Fake computer virus phone calls beware.

[deesigner]

I've posted this as it's come up today on Facebook, looks like they're doing the rounds again.

If you get a phone call from someone saying they're from Microsoft and you have a nasty virus on your computer, tell them to stop trying to scam you and put the phone down.

They will ask you to turn on your computer, then send something through that gives them access to it. They will then do either one or two things. They can block you computer all together so that you can't get into it and demand a payment for them to free it up or they will take any personal information they can get, add a key logger onto your hard drive and then take secure information at a later date.

I personally know someone who got caught in this scam last year, they had their bank details hacked and money withdrawn from their bank account.

Please take care

[lobeydosser]

Thanks for the warning deesigner. This has, as you say, been around for a while. I have had the same thing twice.
I'm afraid I wasn't as polite as you!!!!

Unfortunately the ones who tend to be caught are those who don't read forums and panic when they get calls like this.

Personally I would like to see anyone caught doing this, have there balls removed with an old rusty knife, slowly, but that is only a personal opinion.
However, I do have such a knife in the shed should it be my luck to come in contact with such a scumbag.

[dickyg]

This goes in fits and starts. There are several different phone scams that they alternate between. Even if it gets reported there is very little that can be done to ID the offenders, which is a shame as it'd be great to get them in.

[deesigner]

Apr 23, 2013 17:33:03 GMT lobeydosser said:

Thanks for the warning deesigner. This has, as you say, been around for a while. I have had the same thing twice.
I'm afraid I wasn't as polite as you!!!!

Unfortunately the ones who tend to be caught are those who don't read forums and panic when they get calls like this.

Personally I would like to see anyone caught doing this, have there balls removed with an old rusty knife, slowly, but that is only a personal opinion.
However, I do have such a knife in the shed should it be my luck to come in contact with such a scumbag.

I agree with your sentiments Lobby, I'm not really that polite either, but wouldn't publish what I say to them (or to Jehovas witnesses for that matter) but we have quite a lot of people who visit here who may not be so PC savvy and that's why I thought it a good idea to post a warning

[mybad]

Was this not posted last week

Solution 1 , Tell them you don't have a computer
2 , Which one, I have 5

They will hang up, haha.

[Raffles]

Thanks for the warning Deesigner... but I don't even pick up the phone if it's not a number I recognise. They can all go ************!!!

[Super-Shiny]

Apr 23, 2013 17:26:54 GMT deesigner said:

If you get a phone call from someone saying they're from Microsoft and you have a nasty virus on your computer

I know what my reply would be "I know i have and i love it so pi** off"

[deesigner]

Apr 23, 2013 17:54:15 GMT mybad said:

Was this not posted last week

Solution 1 , Tell them you don't have a computer
2 , Which one, I have 5

They will hang up, haha.

My apologies if it was, I couldn't find a link to it, there again I'm not good at finding threads

[bipbip]

Me I love it last time they callede I got so worried and freaked out they Hung up on me. Cause it is strange that Microsoft would be worrying about a virus on my Linux computer.

[hesta]

Last time I responded to a call like this, I told them that it was a scam, and the guy on the other end kept on insisting that it wasn't! Why would you think that this is a scam sir? Well, because 'microsoft' are phoning me to tell me about a computer, and when I asked which one, your answer was 'all of them'.

These scammers really aggravate me because they are just designed to prey on people who have no idea about computers. I know at least two people who struggle with computers, who I warn about these scams whenever I can, it is easy for them to make people believe that they really are genuine!

Scumbags!

[GunJack]

Over on the Techie Board on MSE, we on and off have competitions for who can keep them on the phone the longest We've had times approaching an hour before Personally I only managed around 35 mins 'coz the kids were starting to play up, however I did get total deflation of the scammer down the phone -

him(poor english, with indian sub-continent accent): all these essential services are stopped, this is because of the virus !!!
me: no they're not...
him: yes they are, I can help you fix it
me: they're not stopped because of a virus, I stopped them myself..
him: why on earth did you do that? they are essential for your pc
me: no they're not, my pc has been running happily without them for 5 years..
him: how do you know you've not done more damage to your computer?
me: 'coz I'm an Electronics and IT engineer..
him: oh...goodbye...brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

well, after half an hour it made me

The best one was when they called a company's IT dept, and the guys managed to record most of it and slapped it up on You Tube

[andy01424]

try this:
Caller : microsoft here we have detected a virus
You: have i how to i get rid of it
Caller we can help
You : ok shall i open windows
Caller : yes
You: but its bleeding raining!
Caller: Pardon[if your lucky lol]
You: if i open me windows its raining !
string em along had this call a few months back used the above