Help! is this a dodgy call?????? (1 Viewer)

[Teasy2007]

I have just had a telephone call from Microsoft, I have checked the number and it originated in Mexico. He explained that they had noticed something wrong with our computer and he could rectify it for us. This was part of their customer service for Microsoft windows.

He said that if I pressed the windows key and R a screen opened and I needed to put in eventvwr and press ok. I asked if he could prove who he was and where he was calling from and he said he could by giving me the licence number of my machine, which he did.

I was still unsure, and told him I had to go to the doctors straight away and could he ring back. He agreed.

So, is this a scam? how did he get hold of my ex directory telephone number? how did he know the licence number??????

Please, any help or advice as quickly as possible,

Ginny

 

[Jim]

It's a scam.

 

[Teasy2007]

It's a scam.

ok that was my first gut instinct, but how did he get my phone number, and the licence key number???

What is the scam, to gain access to my computer???

Ginny

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Jim]

Yes, once he was allowed access, the computer was his do do as he wished. When he rings back, just hang up

 

[Deleted member 29692]

What Jim said.

When/if you speak to him again do not do anything to your computer based on anything he says. In fact if he rings back tell him to do one

 

[Deleted member 29692]

The basic scam is that once you give them access to your computer they will install something to lock it so it will be completely unresponsive for you. Then they'll tell you that this is the problem they've "detected" and you will need to pay them £x amount to sort it out for you.

If you don't pay they just leave it there so you can't use the machine.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Jo662]

And access anything you have open or unprotected on your PC!

 

[Teasy2007]

Thanks, everyone, it seems my day for scams, I have just received an email from Paypal telling me they have paid Skype £39.00 and if I dispute the charge I need to log into Paypal via their link. I've had this one before though and just deleted it straight away.

Ginny

 

[Langtoftlad]

Log into your paypal account via your normal method - don't use any link
Just to check you haven't been charged £39 .

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Just smiffy]

Ex directory does not apply from outside uk..

 

[Teasy2007]

It was a very plausible call, it will be interesting to see if he calls back. The telephone number he called from was 005209940056.

He knew my name, telephone number and licence key - how do they do that if they are just scammers????

Ginny

 

[Just smiffy]

It was a very plausible call, it will be interesting to see if he calls back. The telephone number he called from was 005209940056.

He knew my name, telephone number and licence key - how do they do that if they are just scammers????

Ginny

I could do it from home... It's scaringly easy..!!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Popeye]

So, is this a scam? how did he get hold of my ex directory telephone number?

Sorry Ginny, it is a scam, I was a target for exactly this scam the day after I purchased my latest Desktop machine.

In our defence, it is a very believable one, however when carrying out the keystrokes requested of you he would gain third party control of your pc.

When I refused the keystroke and suggested this could be a scam on the phone to the guy he became extremely offensive and merely proved to me that he was a scammer. Sadly they're getting better and better at it.

 

[Jim]

I doubt they new your licence key, rather the OEM SLP key. Your windows was probably preinstalled so would have an OEM SLP KEY. This key is common to all models of computers of a manufacturer and varies only by the edition of Windows. Crafty burgers aren't they

 

[Anthea M]

We have regular calls and we tell them the call is being recorded and the police are involved ,usually end call promptly!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[canopus]

Ginny Ive a tenner says he won't ring back - he's too busy phishing for others - and if on the off chance he does tell him to Foxtrot Oscar.

 

[pappajohn]

Ask for a mailing address then box up your PC and post it off to them.

You may as well because if you do as they ask and enter the text they will take over your PC and charge you a fortune to return control to you.

 

[Teasy2007]

OK I am convinced, I have just received another call, but didn't answer.

This is really a sad/bad world. Not like when we used to leave the door unlocked and let kids play out all day!

Ginny

Ginny Ive a tenner says he won't ring back - he's too busy phishing for others - and if on the off chance he does tell him to Foxtrot Oscar.

He has rung back twice and left a message the second time.

Ginny

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Allanm]

When he calls back, ask him where the Windows key is on your Mac computer....

