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Microsoft messaged that my computer has a virus, will cost $

3389 Views 21 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  elmoticky, 
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I`m back with another computer complaint. On November 16th, 2016 I wrote a post that I titled "my computer runs slow" that is still open as I have yet solved my issue. I wanted to call that post "solved" but unfortunately I just got a message from Microsoft wanting some sort of confirmation about who I am apparently, telling me that my computer has been broken into and someone has planted a virus.

In the message I am asked to call 1-877-263-1012 immediately to have this virus issue resolved. I did call this number and a spokesperson for Microsoft assured me that he would help me get rid of the virus. The person I spoke with during a long and confusing search of my computer is a guy who gave me his name as Andy.

I credit Andy for his gentlemen`s demeanor and willing to look into what caused this message from Microsoft to land on my Firefox page leading to my call to him. I am just getting reacquainted with my new Firefox browser and suddenly I have this problem in my hands that has me stumped big time.

It is not the first time I have gotten this type of message on my computer. Other times I just ignored the message and continued on my way. Until this time I called the number and here is what I noted as I write on the last three words on the title of this post......"Will cost $".

After taking me and walking me throughout my whole computer activities and files contained therein, he assured me that he would assign a Microsoft technician to help me set up and obviously download some "security" for my computer. I was waiting for this:

I asked him how much it would cost. He gave me 1,2, and 3 years prices for buying some security for my computer. I told him I could not afford none of his suggestions and told him that I could try to fix this on my own. He argued that only a Microsoft technician had to tools to fix and get rid of the virus.

I had some difficulties clicking away from the message from Microsoft. I ultimately just shut down my computer and the message did not return when I opened Firefox again. However, Andy told me that I would no be able to use my computer until I got this problem fixed....And here I am, telling you about it.

Because of my frustration, I did not save a copy of the message to give it to you guys. I am sure to see it again and then I will try to copy and paste it here for you guys, see what you can tell me. I believe that the other times when I got this same message I was still using Google Chrome as my browser. Perhaps TerryNet was right on my previous post of November 16 when he suggest that my Google Chrome could possibly be corrupted.

I write this to ask if anyone else here on the forum has had this same message from Microsoft about a virus infected some computer. I ask because if some knows, it`s you guys.

I will appreciate whatever you have to offer for me this time.

Happy Thanksgiving guy, from this turkey!
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B
This sounds like a typical " your computer has a virus scam". A Google search of that number comes back with negative feedback. I would NOT let anyone I don't know download anything to my computer. I suggest you run a scan with Malwarebytes free version and see if it finds anything.

https://www.malwarebytes.com/mwb-download/
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plodr
I just got a message from Microsoft
Click to expand...
NO YOU DID NOT!
Microsoft will never send you a message, post a popup on your computer or call you on the telephone.
Close the popup, hang up when "MS" calls. If you don't, you will lose money.
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bobcat5536 said:
This sounds like a typical " your computer has a virus scam". A Google search of that number comes back with negative feedback. I would NOT let anyone I don't know download anything to my computer. I suggest you run a scan with Malwarebytes free version and see if it finds anything.

https://www.malwarebytes.com/mwb-download/
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Exactly what I have been thinking about the message I got from Microsoft. Down thread "Liz" wrote: "No you did not! Microsoft will never send you a message"...BO I do indeed have malwarebytes anti-malware installed and admit that each time I run a scan a number of threats are detected, but never have I been told about a virus. I also have just installed Webroot-Security Anywhere and this firewall runs scans on its own. Here too today I ran a scan and came up zero threats.

So yeah guys it certainly must be a "your computer has a virus scam" and I say this because my guy at Microsoft "Andy" tried very hard to push one of its "expert technicians" to clean my computer for $249 for one year, and a lower price for six months and higher up for 3 years.

What I understood Andy to mean was that some sort of download would be installed on my computer to help with security, so no one could break into my machine. So I would ask, isn`t that what the virus protections I already have in my computer is supposed to do. Malwarebytes has been good to me, I also have Microsoft security essentials, and now Webroot. Reading your responses to my post convince me that I was right. My guy Andy was out selling security for my computer and could not convince me to agree to his pitch.

