Weird phone call! "online pc doctor" - Only thread on these scam calls please

Jocelynel

001253820308....this number just called me....i just hung up on them

ojf68

I was called several times by these Indians about my computers slow running. I suspected that they were scammers and kept dropping on them. Well, I picked up this call a few hours back and followed instructions. They kept on and everything looked good till I was asked to pay.
The accents was so thick I could barely make out any meaning. As slow as I was (mentally) at the back of mind, I wandered why all 4 of them were Asians, Indians if you like, and the strongest tool used by scammers, I was urged to pay at once. The lady was ready to wait for me as I fill in online my account details. I told her to call me back in a couple of hours. Her tone became decisive and firm telling me that she came back on to complete the whole process and I had been told that I was to expect her.
Thanks for this forum that confirmed the scam.
It's 2014 March and the scam is still on.
I was given a number to call back and a Dublin address,
Windows customer care # 01 442 9367
3, Carmen Hall rd,
Sanbysord, Dublin 16
something like that as I said the accent was thick.

ojf68

I backed out of paying but I guess I have compromised the security of my laptop and the links and passwords.
I have deleted all thier icons right to the recycling bins. I will have to change my Microsoft password which they know now. God knows what else they know.

RainyDay

ojf68 wrote: »

I backed out of paying but I guess I have compromised the security of my laptop and the links and passwords.
I have deleted all thier icons right to the recycling bins. I will have to change my Microsoft password which they know now. God knows what else they know.

Deleting icons does nothing to remove their software from your PC. Get help from someone who knows about about these things.

SpaceTime

Just do not engage with them unless you're just winding them up for the laugh.


I'd quite a few mins if fun playing the eegit and opening actual windows

ojf68

i also went to my control panel to uninstall everything that came on my computer today. I will ask my nephew who is savvy about computers what else can be done. The teamviewer that was installed has remote access to any computer they get to install it on.
I am usually credited with more sense than this. I was curious to see what the scam is. At 29 Euros, it didn't look that bad. They lost me when they insisted on immediate payment.

Greenmachine

ojf68 wrote: »

i also went to my control panel to uninstall everything that came on my computer today. I will ask my nephew who is savvy about computers what else can be done. The teamviewer that was installed has remote access to any computer they get to install it on.
I am usually credited with more sense than this. I was curious to see what the scam is. At 29 Euros, it didn't look that bad. They lost me when they insisted on immediate payment.

You have unfortunately given them unrestricted access to your computer. They could have installed unscrupulous software on your computer. They can now possibly spy on you and steal your personal information. They could gain access to your bank account etc if you use online banking on your computer. Not sure if you actually agreed to paying them the money but that would have given them the opportunity to steal your credit card information.

Gadgetman496

Best bet is to change all your passwords and re-install the OS

SpaceTime

In the meantime do not use your computer for anything with sensitive information such as credit cards etc

I would actually disconnect it from your home network or WiFi until it's had a clean install of windows put on.

Also change your passwords (from a clean computer) on your email, Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox and online banking etc etc.

I would also scrutinise your credit card and current account statements if you have used your cards on that machine since the software was installed. Even consider getting new cards issued.

degsie

ojf68 wrote: »

I was called several times by these Indians about my computers slow running. I suspected that they were scammers and kept dropping on them. Well, I picked up this call a few hours back and followed instructions. They kept on and everything looked good till I was asked to pay.
The accents was so thick I could barely make out any meaning. As slow as I was (mentally) at the back of mind, I wandered why all 4 of them were Asians, Indians if you like, and the strongest tool used by scammers, I was urged to pay at once. The lady was ready to wait for me as I fill in online my account details. I told her to call me back in a couple of hours. Her tone became decisive and firm telling me that she came back on to complete the whole process and I had been told that I was to expect her.
Thanks for this forum that confirmed the scam.
It's 2014 March and the scam is still on.
I was given a number to call back and a Dublin address,
Windows customer care # 01 442 9367
3, Carmen Hall rd,
Sanbysord, Dublin 16
something like that as I said the accent was thick.

Sad thing is because of people like you, this type of scam exists.

Going Forward

SpaceTime wrote: »

In the meantime do not use your computer for anything with sensitive information such as credit cards etc

I would actually disconnect it from your home network or WiFi until it's had a clean install of windows put on.

Also change your passwords (from a clean computer) on your email, Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox and online banking etc etc.

