WEST CHESTER — A local police department has issued a scam warning about increasing fake Microsoft phone calls.
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The West Chester Police Department posted on social media that they have received calls about an increase in scams involving criminals claiming to be from “Microsoft.”
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“The scam involves a ‘virus’ notification with a number for ‘Microsoft.’ The victims call the number and are advised to purchase gift cards and provide the information to ‘Microsoft,’ or go to a Bitcoin ATM and send funds,” the department said.
They said people can protect themselves by doing the following:
- Ignore unsolicited pop-ups or calls claiming to be from Microsoft.
- Never send money or share financial information with unknown contacts.
- Verify directly whether a contact is legitimate by contacting Microsoft or any service provider through official channels.
The department said people should stay vigilant and share this scam warning with friends and family.
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