Sheriff issues computer scam alert

Computer/Phone Scam

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office would like to alert community members of a phone scam that was recently reported.  Scammers are calling and identifying themselves as Windows Technical support.  The scammers will then convince users that there is an issue with their computer and have the user open their computer and give the scammer remote access.

In some cases, the scammers have the user download a virus.  The scammer then offers to fix the issue for a fee. In other cases, scammers have the computer user download software that captures banking information, passwords, and other confidential information.  Lastly, scammers have tricked users into adjusting settings on their computer that reduces or eliminates built in security systems, making the computer vulnerable to future scams and information retrieval.

Windows Tech Support has advised the Sheriff's Office that they do not make outbound solicitations for service.