Phone scam hits Wellington residents again

A phone scam has again hit Wellington residents this evening, with further reports of people receiving a phone call on their landline, from a person claiming to be a Microsoft employee, willing to help them fix a virus on their computer.

The Police Central Communications Centre has received nearly 40 phone calls from Wellington residents tonight who have had a phone call from a bogus Microsoft employee.

This follows around 50 calls to Wellington, Hutt Valley and Kapiti residents last Wednesday and Thursday, reporting a similar experience.

The caller claims to work for Microsoft and offers assistance to help get rid of a virus, by disclosing computer passwords. Police warn anyone who receives a call of this nature to hang up immediately.

The scam has already been reported to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs through its Scam Watch website. For more information, please go to:

http://www.consumeraffairs.govt.nz/scam-news/scam-alert-28

ENDS

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