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Scam Phone call offering to clean infections on your computer

26K views 73 replies 48 participants last post by  Danster 
#1 ·
On Friday we received a phone call at the house from the number 123-456-7890. The person on the call told us our computer was likely infected with a new infection that is going around and wanted us to log in to a web page to have them look at the problem and repair it.

Being a computer expert, I didn't trust it. When I told him I was an expert, he hung up. I didn't think too much about it until I was talking with my mother who received the same call, in a location 3 1/2 hours away from me.

My hunch is that this is some company trying to leverage something like GoToAssist or other web remote control software that lets you control someone's computer. This company could get control of the computer and install scanning software that will incorrectly report viruses on your computer and then require you pay them money to clean out the 'infections'.

If we get a call like this, any idea who we should alert, if anyone?
 
#56 ·
I strongly suggest that people do not mess with these call centres. I have heard that some people have then been harassed at all hours of the day or night many times by an angry "agent". Remember, they have your number, you do not have theirs.

Simply say not interested, ask politely to be taken off their calling list (which will likely not happen in this instance) and then hang up and hope that you don't hear from them for a long time - remember these are auto dialers.
 
#57 ·
Or why not do what I suggested earlier and tell them that you're super glad they called because you have a real computer problem. Tell them you have a blue screen or a constant reboot problem and you're desperate for their help. Read them off some elaborate error code and ask them what to do. They'll then have no interest in continuing the call or calling you in the future.
 
#58 ·
I second eljay, as soon as I realize it's a telemarketer talking I just say "sorry but I'm not interested, thank you" and hang up. Hanging up on someone you don't care about has its charm, especially after a tough day!

It irritates a bit more when they call/text to my cell phone as I have a prepaid plan.
 
#60 ·
I am so looking forward to one of these calls, its seriously going to be fun to mess with them. (One of those fun moments in life at least for me) These calls have to stop as they are offering nothing in return other then attempting to offer you services you need to pay for that don't solve your computer problems. I am not sure if anyone has watched the commercials which claim that there software will solve all the problems and get 300% improvement in speed. Honestly I would like them try and see if it will be as fast as just reinstalling the operating system and starting from scratch
 
#61 ·
I received one of those calls this morning. First off, I run Linux, so it was obvious this was a scam. After the guy started his spiel, I told him I had to go to my computer and put him on hold for a couple of minutes. Then I was transferred to the "senior tech", who wanted my to press the Microsoft key & R. After telling him nothing happened, he tried to get me to enter a URL in a browser, In the middle of this I told him I had to go to the door (another couple of minutes down). When I got back, I asked him to start over. I then humoured him a bit longer, before telling him that I run Linux and knew his call was a scam. I barely had time to say that when he hung up for some reason. ;)
 
#63 ·
Most telemarketers are easy to spot by the delay in their response to my hello. I just hang up the phone before they say a word.

Once in a while if I'm in a bad mood, or expecting a call, I'll let them speak and if they say they're calling from Microsoft, I simply tell them to F off and then I hang up. I've never had a 3am call from a telemarketer, but if I keep telling enough of them to F off, I might eventually get a few (better than at 8 or 9am when I'm often sleeping).
 
#64 ·
be carefull what you tell them, they may be collecting information from you, asking if you have this and have that who knows what they are asking about you and what are they doing with the info. same goes for the alarm telemarkers, if they call asking if i have an alarm, i refuse to tell them, how do i know theyre going to pass that info to someone else? so rule of thum be carefull what u tell them about you keep it minimal
 
#65 ·
I just read a story about a man in the UK who was jailed for doing this. He hired people in India to make the calls. He was also fined and forced to make reparations to the people he duped. Maybe law enforcement here could do the same here, but they probably won't.
 
#66 ·
Glad you brought this up. I got a call like that, too. Although I didn't know about this scam yet, I thought what the caller was saying was suspicious so I hung up. it was only later when I looked up the phone number that I learned that such a scam existed.The phone number I got on my caller ID was 888-232-1509. I found a thread of complaints posted on Callercenter about calls coming from that phone number and how the scammer tried to trick the victim into disclosing bank details.
 
#68 ·
I just had another of these calls, almost immediately after a call from a Canadian Tire Mastercard company tried to sell me more life insurance and I told them no. Was it just a coincidence, or could the Canadian Tire girl have e-mailed my phone number to the scammers?

It was within 1 minute of the first call....hmmm
 
#69 ·
I'm new to this forum as of today so I have just found & been reading the posts re: the phone scammers about computer problems. I too have had those types of calls. I also have tried various ways of ignoring them to avoid falling for their spiel. I'm sorry these scammers are doing this. But I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that has gotten such calls.

Thanks for more creative ideas on how I can respond next time they phone me.
 
#70 ·
Here's a thread on avoiding some of them. Many phones have call blocking, so you can block if they call more than once from the same name/number. You can also create a "white list", etc.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?p=1373501#post1373501

Frankly, I would not antagonize a telemarketer. They have your number, you don't have their number. I simply say, "please take me off your calling list, goodbye" and then hang up to all telemarketers. If I see the same number twice, it gets added to call block.
 
#71 ·
A friend got a call from one of these and was in the process of telling them she didn't have a computer and in the background on the phone she heard someone yelling "Stop speaking in that stupid accent and get your *** down here immediately!!" No number was shown on the call display....

I got one a few weeks ago and after the spiel started asking for repeats as I had trouble understanding the voice... After a couple of times I then asked for another repeat as I couldn't here over a loud hum (which was getting louder but hey... why not?) :) At that point, behind the main person speaking I could here giggling... The hum was getting quite loud at this point... I said "Are you calling from Mars?" Then there was some unintelligible mumbling with "Mars" buried in it somewhere, then I added "Wouldn't you get much better call quality if you routed your call via Alpha Centauri?" At which the mumbling and hum faded in unison and I hung up.... The call display showed a foreign name along with a local phone number (keeping in mind VOIP number spoofing).

That doesn't beat the pizza one I had in the '90's and kept him on the phone for 55 minutes.... but that's another story... :)

Cameron
 
#72 ·
I've had maybe a dozen or more of these calls. The best way to get rid of them is by asking how they know I have a computer or how they know it has a security problem. They usually hang up or don't know how to respond. If that doesn't work, asking them if they've been hacking or spying on my computer does.
 
#73 ·
Have had 4 in the last week and a half.

All from a 1-855 number.

I've tried a different tact each time... They seem totally absorbed in their spiel and unable to comprehend what's said on the other end.

Once I asked "What is a computer?" (that generates quite a long-winded response that is completely unintelligible...) :)

Tried the "don't have a computer" Similar to above...

Tried "Unable to understand your accent" (that one seems to slow them down a bit....)

Tried "dead silence.... then hang up"

I like the comments from others about asking them how they know it's MY computer... Will try that next...

As sure as the sun comes up over the edge of our flat earth, there will be more of these twerps calling.... :)

Then of course there's the answer of Tux, the penguin... (Linux)....

Cameron
 
#74 ·
I think I'll try what I read about before. PRetend you are a police investigating a crime scene and the phone happens to be traced. You ask them why they call this number and ask their name to put it in the report.
 
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