One Red Flag Tells You These Support Scams Are Fake

Tech support scams are all over.  One of the most popular are scams occurring includes cyber criminals posing as Microsoft’s technical support.  This isn’t a new scam, but remains widely used.

Microsoft BSoD Support Scams

For those who are unaware, the Microsoft BSoD (Blue Screen of Death) tech support scam is a screen that takes over your PC, stating there are issues and you need to call a toll-free number for support.  See the example below: To be clear, this is only one example, therefore there could be several variations of this screen.  It should also be known, that this malicious BSoD is an exact replication of a legitimate Microsoft BSoD.  The only, and most critical difference, is the last line boxed above.

Microsoft will never provide a support phone number on these screens.  NEVER.  If you see a support number, then you should automatically know it is a scam.

If you find yourself being baited by hackers with this screen, follow these steps:

1. Try to open Task Manager (ctrl+alt+delete)
   1. If you are able to open Task Manager, click on your browser (Edge, Chrome, Internet Explorer, etc.) and click “End Task”.
   2. This should resolve the issue.  If it does, run a scan of your security solution to ensure the infection is removed.
   3. If this is unsuccessful, move on to instructions below.
2. Some of these scams disable the Task Manager, so if you cannot open it, try restarting your computer.
   1. If the problem persists, and you are able to access your Control Panel follow the following directions:
      1. From the Control Panel, click on “System and Security”.
      2. Click on “System”.
      3. Click on “System Protection”.
      4. By clicking on “System Restore”, you will be able to restore your PC to a previous time – prior to this infection.

Please stay safe, and always remember–Microsoft will NEVER have a support number in any BSoD screen!!