Fraud and ransoming data is big money nowadays.
If you get a call, email or web popup offering IT support or warning you about a problem be very suspicious.
Of course if its from your regular IT provider and you are monitored by them you can probably relax a bit, but fraudsters are using this form of interaction to get access to your computer.
Once you give access to remote users you might as well be giving them access you everyting on your machine. This is not a problem if they are trustworthy but if not they could, delete, change, encrypt date (photos, docs, video etc) or just lock you out of your machine.
So if you get that call from Microsoft, talk talk, the police, the inland revenue, your bank etc, its probably a scam. If you really feel you have to, contact them back using a different phone (not the one they rang you on) or after a fair delay (so the line is dead before ringing) on a number you independently know. Any proper organisation will not mind.
Most fraudsters know some information about you before they call, so don’t be conned by them knowing your name, address or even account numbers.
Don’t let them in and if you are really worried talk to a bona-fide local IT supplier you can trust and recognise, all good IT folk know these cons and have seen multiple examples.
If you have unluckily let these people remote log on to your machine, we would recommend switching the machine off and getting it looked at by a professional. The remote user could have done multiple things in the background and your machine is not safe to use or have connected to any other system,s including the internet or your home network.
We hope these tips help you. Be safe, be suspicious.