Tech support scammer

Message boards : Cafe SETI : Tech support scammer
Message board moderation

To post messages, you must log in.

1 · 2 · Next

AuthorMessage
OzzFan Crowdfunding Project Donor*Special Project $75 donorSpecial Project $250 donor
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 9 Apr 02
Posts: 15691
Credit: 84,761,841
RAC: 28
United States
Message 1613898 - Posted: 14 Dec 2014, 16:43:26 UTC
Last modified: 14 Dec 2014, 16:52:01 UTC

Yay! I was starting to feel left out. :( I've seen so many stories about these tech support scammers cold calling people to tell them their computer is broken, and I finally received a call just a few minutes ago. I can't help but feel I should have tried to waste more of their time, after all, the more time spent trying to convince me that my computer is broken is less opportunity for them to scam some other mark.

For those that enjoy such conversations, here's a rough excerpt from the call:

Me: "Hello?"

[thick Indian accent] "Hello, sir, I am calling you today about your computer. It is not receiving the updates and we're here to help you."

Me: "What update?"

Scammer: "The windows and application update."

Me: "Why would I want your update?"

Scammer: "It will fix windows and application performance issues...."

Me: "My computer is running just fine."

Scammer: "Sir, it may be running fine now, but you will eventually have problem."

Scammer: "Are you at your computer now?"

Me: "Yes."

Scammer: "Can you turn it on please?"

Me: "It was already on. If you were monitoring my computer, you'd have known that."

Scammer: "OK, can you find the Windows key on the lower left of your keyboard. Do you see it? It has four boxes."

Me: "Yes."

Scammer: "OK, press that and the R button."

Me: "OK, the 'run' box came up."

Scammer: "OK, now type in MSCONFIG [uses phonetic spelling to assist me]"

Me: "OK, MSCONFIG came up after I press enter. [even before she told me to press enter]"

Scammer: "Now I want you to click on the Services tab. Do you see a lot of them as "Stopped" in the status column?"

Me: "Yes."

Scammer: "Do you see the one for Windows installer? Is it stopped?"

Me: "Yes. It is supposed to be stopped because I'm not installing anything."

Scammer [ignoring my last comment]: "Ok, now I want you to press Win+R again, and this time type in E-V-E-N-T-V-W-R. [uses phonetic spelling again]"

Me: "Ok, the event viewer came up."

Scammer: "Can you see where it says Windows Logs?"

Me: "Yes."

Scammer: "Can you tell me how many events you have under application?"

Me: "I have 22,205."

Scammer: "Sir, see, you have many errors in your application and you are infected with a virus..."

Me: "How would you know that?"

Scammer: "Sir, that many events indicates you have something wrong with your computer. We are a service to help you..."

Me: "You're not helping me. All you've done was to point me to services that are stopped when they should be, and you've pointed me to my Event Viewer to tell me that what is perfectly normal errors and warning events are indicative of a virus."

Scammer: "Sir, we are trying to help you with the performance of your windows and applications..."

Me: "No you're not. You guys are scamming people. This is a well-known scam that has been happening for years now and you guys should really cease cold-calling people trying to convince them their computer is broken." [yeah, I know trying to reason with someone whom has no morality or may not even know what they're doing is wrong because they're following a script is pure folly... I thought I'd try anyway]

Scammer: "Sir, do you have an anti-virus on your computer?"

Me: "Yes, I do."

Scammer: "So you have an anti-virus?"

Me: "Yes. If you were monitoring my computer you'd know that."

Scammer: "Ok, so your computer is running fine then..."

Me: "Of course it is. But please, stop cold-calling people because what you're doing is..."

<click>


Me: LOL!


<sigh> Probably came across too tough. I should have started up my Windows 7 virtual machine and used it as a honey pot for them to remote into (because I know that was the next step of the scam) and let them "fix" my vm. I could have then run a netstat to determine which IP they were coming from and tracert it back to their location to turn the tables on them.

Oh well. I tried and blew it. I doubt I'll get a second chance to pull it off. I do hope, at least, that this post acts as a PSA to the less tech savvy out there. This scam is still going on, and the are still trying to convince people that they are there to help you out of the blue, and will eventually offer to "fix" your computer for a fee. If your computer is broken, please take it to someone you trust.

