Microsoft issued another warning for Australians to be wary of a phone scam which has left some victims hundreds of dollars out of pocket. Microsoft, along with several well-known brands, are being used by scammers to to fool people into believing that something is wrong with their computers.

Typically, a cold caller who claims to be a representative of Microsoft, one of its brands or a third party contracted by Microsoft, tells the victim they are checking into a computer problem, infection or virus that has been detected by Microsoft.

These callers then tell the victim they can help and direct them to a website that then allows the scammers to take remote control of the compute. The cold caller will then spend some time on the computer trying to demonstrate where the 'problems' are and in the process convinces the victim to pay a fee for a service that will fix the computer.

Microsoft Australia chief security advisor Stuart Strathdee explains that scammers uses these tricks to extort fees from unwitting customers, making them believe that something is wrong with their computers.

"In reality, there is nothing wrong with their computer but the scammer has tricked the consumer into believing there is a problem and that paying the fee is the best way to get it fixed. Often they will also push the customer to buy a one year computer maintenance subscription. They are just trying to scam innocent Australians out of money," said Strathdee.

Strathdee also said that the callers presented themselves in a professional manner and sounded genuine, but he reiterates that Microsoft is not cold calling on PC malfunctions, or viruses.

"We strongly advise Australians to simply hang up if they receive a call of this nature and not to respond to any communications from these scammers. If you're not sure, contact Microsoft on 13 20 58 or the Police," he said.