 

[Brisey]

These scammers were calling us on an almost daily basis.
I just used to ignore them and put the phone down.
However on their last call I told them that I was a Mac user.
They haven't called back since.

 

[scotjimland]

as said..

http://www.reverse-lookup.co.uk/number/005209940056

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[pappajohn]

If they call again answer it.
Everything they ask you to do tell them yes, I've done that.
They may get a bit angry as it will be obvious you havent done anything but think on.....someone is paying for that international call and it aint you.

 

[dabhand]

Ask for his bank account details and personal phone number as you'd like to pay him!! NOT!

 

[Jim]

I play along all dumb like (easy for me). Then when they give me the key combination to press I keep telling them that a note comes up. They say no no you are pressing the wrong keys. I try again and apologise for being so useless. Then tell them I have the note again. After a couple more goes. After they think they have real sucker on the phone they try a few more times. Explaining the keys location etc but no I always say this note pops up. Eventually they ask what is on the note. I read the contents of this fictitious note slowly and say something like

" if you have been asked to press this key combination you are probably on the phone to a low life scammer tell him to f... Off and die"

Sometimes they just hang up. Others sling a few insults. Either way it's a good diversion on a busy day

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[tonka]

I had one of these.. Managed to keep him on for 19 minutes
Told him my PC was boxed up and I needed to set it up... Stupid scammer held on the line....

Hate these calls but if they catch me on a good day I will take em as far as I can... Just for a laugh....
Used to go to timeshare presentations on rainy days just to get the Cigarette and alcohol for Irene..

 

[Poohbear]

I'm sorry, I don't understand how anyone doesn't immediately see this as a scam. Even my 84 year old mother wouldn't be taken in by this. Why would you possibly think that someone could know remotely that there is a problem with your computer and then call you to fix it even if it isn't switched on? Basically, if someone ever contacts you and asks for information, assume it is a scam, ask them for their telephone number so that you can ring them back. When they have hung up you can check the number they have given you on their website or by other means. Never open an attachment on an email unless you are 100% certain it is from someone you know and never ever click on a link in an email. The very fact that this goes on would indicate that they make money at it but by following a few simple rules nobody should ever get scammed. If I have the time I usually keep these guys on the phone as long as possible by making out that I am following their rules and that it's not working, when I get fed up of it I usually say that an error message has appeared on screen saying that the person on the phone must have a very small penis (or other disparaging remarks). I once told one of them that I worked for UK Special Forces and that I had traced the call and that he was currently surrounded by armed officers. Unsurprisingly they hang up at that point and sometimes says a few choice words. If I don't have much time, I take the phone into another room, close the door and shout very loudly "Foxtrot Oscar" (or words to that effect).

 

[hilldweller]

This is really a sad/bad world.t kids play out all day!

Ginny

You'd better believe it !

There is a windows setting to turn off Remote Access, turn it off if you can.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Mr Colpot]

I had this call but they said they were from a different company and had been given my details from Microsoft. I explained it was my work laptop and I strung them along pretending I was doing as they asked (it was a nice Indian Lady) and she was getting quite annoyed that what I was doing (not) wasnt working. After about half an hour I asked to speak to her manager to see if he could help me. He was a very nice Indian Guy called Mike and he too couldnt get the command to work. Eventually I asked him for some contact details so that I could get my works IT Guys to call as I said being on the Metropolitan Police Network it was probably a command I didnt have access to but we got cut off and he hasnt called me back.
It was an hour of my life I wont get back but I had fun.

 

[hilldweller]

A bit more on this....... "eventvwr"

Event Viewer, a component of Microsoft's Windows NT line of operating systems, lets administrators and users view the event logs on a local or remote machine. In Windows Vista, Microsoft overhauled the event system.[1] Due to the event viewer's routine reporting of minor start-up and processing errors (which do not in fact harm or damage the computer), the software is frequently used by technical support scammers to convince users unfamiliar with Event Viewer that their computer contains critical errors requiring immediate technical support.

 

[davanne]

We have regular calls and we tell them the call is being recorded and the police are involved ,usually end call promptly!

We do the same Anthea

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}