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  • Telephone call from "technical support".

    Hey folks, just a thought I'd post to warn people about something.

    Today I got my fourth call (in the space of about 6 months to a year) from someone claiming to be from a technical support company calling about "errors and warnings" on my computer.

    I've been using computers for a touch over 20 years, I know there's nothing wrong with my machine and I also knew from the first time that it was a scam.

    If you follow the steps, they ask you to click on START and then RUN and enter a number of things like "eventvwr" or "prefetch malware" and so on. They try to convince you that the "errors and warnings" you see are a huge problem and that all the files when you type "prefetch malware" are viruses and malicious software.

    It's all complete bull.

    If they are particularly creative they'll tell you they've recieved error messages from your computer so they are contacting you to fix them. They always ask what operating system you're on - if they HAD recieved error messages from your computer, they'd already know.

    Whatever they say though, and however far you go through the process, don't do anything that might let them take control of your computer. Personally I stop when they ask me to input pin codes (usually on a support website). Don't pay them a penny, don't give them your email address, your phone number or anything else. It's a scam.

    If you're concerned about malicious software and viruses just put the phone down on them* and update your security software. If you don't have any or the protection that came with the computer has "expired" just go along to the Malware Removal section of the Support Forum at MajorGeeks.com and read the "read and run this first" thread. Do that and you'll have a well secured, clean computer. Any problems, register on the forum and ask for help.


    Hopefully most of you are confident enough with computers to see right through the scam, but I know there are some on here who aren't so confident and that's the kind of person these scams target. Don't be sucked in and don't worry. Again, if you're concerned, just get along to the MajorGeeks forum and follow the "Read & Run me first" thread.
    Malware Removal - MajorGeeks Support Forums


    All the best.


    *unless, like me, you want to string them along so they can't scam someone else while you're on the line - my best so far was having them on the line for well over an hour - maybe closer to two.

  • #2
    Cheeky beggars! Well done for posting this warning. I never believe anything a telephone caller tells me. (Especially if it's my Mam!)
    Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.

    www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated March 9th - Spring

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    • #3
      Cheers...I got one of these calls a few weeks back and it did worry me a little.(I raise my hands to being one of the slightly less confident computer peeps)
      I probably stayed on the phone longer than I normally would as we had been having problems and I'd sent a couple of 'error messages'....should I be sending them?
      Anyway,when I told them(after nearly half an hour of scaremongering)that I would neither be entering any possibly dodgy codes or giving them my bank details until Andi got home(as he's the one bringing the money into the home),they got really quite stroppy with me saying I didn't need his permission and did I not have a mind of my own.....that's when the call came to a rather abrupt end as I put the reciever down!...my guess is that they knew straight away how thick/easily convinced I was and knew Andi possibly isn't!(even though I know he is!)
      the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

      Happiness is not having what you want,but wanting what you have.xx

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      • #4
        On a very similar note, I got a call last week to let me know my Sky equipment was now out of warranty and would I like to give them my credit cards details to extend the warranty for a few more years as the receiver is prone to breaking down.

        After 10 mins on the phone I pointed out I do not have Sky.

        At this point they hung up on me.

        1471 told me that it was an undisclosed number.

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        • #5
          I am glad I dont know enough about computers or anything else. I always tell people to call back when the oh is home, soon gets rid of them.
          Gardening ..... begins with daybreak
          and ends with backache

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          • #6
            Another bit of this story - I did a bit of digging around for information while I was on the phone and found a video of someone who wnet further along than I did with the call. Eventually he was asked for card details to pay a $100 (USA) one off service charge to fix the computer and they'd maintain it for free after that.
            It seems to me that they might not be trying to put malware on the computer but instead charge an obscene amount of money on false premise. That said, I wouldn't put malware past them either.


            Wrex - nicely done.


            Jackie - it's good if there's an OH around who'll know enough to see through it, but where that's not the case - that's what these heartless buggers are after.


