Local News

Belgrade police warn of scam

Posted: Jan 11, 2013 4:13 PM

BELGRADE - The Belgrade Police Department has received numerous complaints from residents reporting a possible phone scam involving a person claiming to be a representative of Microsoft.

According to reports, a male has called citizens, informing them that their computer may have been infected by a virus. He is then asking for personal and/or computer log in information, according to a release from Belgrade police.

"It is our belief that this subject is attempting to obtain computer IP data and on at least one reported occurrence, is believed to have attempted to remotely log on to a victim's computer in attempt to glean personal information stored on their device," the release states.

The Belgrade Police Department reminds citizens that the majority of unsolicited phone calls and emails requesting personal, banking, or in this case, computer information, are fraudulent in nature. Police recommend not releasing this information to anyone and reminds people that the majority of corporations, such as Microsoft or your bank, do not operate in this manner.

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact the Belgrade Police Department, your local authorities or visit the Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov for additional information on current scams. Reports of such scams can also be filed at IC3.gov, as this is a reporting database maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.