NY Attorney General Warns of Widespread Computer Scam

The New York state Attorney General’s Office is warning New Yorkers that scam artists posing as technicians from Microsoft or an affiliated organization are trying to gain access to their computers.

The scammers even have a fake caller ID that identifies the call as “windows support.” The scam artists attempt to gain remote access to a computer by telling the owner it is infected with malware or viruses and they need to update their software. After the scammers have access to your computer they can ask you to pay a fee of up to $300 dollars.

Consumers who get such a call are advised to hang up the phone, do not give out your password, and do not provide billing information.