Possible Phone Scam

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San Andreas, CA -Calaveras County Sheriff's department is warning citizens about a possible phone scam. They were alerted to the scam by a resident. He told them a person with heavily English accent called him and said he was with Microsoft: VTech Solutions. The thief told him his computer had a problem with its Microsoft program. He then asked for personal information to get remote access to the man's computer.

Sheriff's Officials say this and any similar phone calls are scams. 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. They say legitimate companies, like Microsoft, will not call and ask for personal information. If you do get a phone call like this they recommend you tell the caller to remove your number from their database, and hang up.

They offer these tips 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.

Here is what to do if you are a 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.

Click here for more information.

Written by Tracey Petersen

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