***Related video above: Local woman scammed out of thousands in fake bondsman fraud investigation***

PARMA, Ohio (WJW) – Have you received a recent call or email from Microsoft tech support? Local law officials are warning it may not be who you think.

The Parma Police Department sent out an advisory from the city’s law director this week, warning the community that scam calls and emails claiming to be from major tech companies are on the rise.

According to officials, the caller will claim that your computer or other device has been compromised. They will then try to convince you to give up personal information, pay for unnecessary services or download programs to take over your computer to “fix” it.

The scammers might even spoof the caller ID to make it looks like the company’s actual phone number, officials said.

Often, scammers will want you to pay with a credit card, a gift card or bitcoin.

So, how do you stay safe from scams like this? Officials encourage anyone to be skeptical of unexpected phone calls, emails or text messages from tech companies.

“Legitimate tech vendors will never contact you first to offer support or security services. These communications are almost always a scam,” a release from the Parma law director said.

You also shouldn’t give out any information or money in these situations. Instead, officials say to just hang up the phone.

Learn more about what to do if you’ve been scammed at the Federal Trade Commission’s website. Fraud cases can be reported here.