday from someone who calls himself "Geeks".  He said that I a virus and he was connected with Windows and they keep getting alerts from my pc.  I have been cutting him short and hanging up.  I have Webroot Security and I also have an icon from PCKeeper???  I have been losing connection with internet for short periods of time--mostly less than a minute.  Sometimes I get a message that Windows is trying to correct the problem.  I checked with the phone company that supplies my DSL and they say everything is OK.  I thought it might be my wifi modem, but haven't replaced it.  Webroot scans don't show any problem with security.  The last time "Geek" called I heard him out, but I couldn't understand him, he had an accent.  He got his supervisor, who sounded a lot like him, and I couldn't understand him very well either.  He wanted me to Hit the Windows key and the ALT key and type in www.showmypc.com and then something else.  I don't remember what but it had nsis.net at the end.  Webroot warning came up and I shut my computer down, they begged me not to, but I didn't know if I could trust them, and when it took a long time to shut down, I just unplugged it.  Did I do the right thing?  Were these men legitimate???
Hello sabelx,

 

Welcome to the Community Forum,

 

THIS IS A SCAM!!  Neither Microsoft nor any other company sends emails, pop ups, or phone calls of any kind advising that you may have a problem.

 

If you clicked anything links, allowed them to remote into your computer, or went to any web sites please submit a Trouble Ticket ASAP.  (Now would be a good idea....)

 

If you would like more information, read on (After submitting that Trouble Ticket.....)

 

NEWS ARTICLE: Tech Support Scams are on the rise.

 

 

Microsoft never issues this type of warning or email or anything of a sort!  Please see the following link for Microsofts official word on this:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/avoid-phone-scams.aspx

 

"Neither Microsoft nor our partners make unsolicited phone calls (also known as cold calls) to charge you for computer security or software fixes.

 

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.

 

Once they've gained your trust, they might ask for your user name and password or ask you to go to a website to install software that will let them access your computer to fix it. Once you do this, your computer and your personal information is vulnerable."

 

Also see Avoid scams that use the Microsoft name fraudulently

http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/msname.aspx 

 

 

For more information here iwhat the United States Federal Trade Commission has to say on the subject::

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0346-tech-support-scams

 

"In a recent twist, scam artists are using the phone to try to break into your computer. They call, claiming to be computer techs associated with well-known companies like Microsoft. They say that they’ve detected viruses or other malware on your computer to trick you into giving them remote access or paying for software you don’t need.

 

These scammers take advantage of your reasonable concerns about viruses and other threats. They know that computer users have heard time and again that it’s important to install security software. But the purpose behind their elaborate scheme isn’t to protect your computer; it’s to make money."

 

This scam is common and has been around for quite a while.  Here is a good Webroot Blog article from April 2013 by Threat Researcher Roy Tobin.

http://www.webroot.com/blog/2013/04/30/fake-microsoft-security-scam/

 

Also to help with these issues it's best to install an Ablocker like Adblock Plus for most Browsers: https://adblockplus.org/

 

Thanks,

 

 

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