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Beware of the Ammyy Scam

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    #32
    steve22
    Registered Users Posts: 137 ✭✭steve22


    I know this is an old enough thread but no harm in reviving it to keep people aware that they are still at this....
    I managed to keep them on the line for the best part of 40 minutes yesterday pretending to cooperate but not quite understanding what they're asking me to do... surprising how angry they get when you cant seem to comprehend simple instructions.... oh well. I'll try beat the 40 mins next time if i've nothing else to do.
    I'd really like to know how they get the details - my phone number is not listed.

    Also.... "I'm calling from Windows" is what she said............... What?? IF Microsoft were ever going to call you would they not say they're ringing from Microsoft??? bad start to a bad scam.


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    #33
    JohnK
    Registered Users Posts: 4,780 ✭✭✭JohnK


    Have you tried this site to see if you're listed? http://www.eircomphonebook.ie/ - thats the only place my number is listed so must be where they got it.

    40 minutes is impressive! The longest I've got them on the line for was about 4~5 minutes before they hung up due to me just insulting and arguing with them. I was thinking after that they'd just give up and take my name out of their database but they rang back that very night. Think it was the same guy too as after he said he was the tech support crowd and my name (very distinctive) he asked if I'd be more civil and hung up after a single "**** off" :D


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    #34
    steve22
    Registered Users Posts: 137 ✭✭steve22


    i thought arguing with them and insulting them would stop them from phoning again but obviously not... a straight and to the point "f*** off" seems to be the best approach.
    After 40 mins of annoying one caller she put me on to a "techncian" because my computer "froze" (i didnt even have it turned on obviously).... he told me to restart the computer and he'd ring back - when he did i just said "what? i dont have a computer", he said "but i was just talking to you" - me: "no, that wasnt me anyway" so he hung up...... they rang two more times that evening.....

    I do wonder though, do they have a little company set up for this purpose ? while on the phone you can hear a good few voices in the background talking the same bullsh!t - just like any call centre really.


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    #35
    juanpablo1983
    Registered Users Posts: 30 ✭juanpablo1983


    I fell for this scam. Not one of my proudest moments in life!!


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    #36
    steve22
    Registered Users Posts: 137 ✭✭steve22


    you live and learn man....... theres so many scams out there its hard keep up with them all!


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    #37
    Zemuppet
    Registered Users Posts: 523 ✭✭✭Zemuppet


    I opened and ran the ammyy program giving the id code thing but i stopped short of giving any contact or bank account details. Does this mean my laptop would be infected? Sorry i'm not a computer wiz just a regular user so any help so i don't go paranoid


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    #38
    RachaelVO
    Registered Users Posts: 3,108 ✭✭✭RachaelVO


    Zemuppet wrote: »
    I opened and ran the ammyy program giving the id code thing but i stopped short of giving any contact or bank account details. Does this mean my laptop would be infected? Sorry i'm not a computer wiz just a regular user so any help so i don't go paranoid

    The programme it's self is only a programme used so that people can see what's going on on someones computer, so if an IT office need access to for example a sales rep lap top to update something it can be used for that (which is it's primary function). There's a few different types. Nice handy piece of kit, but like most handy things it has been "adapted" so that scammers can download rubbish onto your computer to steal your identity, bank details etc;

    My advice, get your computer checked out by someone who knows what the story is and run your virus scan too.


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    #39
    RachaelVO
    Registered Users Posts: 3,108 ✭✭✭RachaelVO


    steve22 wrote: »
    I know this is an old enough thread but no harm in reviving it to keep people aware that they are still at this....
    I managed to keep them on the line for the best part of 40 minutes yesterday pretending to cooperate but not quite understanding what they're asking me to do... surprising how angry they get when you cant seem to comprehend simple instructions.... oh well. I'll try beat the 40 mins next time if i've nothing else to do.
    I'd really like to know how they get the details - my phone number is not listed.

    Also.... "I'm calling from Windows" is what she said............... What?? IF Microsoft were ever going to call you would they not say they're ringing from Microsoft??? bad start to a bad scam.

    I fielded a few of them in my dads, such a laugh I had. I'm impressed with your 40mins, that's good going. I was so patronising to them, was best laugh I had in AGES. I told them that their mothers were ashamed of them, and they said I was wrong, and that they too were from Windows.

    At least if I kept them on the phone it used up their time, and as I said earlier in the thread if it stopped them calling someone who didn't know better it was time well spent!


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    #40
    steve22
    Registered Users Posts: 137 ✭✭steve22


    Zemuppet wrote: »
    I opened and ran the ammyy program giving the id code thing but i stopped short of giving any contact or bank account details. Does this mean my laptop would be infected? Sorry i'm not a computer wiz just a regular user so any help so i don't go paranoid

    not a wiz myself... quite the opposite really!
    I’m not even sure what programmes they try install on your PC but that scan in windows defender is supposed to pick up unwanted spyware – might be worth running.

