9-27-13 fdl police department warns residents about phone scam

The City of Fond du Lac Police Department is alerting citizens to a phone scam that has been reported to our Department over the course of the last two days. The Department has received complaints from individuals reporting that they have received unsolicited phone calls from a subject claiming to be with the Microsoft Corporation. The caller proceeds to tell the person answering the phone that Microsoft has become aware that their personal computer has been infected with a virus or malware and attempts to get the potential unsuspecting victim to give remote access of their computer to the caller.  The callers have also used the ruse that the Microsoft Corporation has identified illegal use of Microsoft licensed software on the unsuspecting victim’s computer, again asking for remote access to their computer.  The Microsoft Corporation indicates that these calls are scam to try and get unsuspecting victims to give remote access of their personal computers to the suspect or to get the victim to download a virus/malware.  The calls appear to originate overseas.