Crime & Safety

Local Police Warn Against Microsoft Phone Scams

Police say phone scams involving criminals pretending to be from Microsoft are being used to gain personal financial information.

The Brighton Police Department is warning Livingston County residents of a phone scam involving criminals pretending to be from Microsoft to gain personal financial information.

According to a release from the Brighton Police, once resident recently became a victim to the scam after giving the caller access to their bank and credit card accounts.

Police say the phone scam begins with the caller identifying themselves as someone from Microsoft or “Windows” and  then claiming to know that the resident’s computer has been infected with a virus that will cause the home computer become unusable. 

The ultimate goal of the fraud varies, according to police, depending upon the con artists running it. 

Police say the caller may try to sell the victim phony anti-virus protection or trick the victim into providing bank or credit card information, while others try to convince the victim to allow them remote access to their computer. 

Police say these scams typically originate from outside the country, making successful prosecution extremely difficult or unlikely and explain that the best response is to just hang up. 

The Brighton Police Department also reminds residents that 911 is the appropriate phone number for all requests for police/fire/medical in Livingston County, it’s not just for emergencies.


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