ANOTHER PHONE SCAM MAKING THE ROUNDS IN THE MORONGO BASIN

An old scam is reappearing in the Morongo Basin. Recently, a resident was contacted by phone by someone who identified himself as being from IT Tech Solutions, affiliated with Microsoft, and told the unlucky resident that her computer would crash within the hour unless she gave him remote access to her computer. Remote access allows the other person to see everything you do on your computer, and allows them to see your bank account numbers and your passwords. When the woman said she didn’t have the $100 the caller requested, he then told her he’d “fix” her computer for free. This is a scam. Sheriff’s Sergeant Rick Millard warns residents not to give anyone access to your computer unless you initiated the call; doing so is like giving them electronic access to your home. He advises residents to verify the identity of the person who is calling you by hanging up and calling the organization your self—and don’t trust the phone number the caller may give you. Look it up yourself. Microsoft does not contact its software users by telephone. If you are scammed, call the Sheriff’s Department to report the crime.