New telephone scam targeting South Lake Tahoe residents

South Lake Tahoe residents in South Lake Tahoe have been receiving calls from people pretending to be from Microsoft, and the SLT Police Department wants to alert the public on the scam.

A local senior couple was recently contacted, and the scammers told them they had overpaid Microsoft in the past and Microsoft wanted to refund them the money. The scammer had the victims turn on their computer and give them remote access.

As a result, the scammer was able to access the victim’s bank account and deposited a sum of money well in excess of the alleged refund. The scammer then asked the victim to send them the excess amount. Thankfully, the victim did not send the money and was able to work with their bank and stop all access by the scammer.

This type of scam has become widespread across California, as well as the country. The scam often originates out of the country and can be very difficult to investigate. The Federal Trade Commission is aware of this scam and has an informational webpage the public can access to learn more:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0346-tech-support-scams

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department wants to remind residents not allow persons to access their computers or to give out any personal information to anyone contacting you unsolicited. Information such as your name, birth date, social security number, debit/credit card numbers, or banking information can be used to defraud you. The same is true for any solicitation or requests for money received by email.

Millions of dollars are lost each year nationwide through scams such as these.