South Lake Tahoe,CA…The South Lake Tahoe Police Department has recently received calls for service regarding residents receiving calls from people pretending to be from Microsoft. The scammers are attempting to have victims send them money.

One recent case targeted a senior South Lake Tahoe couple. The scammers called from an unknown number and claimed to be from Microsoft. The scammer told the victim that the couple had overpaid Microsoft in the past and Microsoft wanted to refund them the money. The scammer had the victim turn on their computer and had the victim give the scammer remote access. As a result, the scammer was able to access the victim’s bank account and deposited a sum of money well in excess of the alleged refund. The scammer then asked the victim to send them the excess amount. Thankfully, the victim did not send the money and was able to work with their bank and stop all access by the scammer.

This type of scam has become widespread across California, as well as the country. The scam often originates out of the country and can be very difficult to investigate. The Federal Trade Commission is aware of this scam and has an informational webpage the public can access to learn more:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0346-tech-support-scams
The South Lake Tahoe Police Department wants to remind residents not allow persons to access their computers or to give out any personal information to anyone contacting you unsolicited. Information such as your name, birth date, social security number, debit/credit card numbers, or banking information can be used to defraud you. The same is true for any solicitation or requests for money received by email. Millions of dollars are lost each year nationwide through scams such as these.