Tech Support Phone Scams

Discussion in 'Computers & Tech' started by namvet, Jun 21, 2013.

  1. namvet

    namvet New Member

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    these are nothing new. but yesterday got my first phone support scam. many of you are savvy enought to figure it out.
    this foreign speaking guy called claiming he was with HP tech support. i have an HP PC. said he wanted to download a program to take control of my PC to remove corrupt files and spyware. uh huh right. HP and other brands never call you about this. its not their job. I have caller ID and his phone number was hidden. they also pose as microsoft support as well.
    i laffed and hung up. would he call back??? yes so i let my answering machine take it. when it picked up he hung up. so this is just a heads up. sooner or later they find a sucker to download the software.
    so i guess this was a phone phishing scam.

    http://www.guidryconsulting.com/techtips/2013/01/tech-support-phone-scams-hit-home/
     
  2. perdidochas

    perdidochas Well-Known Member

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    They did this to my father-in-law, the problem being that he had downloaded the program (not sure how). He disconnected his computer from the internet.
     
  3. namvet

    namvet New Member

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    they provide you with a download link. hopefully he unhooked in time !!! once they get control of your desktop it hits the fan. here's a guy who went the full measure. they got mad and did some damage

    Phone scammers call the wrong guy, get mad and trash PC

    Have you ever received a call from someone with a heavy Indian accent from Microsoft saying your computer had errors or viruses? The purpose of these calls is to get an easy $299 (or whatever amount they choose) by scaring you into thinking there’s something really wrong with your computer and that they can fix it for you.

    read on
     
  4. Shangrila

    Shangrila staff Past Donor

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    Just caught that.
    Yes, and the dude was very persistent, called back several times.
    In the end, it was he who got scared. ;)
     
  5. perdidochas

    perdidochas Well-Known Member

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    Father-in-law got off cheap. They offered to fix it for $75.... He had a friend of my sister-in-laws basically sanitize his computer of all that kind of crap. It was a guy with an Indian accent, and IIRC, it was an Atlanta area #
     
  6. Durandal

    Durandal Well-Known Member Donor

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    http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...ws-a-tech-support-scammer-dials-ars-technica/

    "I'm sorry, I don't know anything about a 'Windows Company.' Do you mean Microsoft?"
    "No, it's not a Microsoft, it's a Windows Technical Department, OK? And I am the Windows technical provider to help you out, OK?"


    :laughing: If the effects weren't so serious, this stuff would be pure comedy gold.
     
  7. namvet

    namvet New Member

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    they never asked me to do anything. they told me. but when they wanted me to type a website in the run box i hung up. laffn' my a** off. really pushy. and when the guy gave em a phoney credit card number it really set em off. they could have done a lot more damage.
     
  8. Durandal

    Durandal Well-Known Member Donor

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  9. Durandal

    Durandal Well-Known Member Donor

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  10. namvet

    namvet New Member

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  11. Mushroom

    Mushroom Well-Known Member

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    These are also typically steps for identity theft, credit card embezzlement, and taking over computers to be part of Botnets, spam hosts, and a great many other things also.

    First thing to remember is that nobody just calls you out of the blue offering to fix anything. These types of scams are nothing new, about 30 years ago in Boise there was a ring like this claiming that they worked for the gas/power company, and doing mandatory heater-water heater-stove inspections. They had badges, even forms for people to fill out, and would find "inadequacies" that required hundreds of dollars to fix.

    I know my grandmother helped bust one group, because they showed up and he invited them in to inspect her equipment. Then while they were wasting time pretending to do an inspection, she called my grandfather who happened to be an Exec with the Gas Company. He showed up with the police, their fraud investigator and 2 lawyers.

    First rule of thumb, if somebody ever calls and you do not know them, insist on a phone number to call them back at. Legitimate companies have no problem with this and will comply. Scam artists hesitate to ever give out this information.
     
  12. junius. fils

    junius. fils New Member

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    They're still at it in 2015.
     

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