It was kinda fun though.... :-D
ID: 1613898 · Report as offensive
Profile janneseti
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 14 Oct 09
Posts: 14106
Credit: 655,366
RAC: 0
Sweden
Message 1613907 - Posted: 14 Dec 2014, 17:20:10 UTC - in response to Message 1613898.  

Yay! I was starting to feel left out. :( I've seen so many stories about these tech support scammers cold calling people to tell them their computer is broken, and I finally received a call just a few minutes ago. I can't help but feel I should have tried to waste more of their time, after all, the more time spent trying to convince me that my computer is broken is less opportunity for them to scam some other mark.

They are very insistent in Calcutta.
Still trying to convince me that I have some problem with my computer.
About 20 calls to me and 10 calls to my girlfriend.
My girlfriend use to say to them that she doesn't have a computer.
Even so they call her up again...
ID: 1613907 · Report as offensive
rob smith Crowdfunding Project Donor*Special Project $75 donorSpecial Project $250 donor
Volunteer moderator
Volunteer tester

Send message
Joined: 7 Mar 03
Posts: 22160
Credit: 416,307,556
RAC: 380
United Kingdom
Message 1613931 - Posted: 14 Dec 2014, 18:32:39 UTC

It's even more fun when they call someone who's entire computer network is running Unix, or IBM S36 or AS400....
Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?
ID: 1613931 · Report as offensive
Profile Lynn Special Project $75 donor
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 20 Nov 00
Posts: 14162
Credit: 79,603,650
RAC: 123
United States
Message 1613948 - Posted: 14 Dec 2014, 19:47:43 UTC - in response to Message 1613931.  

Scammer, calls my house often. Played along for a bit.
He then asks for money to fix windows. Did a reverse phone number,
many people complained.

He calls back, time and again. After wanting to talk with my husband, told him to F. off. Still get calls :((((((
ID: 1613948 · Report as offensive
Profile zoom3+1=4
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 30 Nov 03
Posts: 65709
Credit: 55,293,173
RAC: 49
United States
Message 1613956 - Posted: 14 Dec 2014, 20:01:13 UTC

No one calls My house, but then I think that might be cause I have a flip cell phone... If I don't like a direction a call is going, I can snap the phone shut, ending any call.
The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's
ID: 1613956 · Report as offensive
Profile Julie
Volunteer moderator
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 28 Oct 09
Posts: 34041
Credit: 18,883,157
RAC: 18
Belgium
Message 1613958 - Posted: 14 Dec 2014, 20:02:54 UTC

I never pick up a private number on my phone, saves a lot of trouble...
rOZZ
Music
Pictures
ID: 1613958 · Report as offensive
Profile Graham Middleton

Send message
Joined: 1 Sep 00
Posts: 1517
Credit: 86,815,638
RAC: 0
United Kingdom
Message 1613984 - Posted: 14 Dec 2014, 20:49:36 UTC
Last modified: 14 Dec 2014, 20:58:46 UTC

We get quite a few of these, now some of them are coming from what at first appearance seems to be a UK phone number, but isn't, so it doesn't seem to be ignorable! We also have a very good friend that for various reasons has his phone permanently on withhold

I had one that I strung along for a bit like Ozzfan did, and when I got fed up I pointed out that, being MSDN registered and having worked with computers for over 35 years I knew more that he did. The guy on the other end, then got angry and accused ME of wasting HIS time! He rang off after I pointed out the he called me... LOL

I was really quite surprised how long he stayed on the call. More recently they are getting smarter and hanging up after too many awkward questions.

These can be good fun if you're not busy. :-)
Happy Crunching,

Graham

ID: 1613984 · Report as offensive
Profile Wiggo
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 24 Jan 00
Posts: 34744
Credit: 261,360,520
RAC: 489
Australia
Message 1613987 - Posted: 14 Dec 2014, 20:53:23 UTC

We've been getting those calls over here for a few years now. :-(

They started by claiming they were from Microsoft, but now they're also saying that they're from our local telco's now.

But they do still catch a few gullible people out.