I would also scrutinise your credit card and current account statements if you have used your cards on that machine since the software was installed. Even consider getting new cards issued.

Disconnect it physically from the internet , routers etc.

I had a different issue on mine, and downloaded Malwarebytes on seperate pc put it on usb and start affected pc in safe mode and run Mwb from usb.

May work and clean it, others can probably advise better!

Clean install would be best, but check about losing your files.

SpaceTime

You'll probably be able to backup and virus scan the files.

Main thing is to keep the machine fully off line physically.

If you can't physically disable your WiFi connection on the PC, I would suggest changing the password on the router just in case!

You really do not want remote access to your machine.

While it might be relatively simple software installed that could be removed, we just don't know. That's why I stories definitely do a clean install of windows.

You'll need to talk to someone who knows what they're on about.

ojf68

I didn't leave any account details to them. I had a file that I tried to uninstall but the computer said it couldn't be found. If they left a software, I expect that that would be it.
The most common red flag to identify scammers is the need to pay immediately.
Legitimate businesses will leave you to pay at your convenience.

tricky D

The chances of you having been hit with malware are high. You need to get your computer checked and cleaned immediately by some one who knows what they are doing.

Many scammers would upload malware to your computer or change settings to allow easy access for later once you have given them access.

DERICKOO

Not 100% sure but IObit and Advanced system care, on both occasions i installed this, was looking for a Bluetooth driver, got a phone call next morning.
Last time told them to go annoy someone with a Windows PC as iv got a MAC.

breadbin

my mother just received a call from microsoft claiming she had a load of viruses and that they could clean them remotely by her connecting to the internet etc.

fair play to her she said her goodbyes and said the internet was disconnected at the minute but she would ring back later. the girl on the end was a bit pushy but they left her a number to ring

is there a fraud squad i can ring to report this to? the number she left is a dublin number 01-4428173. i'm tempted to ring it and give out stink but wary at the same time

Mountjoy Mugger

This is the notorious PC Doctor scam - search the forum, you'll get lots of hits.

Best thing for your mother to do is ignore them. Calling the Gardaí won't achieve much to be honest, as the callers are usually based in some back room in India or other far flung place.

red sean

have a read of this thead:http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055837564

biko

Just tell her to warn her friends.

token56

Unfortunately not much that can be done to catch these guys. The guards, etc are well aware of this on going scam. Education is the best defense, tell her to hang up if they call again and warn other people you think might be at risk.

yoyo

Threads merged.

SpaceTime

breadbin wrote: »

my mother just received a call from microsoft claiming she had a load of viruses and that they could clean them remotely by her connecting to the internet etc.

fair play to her she said her goodbyes and said the internet was disconnected at the minute but she would ring back later. the girl on the end was a bit pushy but they left her a number to ring

is there a fraud squad i can ring to report this to? the number she left is a dublin number 01-4428173. i'm tempted to ring it and give out stink but wary at the same time

That might not even be their real number.
Caller ID can be faked.

PrzemoF

I just had the guy on the phone :-) I let him wait on the phone, hung up, he called back. I told my wife what's the story. _HE_ hung up after 2 minutes

He's calling back right now... I'm wondering if they are good enough to convince me that I have a windows system in linux-only-permitted-here house.

ojf68

Just had a call from the Asian caller. Could be Indian, Pakistani or what. They all sound the same. Calling them Indians may be stereotyping.
It was a call to follow up and they wanted me to complete the transaction. I let them know that I may be stupid but not all that stupid to have given them remote access. They must have called because their search through the PC was unproductive and they needed me to release my account details to them.
I'm warned them to stay off my files and he promptly told me to call the garda.
My PC is disconnected off the Internet while I investigate a software to detect and rid me of any mal ware they left behind.
I noticed that a product brochure my bank sent to me last year was pieced out the following day. The date I downloaded the product brochure was 6 months ago and the file was pieced out into components on the 17th of march, a day after the intrusion.
They did all this during the 20 minutes I was instructed to leave the computer to them.
I have been depressed and angry with myself over this. I am usually quick to spot these scams as I do get hit often and do not fall but some vulnerability in me just caved in at that moment.
Being broke or lonely or What?
I think potential victims should not be judged harshly, following my experience, because some vulnerability being experienced makes us fall at that moment.
I usually believe the best of anyone until proved wrong. Perhaps that was my weakness.

