MEDIA RELEASE
Contact: Sgt Chris Hewitt
Release Date: 12/12/12
Release Number: 1
Public Awareness Statement: Possible Phone Scam
(San Andreas, CA) On 12/12/12 the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office was made aware of a possible phone/internet scam. According to the information provided to the sheriff’s office, a person with heavily accented English places phone calls to potential victims and identifies him/herself as being from a company by the name of Microsoft: VTech Solutions. This person then tells you that they have received information from your computer that there is a problem with your computer’s Microsoft programs. They then ask for personal information to access your computer.
This and any similar phone calls are a scam. The caller’s likely intent is to either obtain personal identifying information from you or gain remote access to your computer’s hard drive in order to steal your information. Legitimate companies, such as Microsoft, will not call and solicit information from you. If you should receive any similar phone calls you should tell the caller to remove your number from their database, and then hang up.
How to Protect Yourself:
1. Never provide personal identifying or financial information, including your Social Security Number, birth date, and account numbers or passwords over the internet or phone in communication that you did not initiate.
2. Never click on any link provided in an email you believe to be suspect.
3. If you believe the communication might be legitimate, contact the institution or business yourself using only the phone numbers or internet address found on your account statements.
4. Do not be intimidated by an email or caller who suggests dire consequences if you do not provide or verify financial or personal information.
What to Do if You Fall Victim:
1. If you have disclosed sensitive information in a phishing scheme you should contact your financial institutions immediately and notify them of the situation.
2. You should also contact the fraud division of the three major credit bureaus and place a fraud alert on your file. Equifax 800-525-6285; Esperian 888-307-3742; and TransUnion 800-680-7289.
3. Report the incident to your local law enforcement agency and/or the Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or by calling 1-877-IDTHEFT.
