Hacker, Microsoft Defender & settings

Question

Let me start by saying i know absolutely nothing about computers. Today I unscribed to a string of emails. All of sudden my laptop started screaming at me with a loud alarm saying that it was Microsoft and my information has been compromised and someone was trying to get into my Microsoft account, and the Microsoft defender stopped it call 860-337-2526 immediately, so did the guy answered but he never indicated Microsoft in his greeting. I thought that was weird, but he started talking so fast and we had to do a couple things on my laptop, to stop the hacker. He had me do a couple things on my laptop then it started to get fishy. he wanted control over my laptop so he could connect mt to the Microsoft server and that way we could stop the hacker from getting in. At this point I was so rattled I gave him access but then he stated Changning settings at this point I ended his access and disconnected the call. I have no idea what he changed or what he did. I need help putting everything back the way it was and to make sure nothing is out there for everyone to see. I just purchased the laptop and everything on it would have been installed my Microsoft. Can anyone Please help me with this since talking with a live person is not an option.

Thank you

Answer 1

This is 100% scam.

When this happened, you want to hold down Ctrl+Alt+Del, then launch Task Manager, and then end all browser items there to close it. That page is definitely scam, but as long as you didn't call the number and engage in any of the requested activities, your computer is not hacked. It is just a pop up page that can have some audio effect (sometimes) and display in full screen mode, so it appears the computer is locked.

Scammers use various methods to trigger these pop-ups. Pop-ups are a form of online advertising. They are often integrated into websites or applications through ad services. Many websites use third-party advertising services to display ads. Sometimes, these ad services might inadvertently allow scam ads to be displayed. This does not mean the website itself is malicious, but it indicates a lack of stringent ad vetting.

You can read more about this type of support scam here: https://support.microsoft.com/windows/protect-yourself-from-tech-support-scams-2ebf91bd-f94c-2a8a-e541-f5c800d18435

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In your case, since you allowed them to remote into your computer and change settings, it is best that you disconnect the computer from the internet, backup your personal files to a flash drive or external usb drive, then perform a factory reset.