Each month, Microsoft receives about 11,000 complaints from people across the globe who have been the victim of a technical support scam. This is where scammers pretend to be from reputable technology companies, such as Microsoft, Dell, Apple or an Internet Broadband supplier such as BT, Talk Talk or Virgin and try to get your confidential information or access to your computer or to get you to pay for an unnecessary piece of work on your computer.

This scam usually starts with a phone call but sometimes with a pop up message on screen telling you to call a specific helpline.

Microsoft blocks more than 25 million adverts on Bing search engine related to this scam.

Microsoft say they also fight back through advanced analytics and investigations of thousands of customer complaints received annually. The Digital Crimes Unit identifies key players perpetrating these scams. Collaborating with enforcement agencies globally, they take action to disrupt these fraudulent enterprises and hold them accountable under the law.

For example, Microsoft provided critical information for the May 2017 sweeping enforcement action “Operation Tech Trap” in which the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and law enforcement partners took 16 new actions against technical support fraudsters.

The UK National Fraud Investigative Bureau reported the number of instances of consumers reporting technical support scams using the Microsoft brand has dropped from 76 percent to 17 percent after a string of successful joint Microsoft and law enforcement operations.

Well done Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit.

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