Shirley Burgess said a man, going by the name of Ron Taylor, called her Dunedin home six times on Thursday night, despite being told to stop ringing.
The man, who claimed to work for Windows Service Centre, said Mrs Burgess’ laptop had been hacked and it should not be used until he had worked with her to fix it.
She immediately knew it was a scam and told the man to get an "honest job" before bidding him farewell.
The man called back another five times during the night and left "threatening" voicemails about her computer being compromised.
The threats included him demanding to do what he instructed immediately or he would block her access to the laptop.
The man knew her name and address and the multiple calls had left her feeling "annoyed and angry".
She feared someone could fall prey to the scam, Mrs Burgess said.
A police spokeswoman said people should always be aware they could become a target of scammers.
"We encourage people to remain vigilant."
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment consumer protection manager Mark Hollingsworth said consumer protection was aware of thousands of complaints in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom about the scam over the past few years.
Microsoft did not call customers at home about issues with their devices and would never ask for passwords or other private information.
The same applied for businesses such as Spark, Vodafone, and other technology companies scammers often pretended to call from.
"The aim is to get your credit card details and steal up to thousands of dollars for these proposed services."
If anyone received a call from someone claiming a home computer had a virus and offered a free assessment to upgrade the computer’s operating system, offered assistance to check the computer security settings, or threatening disconnection if access to accounts was not provided, they should:
● Hang up the phone immediately.
● Do not engage in a conversation.
● Tell your friends, work colleagues and family members so more people are aware of the scammer’s tactics.
● If you have given any money, contact your bank immediately.
● Report the scam to netsafe.org.nz or by calling 0508-638-723.