For "Liz", if I get the message again from Microsoft, which I have gotten several times I will try to copy and paste it here for you. So "yes" Microsoft did sent me the message I complain here about.

Hoping all you guys had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with your loved ones. Thanks for your input. I am now much at ease.
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plodr said:
NO YOU DID NOT!
Microsoft will never send you a message, post a popup on your computer or call you on the telephone.
Close the popup, hang up when "MS" calls. If you don't, you will lose money.
Click to expand...
Liz, I appreciate your feedback. I have posted many posts here at techguy.org over the years. I admire all the folks who I have met online here on site. I am an older adult that understands that it is simply stupid for anyone to write a post that is not true.

Whether the message and image I got that I post about here is the real deal from Microsoft I cannot bet on it. I am not offended by your yell: NO YOU DID NOT!
Online scams come everyday and this too might just be another one. But I did not post anything that is not true. Please note that.
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Johnny b
Hello RB :)

I think you misunderstood Liz.

It is correct Microsoft doesn't contact individual computer owners, but there are those that impersonate MS frequently.
I get at least 2 phone calls a week by someone impersonating them and I use a distro of Linux for all my Internet use LOL!

Good luck solving your virus issue.
I don't doubt one of the experts here can help you in this forum

https://forums.techguy.org/forums/virus-other-malware-removal.54/

John :)
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B
Also, here is another scanner you might try out. They're all a little different and you never know which one is going to nail the problem.

http://www.mcafee.com/us/downloads/free-tools/stinger.aspx
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OverTallman
RobertoBar said:
Liz, I appreciate your feedback. I have posted many posts here at techguy.org over the years. I admire all the folks who I have met online here on site. I am an older adult that understands that it is simply stupid for anyone to write a post that is not true.

Whether the message and image I got that I post about here is the real deal from Microsoft I cannot bet on it. I am not offended by your yell: NO YOU DID NOT!
Online scams come everyday and this too might just be another one. But I did not post anything that is not true. Please note that.
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Well perhaps they're just impostors using the Microsoft name? It's like, I can say I'm Donald Trump, but whether others will believe is another question.

But seriously, those bhenchods are still pulling tech support scam now? This crap has existed for a decade at least and I'm sure many people have known it by now. What's even more ridiculous, is there are still some people who fall to this kind of scam smh

Thank god you managed to shut down your rig before the brownie made the move to really harm your system (y)
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Gr3iz
RobertoBar said:
I also have Microsoft security essentials, and now Webroot.
Click to expand...
You really should not have more than one active anti-virus solution in place.
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OverTallman
Gr3iz said:
You really should not have more than one active anti-virus solution in place.
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I thought MSE will be automatically disabled if other anti-virus software is installed and in use?
Otherwise it can be manually disabled pretty easily.
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B
The Stinger scan is a non-installed executable...running it will not conflict. Run it and delete it.
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Gr3iz
OverTallman said:
I thought MSE will be automatically disabled if other anti-virus software is installed and in use?
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Jacky, I believe that is true with Win10 (and possibly Win8), where MSE came with Windows, but with Win7, one had to install it after-the-fact.

Bobcat, you are right. Malwarebytes is another example of a program that will coexist nicely with another A/V program, but the OP indicated that Webroot Security anywhere was installed in addition to MSE.
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B
True...copy that.
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Johnny-be-Good said:
Hello RB :)

I think you misunderstood Liz.

It is correct Microsoft doesn't contact individual computer owners, but there are those that impersonate MS frequently.
I get at least 2 phone calls a week by someone impersonating them and I use a distro of Linux for all my Internet use LOL!

