Bloody Phone Scammers!

[Cyker]

Just a heads up:

My mum got a call from a guy claiming to be from Microsoft and claimed they'd detected lots of errors coming from her machine and basically tricked her into downloading some remote control software onto her laptop and giving them access.

So far it doesn't look like they left any malware/rootkits/viruses behind on the system and my server hasn't logged any unusual access attempts but I'm rebuilding the machine from scratch just to be sure and making her change all her online banking and e-mail passwords.

The calling number was 08082802560 and the guy said his name was Chris Barker and the company was Help PC Online Ltd. (The webaddress was helppconline.com and the remote control software was from ammyy.com)

The cheeky buggers even got her to write down an address! (Postcode was RH11 0BS)

Most of you lot are probably smart enough to twig this is a scam but please spread the word that people to your more gullible and/or technologically challenged relatives and friends that random cold calls from people that say you have computer problems are SCAMS!

It doesn't matter who they say they're from (Microsoft sure as hell wouldn't call you direct to fix problems with their crappy operating system ) and it doesn't matter if they know your name or your address as these things are as easily obtained as the phone number!

This reminds me a lot of that credit card scam that was going round a few years back where they'd ring you up, say your card had been defrauded and to try and prove they weren't scammers they'd give you the first 4 digits of your card (Which are actually the same between different issuers!) to try and trick you into giving them the rest of the card number and details!

Or that other scam where they'd say your phone-line needed repair and to 'prove' it they'd get you to hang up and try and dial out, only when you did this there'd be no dial tone - because they hadn't hung up and were holding the mute button!

[Raistlin]

I beta test for Microsoft and they never cold call.

When I was testing Office 2007 a few years ago I had an email asking for my address so they could send a gift, I was naturally suspicious and spent a fair bit of time making sure it was safe.

I finally sent in my address only to be sent a full version of Office 2007 Ultimate licensed for up to three machine free of charge, so not all bad.

I had the same thing with Office 2010.

The rule is if you don't know them don't install

[PaulinhoT]

The best one I did was let the guy talk me through what they do, and the problems they have found. Then he asked me if I'm at my P.C so I take a few mins to get there, then a few more to boot it up.

Then let the chap explain that I need to click on the start button, I then go on for a few mins more saying "you will have to bear with me as I'm a little slow at this" often I will go off on a tangent, saying the computer is my daughters, and then explain why I bought it for her and what she does, all lies of course.

Then after a good while I explain that it doesn't actually have a "Start" button due to the fact its a Mac

Normally I just get a "click" and there gone lol..

[Cyker]

ahahaahaaa!

[Mooly]

I don't know how these wasters sleep at night... must have had 20 or so such calls in the last 12 months, sometimes two a day. I believe they target certain postcodes/localities heavily and then it all goes quiet for weeks.

If I'm bored I keep them talking and then thank them for staying on the line for long enough for me to get a "GPS satellite ground to mobile location trace" (it sounds good) and for them to expect a call. They can't get off the line quick enough.

On a more serious and practical note, Cyker mentions having to rebuild the system. I would advise the single most useful piece of software you can have is a full image backup program. To reinstall an OS and all the updates and all your applications and data is a two day job time wise. With a backup its a couple of clicks and 20 minutes until it's all back as it was.

[Jan&tone]

On a more serious and practical note, Cyker mentions having to rebuild the system. I would advise the single most useful piece of software you can have is a full image backup program. To reinstall an OS and all the updates and all your applications and data is a two day job time wise. With a backup its a couple of clicks and 20 minutes until it's all back as it was.

Excellent point. However one should remember that if the system is crappy enough to demand a rebuild, then the full system backup you have will also be crap and a restore will put back the crap you want to get rid of!

Better to backup all documents, settings and if you use outlook then the pst files. Then a clean install, all updates that are available and then put your documents back on bit by bit.

Hopefully this will avoid the pitfalls you may have on the backup

As for unsolicited phone calls, ask them to hang on a moment and leave the phone off the hook. Until you actually hang up, the line will be kept open and that caller will be unable to make any further calls.

[Jamesbelfast]

One answer I have used in the past has been. My name is Captain Oates - I have to go outside I may be gone sometime - can you wait.

[acetip]

Had a simuler problem with my mobile phone,i get free text messages with my package,but saw on my online billing that i was charged £7.50 for a received text message that was described as premium text.I contacted vodafone and complained and was told that it not their fault.I told them it was, it came through their system and they must be aware of these scams they agreed to put a block on any future calls like this.they also gave me credit to cover the charge, there were no details on the phone saying who it came from and you cant contact the sender.It makes me very wary of reading any text message that i dont recgnise.

Whats this world coming to

[balli hi]

I had a cold caller last week , he started by saying "can i speak to MR xxxxx xxxxx please", i said "speaking", he then went on to say that he was from some company, he spoke so quickly that i didn't catch the name clearly, he said that he had been handed my details, and explained that his company were helping get money back from companies that had loaned people money, he then asked if i had taken out any loans in the past, how many and when was the last ?, i usually tell cold callers in no uncertain terms to foxtrot oscar when i receive calls of this nature, but this guy caught me in a rather polite mood , so i told him "look i'm extremely busy, and i don't wish to appear rude, at which point i heard a click and a continuous tone as he had hung up.

Thanks by the way to Cyker for the heads up

[BigNastyMike]

Thanks for the heads up! I got a call like that, too. The man said there was a virus on my PC and that it was sending alerts to Microsoft. Said he could fix it for me. And I was like, "Oh no, you don't," and slammed the phone down. That's what he gets for stealing money from people.

[BigNastyMike]

by the way, this was the caller's phone number 800-698-9034 and when I looked it up, I got this site http://www.callercenter.com/800-698-9034.html.

Looks like the scammer's been doing the rounds.

[Cyker]

Judging from you source and many similar ones across the 'net, it seems these scams have been going on for years. I don't understand why nothing seems to have been done about it!

All we can do is spread the word I guess...

I feel I need a good scary sample clip of a murder scene from some horror film to play down the phone to these guys!

[Jan&tone]

I had a cold caller last week , he started by saying "can i speak to MR xxxxx xxxxx please", i said "speaking", he then went on to say that he was from some company, he spoke so quickly that i didn't catch the name clearly, he said that he had been handed my details, and explained that his company were helping get money back from companies that had loaned people money, he then asked if i had taken out any loans in the past, how many and when was the last ?, i usually tell cold callers in no uncertain terms to foxtrot oscar when i receive calls of this nature, but this guy caught me in a rather polite mood , so i told him "look i'm extremely busy, and i don't wish to appear rude, at which point i heard a click and a continuous tone as he had hung up.

Thanks by the way to Cyker for the heads up

When they ask if I'm Mr XXX I politely say "no, this is the burglar speaking and I'm a bit busy at the moment"

They don' t usually hang around...

Or if I'm not feeling particularly polite I might say "yes, but I'm not interested"

If however, I've had a bad day, I just hang up or put the phone down without hanging up! They can't use that line again until you actually hang up so....

[Cyker]

Jan - I'm afraid they can; It's the initiating caller that can tie up, not the receiver sadly :(

(Otherwise that'd be a great counter; Run up their phone bill by trapping them on the line )

If you leave it off the hook, when they hang up, you'll eventually get the WEEEOOOOOEEEEEOOOOEEEEOOO sound that BT play down the phone to tell you that the phone is off the hook :D