Microsoft boots partner over tech support scam

Software giant Microsoft has expelled one of its "Gold Status" partners after finding it may have abused its status by taking part in a tech support scam. A report on the UK-based PC Pro website said the "partner" phoned users and claimed to have detected viruses on their PCs, then offered to remove it for a fee. "We were made aware of a matter involving one of the members of the Microsoft Partner Network acting in a manner that caused us to raise concerns about this member's business practices. Following an investigation, the allegations were confirmed and we took action to terminate our relationship with the partner in question and revoke their Gold status," PC Pro quoted a Microsoft spokesperson as saying. He was referring to India-based support firm Comantra, amid reports it was "cold-calling" potential victims. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners are at the top level of Microsoft solutions partners and have a close working relationship with Microsoft. They are guaranteed at least a telephone-based account engagement from Microsoft, along with other top-level benefits such as a priority listing in the Microsoft Resource Directory. "There are no circumstances under which we would ever allow partners or any other organizations to pose as Microsoft. We view matters such as these extremely seriously and take immediate action if such behavior is brought to our attention and found to be the case," the Microsoft spokesperson said. But Comantra's director Rajesh Bajaj said Microsoft's move was "not expected" and denied it was scamming users, saying online reports were the result of "negative marketing" from competitors. Bajaj told PC Pro his staff have a sales script they are expected to stick to, which offers the people they call a computer "health check." He also denied his staff are currently telling people their computers have viruses or other security issues, but did not comment on a PC Pro reader's complaint about the scam. "Quality is now the biggest priority, which we are focusing on," Bajaj said, adding Comantra was speaking to Microsoft to get the decision overturned and regain its partner status. Comantra's case PC Pro noted Comantra's calls had been reported online as far back as 2009 on multiple blogs and forums and YouTube, and even Microsoft's own advice site. "This company boasted Microsoft 'Gold partner' status and always told me in emails and telephone calls, when I challenged them, that what it was doing was legal," PC Pro quoted one of its readers as saying. PC Pro said its reader first became aware of the scam when one of his family friends was called. "This was despite the fact that they were calling vulnerable people at home, telling them that they had a computer problem, then charging them by credit/debit card to 'fix' it." — TJD, GMA News