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Unsolicited calls concerning your computer |
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#626 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 65,726
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Aren't these calls criminal?
And if they aren't then why aren't they? It's shocking how these scams to be allowed to operate. Why aren't they pursued by the authorities for being criminal gangs? |
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#627 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Planet Alan
Posts: 1,632
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Quote:
Aren't these calls criminal?
And if they aren't then why aren't they? It's shocking how these scams to be allowed to operate. Why aren't they pursued by the authorities for being criminal gangs? |
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#628 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2002
Location: GL51 0EX
Posts: 14,085
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Quote:
Aren't these calls criminal?
And if they aren't then why aren't they? It's shocking how these scams to be allowed to operate. Why aren't they pursued by the authorities for being criminal gangs? They are Prosectutions are rare due to the international component, but you do get the odd uk based conviction. Sentences seem a bit on the light side mind http://www.theguardian.com/technolog...tence-and-fine Microsoft have started suing a few in the states, which might be more productive |
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#629 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: At college, in L.A.'s office
Posts: 54,213
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Quote:
Presumably it was an international call then. I never pick up international calls.
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#630 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,037
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My mother got one of these calls yesterday. She isn't very worldly so they strung her on long enough to set up a Western Union money transfer and tried to take a fair bit of money from her. To their credit WU thought something was up and cancelled the transfer.
Sigh. I'm going to have some fun over xmas wiping the drives etc. Can't be sure they havn't put something nasty on it. I told her not to switch it on until I get there. |
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#631 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Planet Alan
Posts: 1,632
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Had one of these accursed calls at 7 am this morning.
I have to confess that my response was somewhat less than polite; perhaps even borderline abusive! |
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#632 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 4,949
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I also received one today. I'm on caller id but as i was expecting a phone call, answered without checking first. I was suspicious from the start as why on earth would Microsoft be phoning folk?!!
"I'm calling from Microsoft and we've detected a large number of viruses coming from your computer, can you please turn it on now?" I told her, "no i'm about to go out and if so serious then 1) it will be picked up by my av and 2) email me the detail (which of course they couldn't!). The caller cut the phone call! This was the number: 001 859 814 8905 |
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#633 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 8,843
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The scam is even smarter when they manage to get you to call them.
Some people might be automatically suspicious of a Microsoft call from out of the blue, but a scary Microsoft pop-up on their screen can be more believable: https://malwaretips.com/blogs/wp-con...rror-Virus.jpg I've seen numerous examples of this lately, and in almost each case the person thought it was genuine and made the phone call. |
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#634 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 4,949
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Quote:
The scam is even smarter when they manage to get you to call them.
Some people might be automatically suspicious of a Microsoft call from out of the blue, but a scary Microsoft pop-up on their screen can be more believable: https://malwaretips.com/blogs/wp-con...rror-Virus.jpg I've seen numerous examples of this lately, and in almost each case the person thought it was genuine and made the phone call. |
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#635 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Planet Alan
Posts: 1,632
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Quote:
The scam is even smarter when they manage to get you to call them.
Some people might be automatically suspicious of a Microsoft call from out of the blue, but a scary Microsoft pop-up on their screen can be more believable: https://malwaretips.com/blogs/wp-con...rror-Virus.jpg I've seen numerous examples of this lately, and in almost each case the person thought it was genuine and made the phone call. But there are some clues as to its "authenticity". Other than some pretty poor grammar, check the spelling mistakes - harmfull not harmful registery not registry TOLL FREE and tollfree failiure not failure Duplicated paragraphs at the end. A non UK phone number |
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#636 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: AFANDOU, Rhodes Greece
Posts: 2,973
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The web address in that pop up is a bit of a giveaway.
123helpmypc.com is not the sort of thing Microsoft would use. |
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#637 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Chepstow, South Wales
Posts: 89
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I've had several of these calls from "Microsoft", all saying the same thing about my PC being infected with a virus. I managed to string one along for about 10 minutes, played a random Arnie soundboard and the chap on the phone was none the wiser. I love winding these chaps up.