ART6

ojf68 wrote: »

I think potential victims should not be judged harshly, following my experience, because some vulnerability being experienced makes us fall at that moment.
I usually believe the best of anyone until proved wrong. Perhaps that was my weakness.

The fact that this scam is still running suggests that you are not alone, but let's face it, these crooks have a world-wide market with new computer users entering it all the time -- people who are not necessarily computer savvy, and even those who are, like you, are simply caught off guard. The law enforcement agencies not only can't do anything about it, in many countries they don't even try.

My view is that the ISPs and the computer manufacturers could do a lot more to deal with this issue. For example, your ISP could regularly put up a page like the banks do every time you log in, or (say) every week if you are continually on line with broadband. Something along the lines of:

NO-ONE CAN DETECT FAULTS OR VIRUSES ON YOUR COMPUTER UNLESS YOU HAVE GIVEN THEM ACCESS.

NEVER GIVE ANYONE ACCESS TO YOUR COMPUTER UNLESS YOU KNOW THEM AND TRUST THEM.

MICROSOFT CANNOT INTERROGATE YOUR COMPUTER WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION, AND THEY NEVER CALL ANYONE, EVER.

MICROSOFT OFFER A RANGE OF SOFTWARE PRODUCTS, INCLUDING THOSE FOR COMPUTER SECURITY, BUT YOU HAVE TO BUY THEM FROM THEIR WEB SITES. THEY DON'T TELEPHONE YOU TO OFFER THEM.

If something like that was also pasted on a big label on every new computer then maybe, eventually, this scam would die out.

GarIT

ART6 wrote: »

The fact that this scam is still running suggests that you are not alone, but let's face it, these crooks have a world-wide market with new computer users entering it all the time -- people who are not necessarily computer savvy, and even those who are, like you, are simply caught off guard. The law enforcement agencies not only can't do anything about it, in many countries they don't even try.

My view is that the ISPs and the computer manufacturers could do a lot more to deal with this issue. For example, your ISP could regularly put up a page like the banks do every time you log in, or (say) every week if you are continually on line with broadband. Something along the lines of:

NO-ONE CAN DETECT FAULTS OR VIRUSES ON YOUR COMPUTER UNLESS YOU HAVE GIVEN THEM ACCESS.

NEVER GIVE ANYONE ACCESS TO YOUR COMPUTER UNLESS YOU KNOW THEM AND TRUST THEM.

MICROSOFT CANNOT INTERROGATE YOUR COMPUTER WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION, AND THEY NEVER CALL ANYONE, EVER.

MICROSOFT OFFER A RANGE OF SOFTWARE PRODUCTS, INCLUDING THOSE FOR COMPUTER SECURITY, BUT YOU HAVE TO BUY THEM FROM THEIR WEB SITES. THEY DON'T TELEPHONE YOU TO OFFER THEM.

If something like that was also pasted on a big label on every new computer then maybe, eventually, this scam would die out.

If my ISP did that I'd be looking for a new one.

Mearings

Presumably a full scan using Microsoft Safety Scanner would show up any virus resulting from these calls & emails.

ART6

GarIT wrote: »

If my ISP did that I'd be looking for a new one.

Why? All you have to do is acknowledge it and move on. Online banking does that all of the time, and it is there to protect those who are not as computer literate as you. Is that too higher price to pay?

Ianomcd

I got a call from 002011772013 - no-one spoke at the other end. I used to get a lot of the "I'm calling from Microsoft support" spam calls, and tried loads of things to get them to stop calling. But the only thing that seemed to work (eventually) was this: when they called I'd pretend to follow their ruse. I'd let them do the usual speech, and when they asked me if I was at my computer, I'd say no and ask them if they could wait for me to switch on the computer. They'd say 'of course' and I would just put the receiver down and leaving them hanging on. It would usually take them 10-15 minutes to get bored and hang up. But I felt that by wasting their time I might have saved another couple of victims. Anyway, I think (hope) they may have put my number on a black list as the calls stopped coming.

RainyDay

ART6 wrote: »

Why? All you have to do is acknowledge it and move on. Online banking does that all of the time, and it is there to protect those who are not as computer literate as you. Is that too higher price to pay?

This kind of repeated warning trains users to ignore warning messages. After the first time, users just ignore it and click 'continue' or whatever they have to click to get past it. So when you have a real warning to give them, they will have clicked past it before they read it.