            Di - if you mean what I think about the error messages with the "send error report" button... I think they send information about your system (what hardware and possibly what software you've got) back to the manufacturer of the program that crashed. Sometimes it's a software manufacturer, sometimes it's Microsoft. In either case the data is (I believe) used to try and work any problems out of the program for future updates.
            The people who phone up and say they've had alerts, warnings or whatever from your computer have NOTHING to do with those error reports. The error reports they tell you about are made up as a "foot in the door" to get you going through their steps to show you mundane things on your computer and convince you they are a problem.


            Flummery - parents eh?
            Always on the phone trying to scam you.

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            • #7
              I'd love to get a call from them.

              I'd play so dumb

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              • #8
                Technical support? if needed I ask No1 son he's doing an OU course in computing.
                The river Trent is lovely, I know because I have walked on it for 18 years.
                Brian Clough

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                • #9
                  Bubble - I am the "tame geek" for my family. Even when I decide enough is enough and tell the scammers I've been using computers for over 20 years and know for a fact that everything they've told me is rubbish they still try to carry on with the scam.
                  By the end of today's call I was in fits of laughter and I'm sure I heard the guy on the other end chuckle a few times when he heard me starting to crack up.


                  Chrismarks - You should have seen me on the second such call I got. "I really don't know about computers... one of my neighbours usually looks after my computer but he's on holiday."
                  "Close that window." - "How do I do that?"
                  I think my favourite moment from the whole call was when he said something about malware. I asked "What's mal... malware?"
                  "Malware eats all software."

                  That was about 20 minutes in and to this day I'm still not sure how I didn't burst out laughing.

                  By pretending my computer was running really slowly, every time I was asked to run or open something I left them hanging on the line for as long as I could get away with. It's a good trick if you've got work to be getting on with... leave them hanging on while you concentrate and then get back to them for a bit more fun and games in a while.

                  I didn't record the end time of the call but I'm pretty sure it was around the 2 hours mark.

                  I think the next time it happens I'm going to string them along and then say I don't have a computer... or maybe say I don't have a computer but I have got "the internet" in my office and see where it goes.

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                  • #10
                    Pretending you think the think the cd/dvd tray is cup holder is a good one when you get these people ring up. I always some how bring it into the conversation just to hear their reaction. Normally it goes likes this:

                    Evil scammer:....right I want you to type in this number and press the enter button
                    Me: whats the enter button? This big one on the left?
                    ES: If it says enter or return press it
                    Me: Well ok, but I'm not sure.
                    ES: what's your computor doing now?
                    Me: well...er.....this cup holder thing has come out the side...

                    Sometimes you can positively hear them 'light up' when they think they've got a complete computer numpty in their clutches.

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                    • #11
                      Oh, I'm now really wishing one of them would phone me

                      All I ever get is Timeshare calls.
                      Last edited by HotStuff; 11-03-2010, 11:31 PM.
                      There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't.

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                      • #12
                        Lizzy - that's brilliant!
                        You can bet the farm that I'll be using that one next time!

                        I've noticed the moment where they "light up" too. I actually heard what sounded like a chuckle at one point too. It was a bit subtle but when asked how many items (all "malware" or "viruses" or some other end-of-the-world type object anyway) were in a list they'd got me to pull up I said, in a rather worried/baffled/out-of-depth tone of voice "I don't know, there's too many to count." he managed "ah okaaay" before he broke off to fight the laughter.

                        I felt no shame at all in stringing them along and even reminded me of his laughter when he tried to heap on the guilt when I finally decided enough was enough and told them the truth.

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                        • #13
                          I like to pretend that the person who is calling is someone I know and they are making a prank call on me.
                          I know that's you, Sid - who are you kidding ... I recognise your voice!
                          Whooops - now what are the dogs getting up to?

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                          • #14
                            Can't remember if this has been posted before but it's a hoot,
                            YouTube - Prank Call
                            The river Trent is lovely, I know because I have walked on it for 18 years.
                            Brian Clough

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by bubblewrap View Post
                              Can't remember if this has been posted before but it's a hoot,
                              YouTube - Prank Call
                              thats brilliant!!
                              Finding Home

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