Cheers.
ID: 1613987 · Report as offensive
Profile Gary Charpentier Crowdfunding Project Donor*Special Project $75 donorSpecial Project $250 donor
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 25 Dec 00
Posts: 30608
Credit: 53,134,872
RAC: 32
United States
Message 1614058 - Posted: 15 Dec 2014, 0:21:04 UTC
Last modified: 15 Dec 2014, 0:22:29 UTC

Not excactly tech support but got a robo call from IRS Internal Revenus Services - note plural - saying they had been trying to reach me and they were suing me and gave a international call back number. The caller ID which they displayed isn't in the state where my tax return goes and didn't match the callback number. I wonder if that international number is one of those $100/min scam numbers in addition to getting you to give them name, address, phone, social security and bank information to "pay" the phony bill.
ID: 1614058 · Report as offensive
Profile zoom3+1=4
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 30 Nov 03
Posts: 65709
Credit: 55,293,173
RAC: 49
United States
Message 1614072 - Posted: 15 Dec 2014, 1:55:49 UTC - in response to Message 1614058.  

Not excactly tech support but got a robo call from IRS Internal Revenus Services - note plural - saying they had been trying to reach me and they were suing me and gave a international call back number. The caller ID which they displayed isn't in the state where my tax return goes and didn't match the callback number. I wonder if that international number is one of those $100/min scam numbers in addition to getting you to give them name, address, phone, social security and bank information to "pay" the phony bill.

Probably phony, I think the real IRS would not call, I think they'd mail something to you, they might return a call you made to the IRS, but call you first? I doubt it. Sounds suspicious to Me.
The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's
ID: 1614072 · Report as offensive
Profile Uli
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 6 Feb 00
Posts: 10923
Credit: 5,996,015
RAC: 1
Germany
Message 1614093 - Posted: 15 Dec 2014, 3:26:25 UTC - in response to Message 1614072.  

Not excactly tech support but got a robo call from IRS Internal Revenus Services - note plural - saying they had been trying to reach me and they were suing me and gave a international call back number. The caller ID which they displayed isn't in the state where my tax return goes and didn't match the callback number. I wonder if that international number is one of those $100/min scam numbers in addition to getting you to give them name, address, phone, social security and bank information to "pay" the phony bill.

Probably phony, I think the real IRS would not call, I think they'd mail something to you, they might return a call you made to the IRS, but call you first? I doubt it. Sounds suspicious to Me.

Oh Vic
Pluto will always be a planet to me.

Seti Ambassador
Not to late to order an Anni Shirt
ID: 1614093 · Report as offensive
Profile zoom3+1=4
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 30 Nov 03
Posts: 65709
Credit: 55,293,173
RAC: 49
United States
Message 1614094 - Posted: 15 Dec 2014, 3:34:50 UTC - in response to Message 1614093.  

Not excactly tech support but got a robo call from IRS Internal Revenus Services - note plural - saying they had been trying to reach me and they were suing me and gave a international call back number. The caller ID which they displayed isn't in the state where my tax return goes and didn't match the callback number. I wonder if that international number is one of those $100/min scam numbers in addition to getting you to give them name, address, phone, social security and bank information to "pay" the phony bill.

Probably phony, I think the real IRS would not call, I think they'd mail something to you, they might return a call you made to the IRS, but call you first? I doubt it. Sounds suspicious to Me.

Oh Vic

What?

Like - Click this link to Add this page to your bookmarks Share - Click this link to Share this page through email or social media Print - Click this link to Print this page
IRS Reiterates Warning of Pervasive Telephone Scam

IR-2014-53, April 14, 2014

WASHINGTON — As the 2014 filing season nears an end, the Internal Revenue Service today issued another strong warning for consumers to guard against sophisticated and aggressive phone scams targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, as reported incidents of this crime continue to rise nationwide. These scams won’t likely end with the filing season so the IRS urges everyone to remain on guard.

The IRS will always send taxpayers a written notification of any tax due via the U.S. mail. The IRS never asks for credit card, debit card or prepaid card information over the telephone. For more information or to report a scam, go to www.irs.gov and type "scam" in the search box.
http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Reiterates-Warning-of-Pervasive-Telephone-Scam
The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's
ID: 1614094 · Report as offensive
Profile Gordon Lowe
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 5 Nov 00
Posts: 12094
Credit: 6,317,865
RAC: 0
United States
Message 1614098 - Posted: 15 Dec 2014, 4:25:57 UTC

These irritating people have called my mom's house a lot, and I just tell them they're going to jail, and hang up.
The mind is a weird and mysterious place
ID: 1614098 · Report as offensive
Profile TimeLord04
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 9 Mar 06
Posts: 21140
Credit: 33,933,039
RAC: 23
United States
Message 1614102 - Posted: 15 Dec 2014, 4:45:21 UTC

These idiots called my parents' home line a week ago. I was on my phone with an AT&T Tech about an upcoming appointment about our pixelation issues; when my mom tells me Microsoft is on her line saying we have computer problems... I just shook my head. I heard her tell the idiots that I am a computer technician... They hung up.

