Laura picked up her phone one evening to find that the Microsoft help desk was calling. Her computer had been running slowly for a while, but she hadn't yet contacted Microsoft to get help. She was pleased to hear that they had found malware on her computer and were calling to assist her in removing it. Laura had previously been a victim of a phishing scheme, so she knew not to give any personal information, but they didn't ask for her credit card information or social security number so she figured they were really going to help. The Microsoft Help desk has asked Laura to go to a website and verify her information so they can help fix her computer. She sees all of her information on the page even though she hasn't given them any information. What type of crime has Laura become a victim of?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Laura has become a victim of phishing, a scam where fraudsters impersonate a legitimate organization to trick individuals into providing sensitive information. The scenario describes a classic phishing attempt, where the scammers posing as Microsoft help desk call her and direct her to a website to "verify" her information, which they likely already obtained through deceptive means.

Laura Picked Up Her Phone One Evening to Find That