Anyone get a voice message to call microsoft technicians at a given number and to not shut off PC?


Anyone get a voice message to call microsoft technicians at a given number and to not shut off PC? There was a bluescrren background to the messgae that my PC was infected and if I shut down I would lose data.   Has my PC been hacked?  I shut PC down and seems to be working OK when rebooted.

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Userlevel 7
Hi Midrol
 
Welcome to the Community Forums.
 
THIS IS A SCAM!!  Neither Microsoft nor any other company sends emails, pop ups, or phone calls of any kind advising that you may have a problem.
 
If you clicked anything links, allowed them to remote into your computer, or went to any web sites please Open a Support Ticket ASAP...Now would be a good idea!
 
If you would like more information, read on (after submitting that Support Ticket.....).
 
NEWS ARTICLE: Tech Support Scams are on the rise. 
 
Microsoft never issues this type of warning or email or anything of a sort!  Please see the following link for Microsofts official word on this: http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/avoid-phone-scams.aspx
 
"Neither Microsoft nor our partners make unsolicited phone calls (also known as cold calls) to charge you for computer security or software fixes.
Cybercriminals often use publicly available phone directories so they might know your name and other personal information when they call you. They might even guess what operating system you're using.
Once they've gained your trust, they might ask for your user name and password or ask you to go to a website to install software that will let them access your computer to fix it. Once you do this, your computer and your personal information is vulnerable."
 
Also see Avoid scams that use the Microsoft name fraudulently http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/msname.aspx
 
For more information here is what the United States Federal Trade Commission has to say on the subject::
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0346-tech-support-scams
 
"In a recent twist, scam artists are using the phone to try to break into your computer. They call, claiming to be computer techs associated with well-known companies like Microsoft. They say that they’ve detected viruses or other malware on your computer to trick you into giving them remote access or paying for software you don’t need.
 
These scammers take advantage of your reasonable concerns about viruses and other threats. They know that computer users have heard time and again that it’s important to install security software. But the purpose behind their elaborate scheme isn’t to protect your computer; it’s to make money."
 
This scam is common and has been around for quite a while.  Here is a good Webroot Blog article from April 2013 by Threat Researcher Roy Tobin.
 
http://www.webroot.com/blog/2013/04/30/fake-microsoft-security-scam/
 
Hope that something in the above helps.  But remember the key thing neither Microsoft nor any other company sends emails, pop ups, or phone calls of any kind advising that you may have a problem.  And ask yourself this question...how would they know that you have an issue...unless you had allowed them access?
 
Regards, Baldrick
Thanks,. That helped a lot.  I got burned a couple of years ago and didn't want to get burned twice so I simply turned of PC.  I did log a ticket and got a response from Webroot Customer service.

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