TELEPHONE SCAM - Calls from "Windows" tech support

[iixorbiusii]

Hi,

This one has been going around for a while, but it seems to have picked up again recently - I have had 4 or 5 calls this month.

Basically someone (from Asia usually) calls you up and announces they are from some "Tech Support" company - and usually mention Windows.

They claim your computer has been reported to them as being infected. They then ask you to perform as scan, which invariably shows up all sorts of errors - there are error log files on all PC's and this isn't something to be alarmed about!

However, they then try and dupe you into downloading a bit of software which gives them remote access to your machine. They claim to fix the problem, and then ask you to pay $300 or whatever for their support.

IT'S A COMPLETE SCAM

DON'T GET CAUGHT Put the phone down on them. Microsoft / Apple will never call you off-spec like this.

[X-Trade]

Note that the 'software' they ask you to install typically is spyware or other malware that will compromise the security of your computer.

[xmlguy]

I've solved the problem of telemarketing and scams.

My phones don't ring or accept calls unless:

The caller knows me and is on my approved list of contacts,
The caller uses CallerID without Blocking,
I choose to receive the caller after screening.

I use a combination of Google Voice, skype, and regular telephone lines (with selective call blocking, anonymous call rejection, etc.)

I sleep peacefully at night. I haven't spoken to or heard a telemarketer in years now. I decided that allowing anyone to call me wasn't worth it, particularly now that billions of people can make international call with no marginal cost to them. I still talk to all the people I want to talk to, which suits me just fine. My telephone doesn't control me. I control it.

[michelkeijzers]

In the netherlands we can pass our telephone number via a website and then it's not allowed to be called by marketeers. It doesn't work 100% but it helps a lot.

[Giner]

Yeah, we have a similar system here in Canada. It's crap. I've been doing things along the same lines as xmlguy. It's the only way that actually works.

[SanderXpander]

Isn't that highly impractical? I get a substantial amount of. Work through referrals. Studio work and stand in gigs.

[xmlguy]

Anyone in the world can TRY to contact me, it's just that they have to have Caller ID enabled, then they can leave a message, but my phone never rings when they do attempt to leave a message. With google voice, their voice mail message gets converted into an email that I can ignore at my leisure, or call them back if I want to talk to them. Only people on my approved lists ever have a chance of getting through to me directly, and I can use distinctive rings and call screening to decide whether to pickup. If someone is returning my call, I will always answer their callback so that we don't get into an infinite loop.

I don't mind leaving a message for the people I call, and I don't mind giving them my Caller ID, so I consider it reciprocal.

Telemarketers never get called back, ever. If the caller doesn't identify who they are and why they are calling, they never get called back. I always use standard greetings that never confirm any information about what number they've reached. I have no interest in talking to anyone who's too stupid to know what number they've called or what basic information is expected when leaving a message. I figure that if someone hasn't learned how to leave a message in the last 3 decades since answering machines hit the market, then it's pointless to try to educate them at this point.

[iixorbiusii]

...Problem we have is both the school my kids are at and our family Doctor hide their numbers too, so we're kind of forced to answer the phone when 'unavailable' shows on the display. Also these scammers sometimes show as 'International' on the display and with lots of relatives / friends overseas, we still take these calls.

[xmlguy]

...Problem we have is both the school my kids are at and our family Doctor hide their numbers too, so we're kind of forced to answer the phone when 'unavailable' shows on the display. Also these scammers sometimes show as 'International' on the display and with lots of relatives / friends overseas, we still take these calls.

There's ways to get around these problems too, at least in the USA. You can get a toll free number to hand out to schools, doctors, travelling relatives, etc. Most people don't realize that their telephone number is not blocked when calling a toll-free number, so you can get their number without them knowing it by either giving them the toll-free number directly or by forwarding the call on your end to your toll-free number. Carriers are not allowed to block the originating number when routed to a toll-free number, due to FCC regulations. There's even a service called TrapCall that takes advantage of this loophole.

[SanderXpander]

Anyone in the world can TRY to contact me, it's just that they have to have Caller ID enabled, then they can leave a message, but my phone never rings when they do attempt to leave a message. With google voice, their voice mail message gets converted into an email that I can ignore at my leisure, or call them back if I want to talk to them. Only people on my approved lists ever have a chance of getting through to me directly, and I can use distinctive rings and call screening to decide whether to pickup. If someone is returning my call, I will always answer their callback so that we don't get into an infinite loop.

I don't mind leaving a message for the people I call, and I don't mind giving them my Caller ID, so I consider it reciprocal.

Telemarketers never get called back, ever. If the caller doesn't identify who they are and why they are calling, they never get called back. I always use standard greetings that never confirm any information about what number they've reached. I have no interest in talking to anyone who's too stupid to know what number they've called or what basic information is expected when leaving a message. I figure that if someone hasn't learned how to leave a message in the last 3 decades since answering machines hit the market, then it's pointless to try to educate them at this point.

Right, that makes sense. I didn't realize the leaving messages part, just figured nothing got through at all.
I should think about this if they start bothering me more.

[iixorbiusii]

Just had another one of them call.

This time I decided to let him think I'm a PC dunce. Obviously I didn't carry out any of his instructions, but it was fun to tease the lying thief for a few minutes

Even more fun when I eventually ripped into him, letting him know we're onto their scam !

On the one hand, I feel a little sorry for them, in that they probably only earn a dollar an hour - if that.

On the other hand, f*** 'em !

[korgistan]

Hi,

This one has been going around for a while, but it seems to have picked up again recently - I have had 4 or 5 calls this month.

Basically someone (from Asia usually) calls you up and announces they are from some "Tech Support" company - and usually mention Windows.

They claim your computer has been reported to them as being infected. They then ask you to perform as scan, which invariably shows up all sorts of errors - there are error log files on all PC's and this isn't something to be alarmed about!

However, they then try and dupe you into downloading a bit of software which gives them remote access to your machine. They claim to fix the problem, and then ask you to pay $300 or whatever for their support.

IT'S A COMPLETE SCAM

DON'T GET CAUGHT Put the phone down on them. Microsoft / Apple will never call you off-spec like this.

actually an average customer loses about 850$ according to Microsoft, and this scam is becoming extremely popular. I bet I even know the number that called you