    RachaelVO wrote: »
    I fielded a few of them in my dads, such a laugh I had. I'm impressed with your 40mins, that's good going. I was so patronising to them, was best laugh I had in AGES. I told them that their mothers were ashamed of them, and they said I was wrong, and that they too were from Windows.

    At least if I kept them on the phone it used up their time, and as I said earlier in the thread if it stopped them calling someone who didn't know better it was time well spent!

    Ah yeah, I thought 40 mins was an achievement alright… most constructive thing I did that day!! Although it wasn’t all conversation - I left them on hold to change a babys nappy at one stage and they actually waited for me… that’s persistence!
    The more of their time you waste the better really.


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    #41
    900913
    Registered Users Posts: 367 ✭✭900913


    A friend from up north got caught out today by someone claiming to be from "Windows" lol not Microsoft.
    They got him to install remote access software from crossloop.com

    Here's the message my friend sent me.
    some 'wise' guy form windows rang up and showed me there was 48500 viruses on my computer and there's no delete option to get rid of them he wanted to charge me 40 pounds a year. do you have any answers to this dilema

    My reply
    You didnt install the ammyy software or any software. Btw it's a complete scam, the proper name is Microsoft not windows. If u installed anything turn on teamviewer and send me your Id. The scam gets u to install remote control software and then they either steal ur credit card details or charge you to remove non existing virus's.

    friend
    no this was definately genuine the computer is full of viruses..i told him i wanted time to think about it he left me his number is totally lejit

    do you wanna have a look

    me
    have a read of this, its 100% scam, microsoft dont call people, plus u said they said there from windows. did you install any software they asked you to.

    #http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056231349

    friend
    he went into the dos screen and typed in a virus tree scan

    then he typed how many 48599 came up

    then he showed me anothr screen where lots of drivers looked like they were stoped

    Crazy, saying that there are 48599 viruses and still getting believed.
    I uninstalled the remote access software and ran a few scans but found nothing, I'm thinking he could be backdoored.


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    #42
    obviousTroll
    Registered Users Posts: 60 ✭✭obviousTroll


    Still amazes me that people fall for this.
    "Seems legit" lulz.
    I wonder how long it will take before "Google" will call people telling them that they've exceeded their annual porn limit.

    Being serious for a sec, is there anything we can do to educate people better to this kind of nonsense?


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    #43
    MonsterCookie
    Registered Users Posts: 957 ✭✭✭MonsterCookie


    This has been going on under various guises for quite some time.

    My brother in law rang me one evening about 18 months ago to say he had a fairly aggssive Indian guy on the phone shouting at him that he wanted his credit card number to pay for the remote support.

    At that point, my BIL had installed logmein and the guy had asked him to go to his event log to look for certain types of events. The events were predictable enough and fairly innocuous but the guy used this to convince my BIL that his machine was riddled with malware.

    Anyway, we eventually got rid of the caller and the software. I rebuilt his machine for him. Having scanned for and not found any additional spyware, I concluded that a) the guy hadn't enough time to install anything else, or b) he was probably more interested in getting the card details

    Not long after this, after telling everyone in work about it, a colleague got the same call. He asked the guy to call back, and in the meantime he set up his call recording kit. He played dumb on the second call and asked plenty of questions, drawing the caller out for the sake of the recording. It worked pretty well in fact, and my colleague handed the recording over to RTE who used it on Crimeline.

    Like any social engineering attack, these guys play on human weaknesses such a gullibility, willingness to help, fear. They are quite well organised and I'm guessing that they use power diallers and use cheap trunks so they are paying very little for the calls on their side. By calling thousands of people, they only need to succeed with a small percentage to make if worth their while.

    I'd be very curious to hear if anyone had experienced card fraud as a result of this?
    Link here for a bit more information

    http://www.pctechnix.ie/pctechblog/2010/06/14/fake-indian-computer-repairs-claiming-to-be-from-microsoft-www-onlinepccare-com-scam/


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    #44
    obviousTroll
    Registered Users Posts: 60 ✭✭obviousTroll


    Current guise is a tech call centre advising you to go to www.onlinepccare.com.


    Someone's getting a pentest later.... :)


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    #45
    Denis Hao
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭Denis Hao


    Got a call from Software Solutions quoting my name and address said they were telephoning people in Dublin, Ireland. Told him I objected to being “spoken down to” and that I was well aware of the microsoft start button and other microsoft features etc. after 30 minutes. Eventually we got to ammyy.com I refused to give him remote access (under ANY circumstances) and googled it. This site confirmed everything for me.