Another i've had, i've kept the guy on hold as a "witness to a murder". Answered the call and said i'm from "x" and if you hang up, it's a criminal offense and you will be arrested. |
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#638 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Wearside
Posts: 5,245
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After many months of not getting any of these calls I've had two in two days. One yesterday (Monday) afternoon. The telephone number was showing as 02081507532, probably a spoofed number but one that was made to look like the caller was London based. I blocked the number. A Google check reveals plenty of reports about this number on the various "who called me" type sites.
Next call was at 8.30am this morning, this time number shown as witheld but I was half asleep and answered without thinking. Once again the same script about the guy calling from Microsoft Windows. I just hung up. |
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#639 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: County Durham
Posts: 78,612
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They called me either yesterday or Friday. As soon as they said 'Microsoft' and I heard their Indian accent I told them I knew it was a scam and then put the phone down. The VERY short conversation went like this...
(after declaring that they were from Microsoft) Them: Are you the user of the computer? Me: Yeah, this is a scam. Bye. I then hung up. I should really have called them parasites before hanging up. Too late now though. |
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#640 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: County Durham
Posts: 78,612
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Quote:
The web address in that pop up is a bit of a giveaway.
123helpmypc.com is not the sort of thing Microsoft would use. |
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#641 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Rutland
Posts: 924
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Mum had 2 calls over the weekend that went something like this
Him: Hello, I'm calling from Sky Broadband. We are calling you because we have detected a problem with your internet connection Mum: But we don't get our internet from Sky *CLICK* |
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#642 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 3,087
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Quote:
They called me either yesterday or Friday. As soon as they said 'Microsoft' and I heard their Indian accent I told them I knew it was a scam and then put the phone down. The VERY short conversation went like this...
(after declaring that they were from Microsoft) Them: Are you the user of the computer? Me: Yeah, this is a scam. Bye. I then hung up. I should really have called them parasites before hanging up. Too late now though. I had a call a few days ago and decided to act dumb and 'believe' everthing he told me. Luckily i had my computer on so i went along with telling him all the background processes that are 'slowing down' my PC. He got to the point of telling me how he could 'fix' my PC & that was when i launched my tirade of calling him all the b*stards under the sun. He soon got flustered but still tried denying it was all a scam but he hung up abruptly. I just felt in the mood to waste their time & i felt better for it. |
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#643 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,296
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Quote:
Mum had 2 calls over the weekend that went something like this
Him: Hello, I'm calling from Sky Broadband. We are calling you because we have detected a problem with your internet connection Mum: But we don't get our internet from Sky *CLICK* |
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#644 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: County Durham
Posts: 78,612
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I wish that a TON of computer users in Britain would somehow be informed about these parasite scammers. That would make it much more difficult for the scammers to successfully scam a load of average computer users.
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#645 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Rutland
Posts: 924
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Quote:
I wish that a TON of computer users in Britain would somehow be informed about these parasite scammers. That would make it much more difficult for the scammers to successfully scam a load of average computer users.
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#646 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,755
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I had one a little while ago and when he asked if he could speak to the main computer user I said yes it's my dog. He asked if he could speak to them and I told him no, he would have to bark at her, this went on for a few minutes before he realized I was taking the pee and hung up.
Dave |
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#647 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2002
Location: GL51 0EX
Posts: 14,085
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Quote:
I wish one of those hacking groups would launch a mass DDOS attack against them
I've started to attempt to de-program them but never gotten past explain how the CLSID they are going to quote me cannot be unique because they are reading the same one out on every call In a nut shell however I think the whole thing is a DDOS - there are probably thousands of these con merchants all running two bit operations they set up for a grand or two |
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#648 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 3,040
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I get 1 or 2 a week, they used to pretend to be from Microsoft or "Windows" but now it's always BT.
They're a pain in the butt. |
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#649 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,984
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I used to get the fake Microsoft ones but now the most frequent ones are the ones claiming to be doing a UK lifestyle survey I haven't worked out quite what the scam is there, usually I just tell them I am not interested and ring off.
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#650 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Rutland
Posts: 924
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Quote:
Have you watched Nev's Indian call centre? It's remarkably easy for a con man to head to India and set one of these scams up. Since seeing that I've started to feel a bit sorry for the poor saps that get conned into reading the scripts out as I suspect more than a few believe their job is genuine
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