"Hello I'm from Windows" Scam?
Discussion
Mum (old) told me she'd had a call from a foreign gent telling her she had a problem with her PC. He got her as far as switching it on and trying to enter some letters and numbers in the "bottom left hand of the screen".
Fortunately she was struggling to understand him and she doesn't think she did it correctly, eventually told him to call back as she needed to speak to me. They called again the following day but again she said she needed to speak to me.
I've now re-iterated to her (for the umpteenth time) she must not speak to any cold callers and must not let people into the house who knock on the door. I've checked the PC and run a scan with MS Security Essentials, should I be looking for anything else ? Does anyone know what they do when they do get into the PC?
Fortunately she was struggling to understand him and she doesn't think she did it correctly, eventually told him to call back as she needed to speak to me. They called again the following day but again she said she needed to speak to me.
I've now re-iterated to her (for the umpteenth time) she must not speak to any cold callers and must not let people into the house who knock on the door. I've checked the PC and run a scan with MS Security Essentials, should I be looking for anything else ? Does anyone know what they do when they do get into the PC?
You may want to consider something like this: http://www.truecall.co.uk/product-p/cb1.htm
Only lets known callers or callers who enter the correct pin, get through. And it looks like you can log in online and check who's calling/set up the trusted callers list.
Only lets known callers or callers who enter the correct pin, get through. And it looks like you can log in online and check who's calling/set up the trusted callers list.
When I strung on of these scammers along they tried to get me to download a program which would enable them to log in remotely so they can then download a key logger and capture password details etc.
Great fun pretending to be a semi deaf eighty year old and wasting their time though.
Great fun pretending to be a semi deaf eighty year old and wasting their time though.
A sec researcher developed a remote exploit for the software these scammers used (Ammyy Admin) to ruin their day. Legal discretion advised, if you're technical enough and fancy a go at it.
http://www.networkworld.com/article/2605887/micros...
Although his website is currently unavailable, it is in the metasploit archive.
http://www.networkworld.com/article/2605887/micros...
Although his website is currently unavailable, it is in the metasploit archive.
bigbob77 said:
I always feel like they could increase their profit hugely if they just employ one British/American person with a smart voice and experience of customer service.
I try to lead them on but they catch on too fast. They know who their target audience is.
Your final point proves the first. The very obviousness of the scam, and this goes for emails as well (poor grammar etc.), is a highly effective filter. Only the gullible, naive, or confused will not spot these people a mile off, and so a lot of their pre-qualification happens automatically. Once they've got somebody who hasn't hung up in the first ten seconds, they know their chances of a successful bite have gone up hugely.I try to lead them on but they catch on too fast. They know who their target audience is.
Tonsko said:
A sec researcher developed a remote exploit for the software these scammers used (Ammyy Admin) to ruin their day. Legal discretion advised, if you're technical enough and fancy a go at it.
http://www.networkworld.com/article/2605887/micros...
Although his website is currently unavailable, it is in the metasploit archive.
http://www.networkworld.com/article/2605887/micros...
Although his website is currently unavailable, it is in the metasploit archive.
As others have said, they know who their targets are and by all accounts the scam does work, occasionally.
I had one call me a while back, I just kept saying I didn't have much time and did he want my credit card details straight away rather than mess around on my laptop, it confused the f
k out of him. He hung up in the end.
I had one call me a while back, I just kept saying I didn't have much time and did he want my credit card details straight away rather than mess around on my laptop, it confused the f
k out of him. He hung up in the end.
I hate these scumbags and try to waste their time as much as possible although it seems they have got wise and will not stay on the phone for hours anymore while I "wait for Windows to load"
My latest act to annoy them is to let them loose on a virtual PC with a user login and all the group policies screwed down, keeps them busy for a while as they stumble around aimlessly trying to transfer files onto it.
My latest act to annoy them is to let them loose on a virtual PC with a user login and all the group policies screwed down, keeps them busy for a while as they stumble around aimlessly trying to transfer files onto it.
Its amusing (for a short time) to string them along and confuse them with waffle-
"Yes, I am running Windows10 on my Silicon Graphics Work Station inside a Unix Shell with OSX made by Amstrad"
"I have put in the text but my PC is set to Klingon, can you tell me the characters I need to enter?"
"Thank you for calling GCHQ/NSA and alerting us to the security breach, I have notified your local Police force who are coming round to thank you right now, please hold the phone so I can authenticate with the officer when they arrive"
"Yes, I am running Windows10 on my Silicon Graphics Work Station inside a Unix Shell with OSX made by Amstrad"
"I have put in the text but my PC is set to Klingon, can you tell me the characters I need to enter?"
"Thank you for calling GCHQ/NSA and alerting us to the security breach, I have notified your local Police force who are coming round to thank you right now, please hold the phone so I can authenticate with the officer when they arrive"
The very last time I had one of these calls, I kept the guy on the call for 40 mins, just told him the computer was still loading etc, at the 45 min mark he just randomly said "F is for fk you" and put the phone down, not had one since and that was last year, I'd get them around every two weeks before that... 
k you" and put the phone down, not had one since and that was last year, I'd get them around every two weeks before that... catso said:
Why is it that everyone that calls me, despite obviously being of Indian origin (Vindows technical department, calling about your vindows computer) has an English name? Yesterday's was Brian Parker...
Good response to that is something like "Hello Brian Parker, my name is Avugotta Pottireadi. How can I be helping you?"Be sure to use your best comical indian accent ... vobbling your head as you say it helps
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