    PS a friend got same call 2 months ago. Kept saying he couldn’t find the start button on his keyboard and that his screen was flat, ie no buttons on it! For some reason the caller hung up on him!!!


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    #46
    Tommy Lagahan
    Registered Users Posts: 388 ✭✭Tommy Lagahan


    This scam is still running, very same crap, was going along with it until they brought me to that remote desktop page.
    Hung up immediately.


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    #47
    chiefohara05
    Registered Users Posts: 30 ✭chiefohara05


    Yep, the scam is still running

    I keep getting phone calls from these people who want me to go to ammyy.

    I keep them on the line as long as i can, i don't download anything, but i get them to explain everything over and over again. Just to frustrate and waste their time.

    Last time i pretended to be a one armed simpleton who kept having to put down the phone to type in the keys and deliberately misspelling everything i was asked to type.

    Today i went along with it for about 30 mins then told him the scam artist that i was a policeman and he was after ringing a policestation. He asked me if i was tracing the call, i said yes, he said where am i? I told him that he was in a gay bar. Guy got very nasty after that :)

    I use these scum as an opportunity to have fun


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    #48
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    HAHAHA. :D Good work. :D


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    #49
    paradisepaddy
    Registered Users Posts: 149 ✭✭paradisepaddy


    JimmyCrackCorn wrote: »
    Must infect a VM later and have a nose at the malware.

    Something to do tonight with a beer.


    i've often wondered about this. Can you literally do anything you want on a VM machine without fear that it can escape its environment and access other files etc on the non VM machine?


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    #50
    fritzelly
    Registered Users Posts: 17,248 ✭✭✭✭fritzelly


    Had about 10 calls from these people in the past few weeks, numbers originating Texas, London and Egypt.
    They are persistent alright even after telling them to feck off.


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    #51
    syklops
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,969 ✭✭✭✭syklops


    paradisepaddy wrote: »
    i've often wondered about this. Can you literally do anything you want on a VM machine without fear that it can escape its environment and access other files etc on the non VM machine?

    Yes and no. While there are advanced anti-VM techniques out there, the chances of this particular piece of malware employing them is unlikely. In fact a lot of malware simply tries to detect if it is running on a VM and kills/exits itself if it does detect a VM because VMs are primarily used for disassembling and analysing malware.

    I run Linux natively, and then run Windows inside a VM, so even if my VM software somehow gets taken over, it is running as an unprivileged user and so can't change very much on my machine.


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    #52
    Macumazan
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34 ✭Macumazan


    Láidir wrote: »
    They rang me five minutes ago, the number began with 00253 which is a place called Djibouti. I've never heard of it. Told them not to contact me again.

    It's a very beautiful country in Africa. Sadly you get a lot of scammers there like in any country.

    If they call me I'll tell them I've been a Linux user for 5 years now, see how that goes down. :-)


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    #53
    Macumazan
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34 ✭Macumazan


    syklops wrote: »
    Yes and no. While there are advanced anti-VM techniques out there, the chances of this particular piece of malware employing them is unlikely. In fact a lot of malware simply tries to detect if it is running on a VM and kills/exits itself if it does detect a VM because VMs are primarily used for disassembling and analysing malware.

    I run Linux natively, and then run Windows inside a VM, so even if my VM software somehow gets taken over, it is running as an unprivileged user and so can't change very much on my machine.

    Sounds very sensible. I have an old Windows laptop I keep for when guests come over and just have to use a Windows machine but always tell them it's at their own risk...!


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    #54
    Macumazan
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34 ✭Macumazan


    chiefohara05 wrote: »
    Yep, the scam is still running

    I keep getting phone calls from these people who want me to go to ammyy.

    I keep them on the line as long as i can, i don't download anything, but i get them to explain everything over and over again. Just to frustrate and waste their time.

    Last time i pretended to be a one armed simpleton who kept having to put down the phone to type in the keys and deliberately misspelling everything i was asked to type.

    Today i went along with it for about 30 mins then told him the scam artist that i was a policeman and he was after ringing a policestation. He asked me if i was tracing the call, i said yes, he said where am i? I told him that he was in a gay bar. Guy got very nasty after that :)

    I use these scum as an opportunity to have fun

    Ha ha great :-) see www.419eater.com to record your success next time!


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    #55
    Mark.87
    Closed Accounts Posts: 91 ✭✭Mark.87


    Anyone like that calls me I just say dont have a computer, it gets them every time... they sound so puzzled and shocked!


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    #56
    Macumazan
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34 ✭Macumazan


    Mark.87 wrote: »
    Anyone like that calls me I just say dont have a computer, it gets them every time... they sound so puzzled and shocked!

    Perhaps this an honest telesales outsourcing company who have been duped by a scammer into harvesting people's CC info? Might explain people's shock - or maybe it's just because people in India think every Westerner drives a Ferrari and has a laptop?


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