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Warning over bogus Microsoft support callsManawatu Standard
About a dozen people from the region have contacted Manawatu Neighbourhood Support co-ordinator Allan Muntz this week after he sent members emails warning of the scam. The scam, which has been reported to police in Hawke's Bay and Wellington in the past two months, involves male and female callers claiming to be employees of international computer company Microsoft. The scammers say they can delete viruses that have been detected on the victim's computers, but only if they are given passwords. Rangiotu man Bruce Turner was called this week by a fake Microsoft employee, with an Asian or Middle-Eastern accent, who gave the name David Rodgers. "They call themselves Microsoft Technical Support. What he told me was that I was on a Microsoft platform and I had downloaded viruses on to our computer." The scammer became cagey when asked questions about how he planned to access the computer. "He was saying the connection was broken and he couldn't hear me. It all sounded a bit strange." Mr Turner did not give him any personal details, but was given a Wellington number in case he changed his mind. The Manawatu Standard called the number, but it did not exist. Napier Police crime-prevention adviser Paul Miller said it was an old scam, which had been detected across the country. "Our advice if you have any concerns is to terminate the conversation," he said. The scammers could be persistent and aggressive in their demands, which would eventually edge towards getting people's bank account details, he said. "They tend to have an accent described as Indian and can become impatient and hang up if challenged. "They always give a European name and say they are the manager." Police communications staff in Wellington received about 40 calls complaining about the scam last month. The scam, which has also been been used in email and text message form, has been reported to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs' Scam Watch website.
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