West Country warning over Microsoft scam

Devon & Cornwall Police raise alarm after residents targeted by fraudsters posing as support representatives of Microsoft

Devon & Cornwall Police have issued a warning over the age-old ‘Microsoft Tech Scam' after residents were targeted by the ruse.

The scam sees fraudsters attempt to illicit a fee from unsuspecting PC users by cold calling them, making out there is an issue with their machine and then offering to fix it under the guise of being a representative of Microsoft or other trusted tech brands. Much of the time the calls are made from Indian call centres.

A senior security researcher at anti-virus vendor Malwarebytes documented the social engineering techniques employed in this type of fraud when he himself was targeted in 2013.

Although this fraud type, also known as Computer Software Service Fraud, has been doing the rounds for years, Devon & Cornwall Police sounded the alarm after the National Fraud Investigation Bureau (NFIB) got in touch to inform them there had been victims in the area.

While typical losses from the scam are about £200, one victim lost more than £70,000 following repeat victimisation, the police force's statement said. Losses may stem not only from the initial fee but also the compromise of online banking details and the installation of malware, it warned.

The NFIB is undertaking enquiries around a number of alleged companies who are exploiting victims using this method, Devon & Cornwall Police added. One of these companies, claiming to be called Ask PC Experts, regularly changes its phone numbers and business name, the statement added.

According to Fraud Action, there were 12,000 reports categorised as Computer Software Fraud between June and November 2014, with total reported losses of £691,000. The average age of a victim is 59, with the average reported loss being £210.