If you call you from Microsoft and tell you that your computer has a serious security problem, ignore it: this is how this telephone scam works

It is a known and recurring scam, but is again in vogue.In recent months many people have received a mysterious phone call.On the other side of the line, someone identifies as a Microsoft employee, and in Spanish - but with a foreign accent - they warn: "His computer suffers a serious security problem."

Then, Microsoft's "employee" urges the person with whom he is talking to his computer in front of his computer and install a specific program.

Is a gotcha.The criminals on the other side of the line call from a foreign country - although European - and what they intend is to access your PC for expanding purposes: access sensitive information, steal the credit card data, etc.To do this, they try to make yourself install a computer virus.

It is a unique case of cyber attack, since it does not only occur in the field of computer science or an internet connection.It also depends on the ability to deceive the offender ... or the ability to naive who has the call.

Although the technique has been known for years, the calls - which are international and affect several countries - have once again had an impact on Spain.A few weeks ago it went viral through messaging apps such as WhatsApp an audio in which a woman told her own experience with these cybercriminals.

Si te llaman de parte de Microsoft y te dicen que tu ordenador tiene un grave problema de seguridad, ignóralo: así funciona esta estafa telefónica

Business Insider has also had news of recent scam attempts through this technique in Spain.

Calls usually come from the same telephone number, the +4520326881.The Spamcalls portal gathers opinions and information about certain telephone numbers, and in this case there is unanimity: it is an attempt to fraud.

Many of the users denounce through this website that it is a telephone line with which "they call saying that they are from Microsoft.""They want you to put yourself to the PC and enter a program. Thus they put a virus and block it to you. To unlock it you will have to make a payment."

Another user coincides."They call me saying that they are from Microsoft, that my computer has sent them an error message, with a foreign accent, and that if I have an open computer. I answer that I do not, and that if I have any mistake I will call a technician ..And they hang me. "

Microsoft has sent Business Insider Spain an article published on its website in which it attracts attention with this type of scams with technical support.In it, the company recalls that they never "proactively send mail messages or make phone calls that have not been requested to request personal or financial information.""Any communication with Microsoft must start the user," they highlight.

The Internet Safety Office (OSI) is an entity under the National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE).Both agencies depend on the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation.In an article published on its website last year, they also caught attention with this type of fraud.

The singular thing is that the comments of the article are full of users who report having received this call at the end of January of this 2020, so it is easy to conclude that cybercounts and scammers who are behind these fraud have started a campaign.