LOL
TimeLord04
Have TARDIS, will travel...
Come along K-9!
Join Calm Chaos
ID: 1614102 · Report as offensive
Profile Dimly Lit Lightbulb 😀
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 30 Aug 08
Posts: 15399
Credit: 7,423,413
RAC: 1
United Kingdom
Message 1614149 - Posted: 15 Dec 2014, 11:05:11 UTC

Hahahahaha :)

Member of the People Encouraging Niceness In Society club.

ID: 1614149 · Report as offensive
Sirius B Project Donor
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 26 Dec 00
Posts: 24877
Credit: 3,081,182
RAC: 7
Ireland
Message 1614155 - Posted: 15 Dec 2014, 11:09:47 UTC

I've had many, they were mostly PPI or accident claims which really do my head in. However, only had the one I.T scammer.

Claimed to be from Microsoft, so asked him to tell me my MS Partner No...

...sadly he hung up :-)
ID: 1614155 · Report as offensive
David S
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 99
Posts: 18352
Credit: 27,761,924
RAC: 12
United States
Message 1615409 - Posted: 17 Dec 2014, 19:44:11 UTC

I don't get these calls either, probably because I only have a cell. I do get other kinds of scam calls, but I don't answer when they come up private, unavailable, or a non-local (Chicago area) area code. If it's really important (and often when it's a scam) they'll leave a voice mail. If I get a lot from the same number, I put it on the auto-reject list in my phone.

A month or so ago, I got a cold call from an alternative energy company, offering to lower my Commonwealth Edison bill. I pointed out that I don't have ComEd, I get my power from the City of Naperville. He seemed surprised at that. I also mentioned being on the federal and state Do Not Call lists. They usually get apologetic about that, but sometimes they just hang up.

The local news has run stories several times recently about people claiming to be either the IRS or a utility company demanding that their victims immediately go buy a prepaid credit card and give them the number. They wouldn't keep doing it if people, even smart people, didn't keep falling for it.
David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

ID: 1615409 · Report as offensive
Profile Gary Charpentier Crowdfunding Project Donor*Special Project $75 donorSpecial Project $250 donor
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 25 Dec 00
Posts: 30608
Credit: 53,134,872
RAC: 32
United States
Message 1615554 - Posted: 17 Dec 2014, 23:44:46 UTC - in response to Message 1615409.  

They wouldn't keep doing it if people, even smart people, didn't keep falling for it.

Kind of like direct mail advertising. If 0.01% send money, you are a millionaire.
ID: 1615554 · Report as offensive
Profile James Sotherden
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 16 May 99
Posts: 10436
Credit: 110,373,059
RAC: 54
United States
Message 1615674 - Posted: 18 Dec 2014, 8:25:16 UTC - in response to Message 1613898.  

Yay! I was starting to feel left out. :( I've seen so many stories about these tech support scammers cold calling people to tell them their computer is broken, and I finally received a call just a few minutes ago. I can't help but feel I should have tried to waste more of their time, after all, the more time spent trying to convince me that my computer is broken is less opportunity for them to scam some other mark.

For those that enjoy such conversations, here's a rough excerpt from the call:

Me: "Hello?"

[thick Indian accent] "Hello, sir, I am calling you today about your computer. It is not receiving the updates and we're here to help you."

Me: "What update?"

Scammer: "The windows and application update."

Me: "Why would I want your update?"

Scammer: "It will fix windows and application performance issues...."

Me: "My computer is running just fine."

Scammer: "Sir, it may be running fine now, but you will eventually have problem."

Scammer: "Are you at your computer now?"

Me: "Yes."

Scammer: "Can you turn it on please?"

Me: "It was already on. If you were monitoring my computer, you'd have known that."

Scammer: "OK, can you find the Windows key on the lower left of your keyboard. Do you see it? It has four boxes."

