Victim Location 97064
Total money lost $299.99
Type of a scam Tech Support
I received an unsolicited phone call saying my computer was showing error reports and on the verge of crashing due to malware and hacking. The initial caller referred me to his "senior tech." The reps were from India and using Anglicized names, although when pressed, they readily mentioned an Indian first name. They said they were commissioned to monitor the MS servers, which is how they "knew" my computer’s "unique ID" and "suspicious activity."
They got my permission to examine my computer files. For $199.99 (1-year protection) or $299.99 (2 years + lifetime updates), they said they’d fix the problems and install safeguards. I fell for the scam, partly because my malware protection had disappeared. It turns out the caller’s "fix" was to install an obsolete version of my existing malware protection, even older than Nov. 2014, plus a useless defrag app masquerading as another security app.
The next day, I had my local computer tech remove everything the caller had put on the machine and update my malware protection with current software.