On Monday August 22, 2016. the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office was advised of a possible scam in the Sierra Vista area. The caller stated that she received a computer warning message on her home computer reportedly from Microsoft, advising her computer was corrupted and to call 1-855-280-2802.
The caller reported that she called the number and a person walked her through a correction process by gaining access to her computer remotely. The caller advised that she paid $298.00 using a bank credit card and advised that her computer seemed to be working after this process. This event took place on Friday August 19, 2016 and no law enforcement reports were made.
On Monday August 22, 2016 the caller advised that she received a phone call from a man saying he was a representative of Microsoft and that her computer had fraudulent work done on it last Friday. The man advised that he would help her correct the problem and the woman reporting the incident began to question the man (who reportedly had a heavy accent) about the computer fraud. The woman calling then believed that this was a scam and disconnected the call. This is when the woman contacted the Sheriff’s Office.
Cochise County Sheriff’s Office Deputies advised the woman to immediately contact her bank for the Visa charge and close the account telling them she was the victim of computer fraud. The woman was also advised to have her computer checked by a professional.
The woman contacted the Sheriff’s Office again on Tuesday and reported that she had computer protection at the store in which she purchased the computer and she took the equipment there to be checked. The woman reported that the store replaced her hard drive and told her that at least five other people had brought in their computers providing the same story.
The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind the public to never provide any personal information or financial information to anyone who contacts you. If you are having issues with your computer, get it checked by a local and reputable repair center.