Me: "Yes."

Scammer: "OK, press that and the R button."

Me: "OK, the 'run' box came up."

Scammer: "OK, now type in MSCONFIG [uses phonetic spelling to assist me]"

Me: "OK, MSCONFIG came up after I press enter. [even before she told me to press enter]"

Scammer: "Now I want you to click on the Services tab. Do you see a lot of them as "Stopped" in the status column?"

Me: "Yes."

Scammer: "Do you see the one for Windows installer? Is it stopped?"

Me: "Yes. It is supposed to be stopped because I'm not installing anything."

Scammer [ignoring my last comment]: "Ok, now I want you to press Win+R again, and this time type in E-V-E-N-T-V-W-R. [uses phonetic spelling again]"

Me: "Ok, the event viewer came up."

Scammer: "Can you see where it says Windows Logs?"

Me: "Yes."

Scammer: "Can you tell me how many events you have under application?"

Me: "I have 22,205."

Scammer: "Sir, see, you have many errors in your application and you are infected with a virus..."

Me: "How would you know that?"

Scammer: "Sir, that many events indicates you have something wrong with your computer. We are a service to help you..."

Me: "You're not helping me. All you've done was to point me to services that are stopped when they should be, and you've pointed me to my Event Viewer to tell me that what is perfectly normal errors and warning events are indicative of a virus."

Scammer: "Sir, we are trying to help you with the performance of your windows and applications..."

Me: "No you're not. You guys are scamming people. This is a well-known scam that has been happening for years now and you guys should really cease cold-calling people trying to convince them their computer is broken." [yeah, I know trying to reason with someone whom has no morality or may not even know what they're doing is wrong because they're following a script is pure folly... I thought I'd try anyway]

Scammer: "Sir, do you have an anti-virus on your computer?"

Me: "Yes, I do."

Scammer: "So you have an anti-virus?"

Me: "Yes. If you were monitoring my computer you'd know that."

Scammer: "Ok, so your computer is running fine then..."

Me: "Of course it is. But please, stop cold-calling people because what you're doing is..."

<click>


Me: LOL!


<sigh> Probably came across too tough. I should have started up my Windows 7 virtual machine and used it as a honey pot for them to remote into (because I know that was the next step of the scam) and let them "fix" my vm. I could have then run a netstat to determine which IP they were coming from and tracert it back to their location to turn the tables on them.

Oh well. I tried and blew it. I doubt I'll get a second chance to pull it off. I do hope, at least, that this post acts as a PSA to the less tech savvy out there. This scam is still going on, and the are still trying to convince people that they are there to help you out of the blue, and will eventually offer to "fix" your computer for a fee. If your computer is broken, please take it to someone you trust.

It was kinda fun though.... :-D

Just the other day my wife got the second of the MS scam. The first time was about two months ago. He called her everyday for a week. She kept telling them
that. My husband does all the computer stuff call back when he gets up and before he goes to work.
He finaly calls when Im up. He tells me your computer has problems. I say Oh yeah what kind of problems. He tells me the same garbage he told you OzzFan. I did manage to keep him on the line for 15 minutes before I stated that he just wanted me to open up my computer so he could hack it. Then I said your just a scammer and hung up.
Now the day before yesterday a lady calls my wife with the same spiel. She tells her that she dosent do the computer stuff I do. So lets see hows this goes. I hope they do call back when Im up:)
Maybe I can do all the stuff they tell me to do but nothing is happening. When they finally say why isnt it working. I can say ooops I forgot to tell you Im running windows in VM mode under linux.
Would that line of BS work?
[/quote]

Old James
ID: 1615674 · Report as offensive
Profile Gordon Lowe
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 5 Nov 00
Posts: 12094
Credit: 6,317,865
RAC: 0
United States
Message 1615733 - Posted: 18 Dec 2014, 11:51:33 UTC

I still get the notorious emails claiming there's some vast sum of money waiting for me in a special account somewhere.
The mind is a weird and mysterious place
ID: 1615733 · Report as offensive
1 · 2 · Next

Message boards : Cafe SETI : Tech support scammer


 
©2024 University of California
 
SETI@home and Astropulse are funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and donations from SETI@home volunteers. AstroPulse is funded in part by the NSF through grant AST-0307956.