Microsoft will not call to fix c

Microsoft will not call to fix computer bug

April 11, 2014

A Bonners Ferry man reported getting a phone call today from "Microsoft" informing him that his computer has been infected by a virus, and insisting that he follow his instructions or face digital catastrophe. Fortunately, he recognized the scam before it bit him.

His first hint came even before he answered; caller ID showed a 600-34 telephone prefix.

Area code 600 is a rarely-used non-geographic Canadian area code, reserved for specialized telecommunications uses such as Teletype, caller-pays cellular, ISDN and mobile satellite communication services. One of the code's most common uses is to provide satellite phone service in remote areas of the Canadian north where conventional telecommunications infrastructure is not available.

Internationally, 600-34 is a code for the Ukraine.

Secondly, he recognized that Microsoft does not use the telephone to alert users to security breaches.

Had he fallen for the scam, he'd have been given instructions not on how to clean a computer virus, but step-by-step instructions on how to give the caller access to all personal data stored on his computer, enabling the scammer to use it at will to mine credit card, bank account, password and other information best kept private.

Instead of falling victim, the callee called the caller a "moronic hacker."

Bill Gates would likely personally fire any legitimate Microsoft employee for the ensuing lack of etiquette and courtesy displayed by the caller, who became irate nearly to the point of screaming, all the while insisting that his strongly Middle East accented instructions be followed, immediately and to the letter.

Even as the rant continued, the callee did the smart thing and hung up, and ask that others in the community be made aware of yet another scam being attempted in our community.