Indian Scammer
Please be aware of this telephone scam I have just been the intended victim of.
This con has already fooled many people around the world and continues to, despite being popular for a few years now. It gives the con artists remote access to your computer so they can steal your credit card details or any other information.
I must admit I had not heard about this one until lunchtime today, when a man telephoned (Indian accent) and said that my computer has a malicious infection. Not just a virus; worse than that, which my anti-virus software cannot remove, but he would show me how to get rid of the problem manually. After reading a bit more about this scam afterwards, I believe there are variations on the spiel.
He said they were receiving error reports coming from the PC with my Windows licence ID. I went along for the ride even though I suspected it was a scam but wanted to know where it was leading – without putting my computer at risk in the process (hopefully).
He asked me to hold down the Windows key plus R, which brings up the “Run” box and I was to type in “eventvwr” which brings up the event viewer. No damage could occur so far (correct me if I’m wrong!). He showed me a scary list of dangers, which did concern me, but apparently, it’s just a log and not necessarily a problem.
I was then directed to the TeamViewer website, which I understand is a legitimate product for communicating and sharing online.
When he asked me to click on “join remote control session” and I had to download a file to do so, that’s where the fun had to end. As his thick accent was difficult to understand, I had the time to search for answers while he was speaking.
I asked how much this was going to cost, and was assured it was completely free, but after reading further about the scam, it seems some of them trawl your computer for your credit card details and others present you with a large bill for “fixing” your PC when there was nothing wrong with it.
It’s a problem Microsoft don’t seem to be able to effectively deal with, as the scammers operate out of India and are careful not to claim to be from Microsoft, but just mention the name in such a way that you think that’s where they are calling from. I tried to clarify with the man who, exactly, he was calling on behalf of and he said some name totally unrelated to Microsoft (by this time I could barely be bothered trying to understand what he was saying anyway).
Someone on this forum reckons that Microsoft wouldn’t give you anything for free, so that sounds like one good way to spot a scammer!
Next time, I think I’ll have some real fun, if I have the time. There’s a nice moral message in this video too for “Sandra”.
But he starts off by telling her that, yes, he’s “on” his computer, i.e. sitting on it!
“I don’t have a mouse, I only have a hamster…”
Love it!
Ah Stewart, years ago when I was a PC user I was done by a so-called friend sending me a file and then they had access to everything I did. Thankfully Macs are far less susceptible to these scams but I still do my best to keep eyes open. Too easy to become complacent.
I probably should get a Mac, as they are far more reliable and the computer is my basic work tool as well as my main source of recreation (and main source of raising my blood pressure). I wear my PCs out every 2-3 years. This one’s just turned two, so pretty amazed it still works well as it was a real cheapie.
I was getting these calls at a rate of three a day at one point. Some tried to tell me there was a virus operating ‘in my area’ which meant I was talking to morons. So I’d have some fun with them.
“I’m sorry, I don’t have a phone.” (hang up)
“You’ve been hacking into my computer? How else would you know I have a virus?”
Then it escalated. One got the full Ian Paisley shouty voice: “Computer? There are no computers in this house, they are the tools of Satanists and child pornographers. Do you have a computer? You do? Then kneel and pray for your soul, brother, Pray with me now” (he hung up).
There were more, until the calls became so tediously regular I just said “F*** off” and hung up each time. Eventually they stopped.
Then it was all ’solar panels’ which I have been keeping on the line for ages because living north of Aberdeen, there is no way anyone will ever persuade me to install solar panels.
The latest was a new heating system that would save me 70% of my bills. Three calls, each from a more ’senior’ member of the scam club, the first one got the ‘Don’t be silly, global warming is a proven fact and we won’t need heating at all in ten years’ time’, but eventually the third one gave up when I pointed out that I work part-time on minimum wage, and would they accept payment at a rate of £5 a month?
The way I see it, they phoned me, they intend to scam me, I am going to torment them. It’s only fair.
Sounds fair when you put it like that! Although, like the fella in the video says, these people are resorting to doing a really crumby job they probably hate. I know I have a hard time remembering that when I get yet another solar panel salesman – always someone with a Glasgow accent. I’ve had loads of those too and you can tell them a mile off from their first words, especially if it’s a woman: “Hullo, Misturrr Cowaaaaan?”
But when I lived in the Glasgow area, it was much worse – the same kitchen company phoned all the time. I researched them on the internet and the folks hate working there. All they do is pick a phone book and start dialling. It doesn’t matter if their colleague phoned you yesterday, nothing seems to be recorded. They obviously don’t send their workman down this way as I don’t get called, or even better, hopefully they’ve cleaned up their act. I was going to say, hopefully they’ve gone bust, but that’s not nice, although I suspect they have as they pay wages to people to phone the same numbers day after day with less prospect of a sale with each successive call.
I did cold calling when I worked in the insurance business for a couple of months. It wasn’t very nice. Plus, I was probably the worst insurance salesman ever.
The Ian Paisley voice is a good idea for the solar panel calls, though and actually – true story – when I met him about three years ago, I asked him what he thought about climate change and that set him off!
I was called by one of these today
I was actually shocked at how stupid the caller thought I was and then became even more shocked as the guy proceeded to try to take my credit card details, over the phone for this fictitious ’service’! They guy was claiming to be from Microsoft and did his very best to convince me that I needed to pay Microsoft my yearly product license… Funny how these people suddenly hang up when you explain to them you are a Microsoft Product Development Partner isn’t it?
I find it even more hilarious that the same company rang me a further two times in the space of the day and the second time it was a very Indian gentleman called ‘Mike’ who decided he was the managing director of product support (who I happen to know (for the UK) is called Alfie), he said he was calling to make sure I had, had a ‘pleasurable’ experience with them during my TWO calls and wanted to know if I would complete a survey of some description. My response? I exclaimed GET A LIFE and hung up the phone.
Sometimes I really do wish I was ex-directory…