Over the years with technology getting better and with more and more people shopping online, there has been a massive increase in scammers trying to remove people of their hard earned cash. These scams come in all different formats from automated voice messages saying that your due a refund from your Amazon account and to press “1” to speak to customer service to someone saying they are from Microsoft and that they want to help you fix a problem with your computer. 
Their aim at the end of the day is scam you out of your money and to get you to install a piece of software on your computer/laptop/Phone/Tablet etc which allows them to remotely access your device. Once they are in, they will be recording every keystroke that you do and they will more than likely ask you to log into your online banking account.
They will shame you or put you in fear by using well known psychological methods. I can confirm that Microsoft or Amazon will never be calling you and that any company that asks for your personal information should be viewed with suspicion.
Tips to stay safe:
1) Make sure your anti-virus software is up to date
2) Do not click on email attachments or web links unless you know who they are from
3) Do not give any personal information to any company that call you (even if they say they are your bank). Tell them you will call them back, but using the number of your bank card only.
4) If you hear an automated message asking you to press “1”, hang up.
5) If they say they are from Microsoft, hang up.
6) Inform your friends and family that these scams are happening, more than ever now, especially elderly family members.
8) Do not allow any company that call you to install software on your device.
9) If you get a call saying you are owned money from Amazon/Microsoft etc, it’s probably a scam.
10) There are a number of these scams going around using different companies, so please use common sense and ask questions
If you feel you have been scammed, please contact the fraud department in your bank to stop any transactions and change any passwords that you use online. Even if they do not get access to your banking information, they can use your personal information to setup fake accounts and use it for fake ID’s.
If you are concerned about any of the issues mentioned above, send an email to