Good luck solving your virus issue.
I don't doubt one of the experts here can help you in this forum

https://forums.techguy.org/forums/virus-other-malware-removal.54/

John :)
Click to expand...
You are probably right John. I agree that entities such as Microsoft do not contact individual computer owners as far as online messages go. As of this morning 11/25/16 my computer is steady without any type of warning that something is wrong. It was noted by Jackie in post # 8 that I was lucky to have shut down my computer before "Thank god you managed to shut down your rig before the brownie made the move to really harm your system (y)
I totally agree. I could not just click away to another page as I continued to get this screen flashing wiggles demanding that I make that call to the number it provided. I had to just shut it down.
BO in post #2 did a Google search of the number (which my guy Andy) gave me to call him...and not the number that was on the message. Andy told me that I could call him on that number in case I decided either way. Thank you BO for letting me know that even the number Andy gave me turned out blank.
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Gr3iz said:
You really should not have more than one active anti-virus solution in place.
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I think it was here at Tech guy that I first read what you quote here. That was several years ago when I made my presence here steady. I read that two anti-viruses could do harm to a computer because they both fight among themselves, sort of. I really appreciate each and every comment and suggestion Tech Guy gives me.
Due to the fact that all these years I have had two anti-viruses on my computer, I have yet to hear any type of groan from my machine, suggesting that I kick one to the curb. In fact, I update each of my anti-viruses that are installed and use either Malwarebytes or MSE, and even did a Webroot complete scan yesterday with zero threats detected.
If anyone here has "a sign" I should look out for, telling me that my machine is in danger for having more than one anti-virus installed I would really appreciate that.
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Johnny b
Hi Robert :)

If you haven't heard Of the MS utility called EMET, you might check it out here:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2458544

quote> The Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET) is a utility that helps prevent vulnerabilities in software from being successfully exploited. EMET achieves this goal by using security mitigation technologies. These technologies function as special protections and obstacles that an exploit author must defeat to exploit software vulnerabilities. These security mitigation technologies do not guarantee that vulnerabilities cannot be exploited. However, they work to make exploitation as difficult as possible to perform. <quote

It's free which is a plus.
It installs along with other anti virus and anti malware apps.

I've used it in the past with my MS win7 computer with no issues.
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Johnny-be-Good said:
Hi Robert :)

If you haven't heard Of the MS utility called EMET, you might check it out here:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2458544

quote> The Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET) is a utility that helps prevent vulnerabilities in software from being successfully exploited. EMET achieves this goal by using security mitigation technologies. These technologies function as special protections and obstacles that an exploit author must defeat to exploit software vulnerabilities. These security mitigation technologies do not guarantee that vulnerabilities cannot be exploited. However, they work to make exploitation as difficult as possible to perform. <quote

It's free which is a plus.
It installs along with other anti virus and anti malware apps.

I've used it in the past with my MS win7 computer with no issues.
Click to expand...
Hello Johnny. Indeed I have read some one EMET. Very well presented for consumers who like me
need computer help and knowledge education. Because I have wrote about the slowness of my machine I have noticed this recent phenomenon computer plug that guarantees that a computer will run faster when this plug is inserted. The EMET Toolkit sounds very promising but I currently am not shopping for more software. I note that: "It installs along with other anti virus and anti malware apps".

And that is a plus for my own machine which has several anti-viruses installed without harm being felt.
Thank you Johnny.
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Gr3iz
RobertoBar said:
Because I have wrote about the slowness of my machine ...

And that is a plus for my own machine which has several anti-viruses installed without harm being felt.
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One of the symptoms of having multiple anti-virus programs installed is, in fact, a noticeable slowness of your computer ...
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Gr3iz said:
One of the symptoms of having multiple anti-virus programs installed is, in fact, a noticeable slowness of your computer ...
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Mark, thank you for this. I really think that you make good sense with your quote. I never really looked at the slowness of my computer to be connected to having multiple anti-virus programs installed. what I have read on this issue involves all kinds reasons behind slow computers.
Funny as to how different my computer is working "today"..just a few days after my original post. I cannot believe that I have not had any type of slowness or freezes, or waiting for pages to open. Yesterday and this morning my surfing the net has been a new experience compared to some days and weeks ago. I will just tend to be more careful of what I do here on my machine.
Thank you Mark.
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Gr3iz
You are most welcome, Roberto! Glad to have helped in any way.

If you are satisfied that your issue has been resolved, you can mark this thread "Solved".
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