What happened
A caller claiming to be from Microsoft told a 78-year-old Toorak man his computer was infected and that they needed to remote in. By the time he hung up, he'd already typed in his credit card number. His daughter-in-law called us in a panic on a Sunday evening.
What we did
- A technician was at the house by 9am Monday
- The credit card was cancelled
- Everything the scammer had installed was removed
- Call screening set up so unknown numbers go straight to voicemail
- Twenty minutes spent with him explaining exactly how the scam works
The outcome
He's no longer embarrassed about it, and he's grateful he called for help instead of letting the scammers back in.
“Can't overstate how much that visit meant to our family.”
The lesson
Microsoft never calls you about a virus. If anyone asks to “remote in”, hang up, and call someone you trust.