Fake Microsoft technician: they call because your computer "has a virus"

Fake Microsoft technician: they call because your computer "has a virus"

The phone rings, often from a foreign number, and a very professional-sounding voice introduces itself as a technician from "Microsoft's security department", from Apple support or from your antivirus company. They say they have detected that your computer is infected, that it is sending out errors or that hackers are using it, and that they need to connect to fix it. To do that, they ask you to install a program such as AnyDesk or TeamViewer. This is the fake tech support scam, and it has one goal: to get into your computer and, from there, into your bank. The rule that takes it apart: Microsoft, Apple and antivirus companies do not call out of the blue to tell you your device has a virus.

How does the fake technician scam work?

The script barely changes from one wave to the next:

1. First contact. It can be a direct call, or it can start the other way round: while you browse, a window fills the whole screen, sometimes with beeping or a voice, saying "Your computer has been blocked, call technical support" and showing a phone number. In that case you are the one who calls, but the same scammers are on the other end.
2. The "proof" of the problem. They guide you into opening normal Windows or Mac tools, such as Event Viewer or a command window, and show you warnings that exist on any healthy computer. "See all those red errors? That's the virus."
3. Installing remote access. They talk you through downloading AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Windows Quick Assist or similar, and ask for the code on screen. With that code they can see and control your computer as if they were sitting in front of it.
4. The payment. Sometimes they charge you directly for a "repair" or a "security licence", often in dollars. Other times they say you are owed a refund and ask you to log into your internet banking "to receive it". Meanwhile they black out the screen, then claim they refunded too much and that you must send back the difference by transfer, crypto or gift cards.
5. Staying in. If you let them, they install programs so they can get back in later, steal passwords saved in your browser or ask for the OTPs you receive by SMS "to verify the transaction".

What are the warning signs?

• You did not ask for the call. No big tech company monitors your particular laptop and calls you about an infection.
• They ask you to install a remote control program. A stranger who calls you has no legitimate reason to control your device.
• Urgency and fear. "If you hang up, you will lose all your data", "your bank account is at risk", "don't switch off the system".
• They ask you to log into your bank or read out an OTP. No tech support ever needs to see your internet banking or your codes.
• Odd payment methods. Gift cards, crypto, transfers to individuals or "returning" an overpaid refund.
• Windows that lock your browser and show a phone number. Real Windows or macOS alerts never ask you to call anyone.
• The number on your screen proves nothing. Caller ID can be faked.

What do I do if they are calling me right now?

1. Hang up. There is no need to argue. A real company will never hold it against you.
2. Do not install anything and do not read out any code. Not the AnyDesk or TeamViewer code, and not the OTPs you receive by SMS.
3. If a "computer blocked" window is on screen, close the browser. If it will not close, on Windows open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and end the browser; on a Mac, use Force Quit (Cmd + Option + Esc). If nothing responds, restart the computer and do not restore the previous tabs.
4. If you want to check something, do it yourself. Contact Microsoft, Apple or your antivirus only through their official website, typed in by you. Microsoft explains how to protect yourself from tech support scams.
5. Block the number and report it in the spam numbers directory.

What if I already gave them access to my computer?

Act quickly and in this order. Nobody is judging you: this trick is designed to feel like a normal technical procedure.

1. Disconnect the computer from the internet. Turn off Wi-Fi, unplug the network cable or remove the modem. That cuts the remote connection.
2. Call your bank now, on the official number on your card or in its app, never one the scammers gave you. Explain that someone had remote access to your computer, ask them to block your cards and internet banking if necessary and go through recent transactions with them. If you logged into your bank during the call, this comes first.
3. Uninstall the remote access program and check for other programs you do not recognise that were installed the same day.
4. Change your passwords from another, clean device, such as your phone: first your email, then your bank and other important accounts. Turn on two-step verification everywhere. If you saved passwords in the browser on that computer, treat them as compromised.
5. Scan the computer with a trusted antivirus. If the scammers had control for a long time, the safest option is to have a technician you trust check it or fully reset it, after backing up your personal files.
6. If you paid by card or transfer, tell your bank as soon as possible: the window to try to stop or dispute a payment is short. If the bank does not resolve your complaint, you can escalate it to the Central Bank of Nigeria's consumer protection department.

How do I report it?

Report it at a police station or through the Nigeria Police Force's National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) e-reporting portal. If you lost money, you can also report it to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Bring:

• The number that called you (or the one shown in the window), with the date and time.
• The name and company they claimed to represent.
• The name of the program they had you install.
• Receipts for any payment and screenshots of the bank transactions.

Give a copy of your report to your bank too: it helps with any claim. If you feel you are in danger, call 112.

How do I protect myself next time?

• Keep the golden rule in mind: if someone calls to tell you your computer has a problem, it is a scam. Every time.
• Talk about it with older relatives, who are favourite targets. Agree on something simple: "If anybody asks you to install something on the computer, hang up and call me."
• Keep your system and browser updated and use legitimate antivirus software. Updates arrive on their own, not over the phone.
• Do not save banking passwords in the browser and turn on two-step verification for your email and banking.
• Use a call filter. Apps like NoCall warn you when a number has already been reported as a scam, which gives you a few seconds' head start before you answer.

Frequently asked questions

Can Microsoft or Apple really call me? Only if you have already opened a support request with them and asked to be called back. Never out of the blue to say your device is infected.

They called, but I didn't install anything. Am I at risk? If you installed nothing and gave out no codes or banking details, there is no harm done. Block the number and report it.

Are AnyDesk and TeamViewer dangerous programs? No: they are legitimate tools used by many technicians. The problem is who you give the code to. Only give remote access to someone you know and whom you contacted first.

They called again saying they can get my money back. Is that real? Almost certainly it is a second scam. No legitimate party asks for an upfront fee to recover what you lost. Hang up and add it to your police report.

In short

The fake Microsoft technician fixes nothing: they buy your trust with fear and cash it in from your own computer. Hang up, install nothing and read out no codes. If you already gave them access: disconnect from the internet, call your bank, change your passwords from another device, clean the computer and report it. And if one of these numbers has called you, report it in the NoCall spam numbers directory.