How to spot a fake Microsoft tech support scam
A page that locks your screen, an alarm going off, a message saying "Your computer is infected, call Microsoft support": this is the fake tech support scam, one of the most common in France.
The tell-tale signs
- A message asks you to call a phone number to unlock your computer.
- A voice or an alarm urges you to act immediately.
- Someone calls you out of the blue, claiming to be from Microsoft, Apple or your bank.
- You are asked to install remote access software, then to pay, sometimes with gift cards or vouchers.
Microsoft never calls you unprompted and never shows a phone number in a virus alert.
What to do if the page appears
Do not call the number. Close the web browser. If the page refuses to close, press Ctrl + Alt + Del, open Task Manager and close the browser, or restart the computer. Most of the time there is no real virus: it is just a page designed to scare you.
If you have already called or let someone connect
- Disconnect from the internet: unplug the cable or turn off Wi-Fi.
- From another device, change the passwords of your email and your bank.
- If you paid or gave your bank details, call your bank immediately to block your card.
- Get help from 17Cyber, the French public victim support service, then file a complaint.
- Have your computer checked: the fake technician may have left software behind to come back later.
With Maintenance 67
It is always you who calls me, on the number shown on this website. I never call you out of the blue about a virus, I never ask for gift cards, and you see everything I do during the session, with the option to stop it at any time.