SCAM ALERTS - Calls from “Microsoft Windows”, optimizepcservice.com and / or 424-256-3700 / 800-800-9822 - SCAM ALERT

Here is my technology public service announcement for the week; if anyone cold calls you about your computer, that they are a windows tech and using "scare tactics" like your "computer is going to crash" or they have you "Windows Key+r and have you enter eventvrv" to run the Event Viewer so they can "prove" that these errors exist - HANG UP.

It is a scam - they are just trying to charge you for a non service as there's probably nothing wrong with your system in the first place.

The numbers / contact information people are reporting to me include 800-800-9822 and 424-256-3700 and a website http://www.optimizepcservice.com/

The callers speak with a foreign accent and so will any “manager” that comes to the phone.

Many times they will simply identify themselves as working for “Microsoft Windows”; I worked for Microsoft Corporation for nearly nine years – there never was a consumer / end user service division and to this day one still does not exist.

I can find “error” messages in your Event Viewer logs and convince you I am doing something to fix them and then charge you for it. Errors occur often for many reasons and in most cases they are the expected result when something goes wrong on the machine and there’s nothing to worry about.

Once you let some foreign company onto your system remotely, that’s a different story. They can “clean” your system for you and then set up the next issue on it so that only they can fix it – nice little annuity stream for them.

Someone cold calling you is NOT going to be able to tell you remotely that there is something wrong with your PC unless it’s already been hacked into and in that situation they are the ones that got into it; they are not going to help you by fixing an issue they caused.

Bottom line – call me, call someone you know that is computer savvy, let them have a look before you hand remote control of your system to someone you never heard of before that has cold called you to tell you there is an issue with your system.