Please press 'Windows + R'
Discussion
Just had a phone call saying my internet isn't working properly and they will help fix it.
They wanted me to press Windows + R but I played dumb and they seemed to get fed up and said they would have to refer it higher and I may end up with internet being disconnected.
So how does the scam work?
They wanted me to press Windows + R but I played dumb and they seemed to get fed up and said they would have to refer it higher and I may end up with internet being disconnected.
So how does the scam work?
That will bring up a command prompt and they'll then give you a command to type in which will run something for them. Normally the Windows event viewer which always has lots of scary sounding errors in it, which they use to convince you that there is something wrong and to fix it you have to download their scamware and/or give them remote access to your computer.
But, obviously, you did the right thing by getting rid of them. Scum that they are.
But, obviously, you did the right thing by getting rid of them. Scum that they are.
deckster said:
That will bring up a command prompt and they'll then give you a command to type in which will run something for them. Normally the Windows event viewer which always has lots of scary sounding errors in it, which they use to convince you that there is something wrong and to fix it you have to download their scamware and/or give them remote access to your computer.
But, obviously, you did the right thing by getting rid of them. Scum that they are.
Well, the strange thing is that I said to them that Win+R 'brought up a funny screen' (I didn't actually type anything but suspected it was the run/command screen) but they said I must be typing the wrong thing.But, obviously, you did the right thing by getting rid of them. Scum that they are.
And when I said I'd pressed Win+R and asked them 'what next' they said I hadn't done it properly (could they tell that I hadn't typed Win+R from something showing at their end?).
deckster said:
But, obviously, you did the right thing by getting rid of them. Scum that they are.
Another strange thing is that it sounded like a busy Indian call centre (heavier accents than normal call centres).Are entire call centres set up for this or was it fake background noise?
RVB said:
deckster said:
But, obviously, you did the right thing by getting rid of them. Scum that they are.
Another strange thing is that it sounded like a busy Indian call centre (heavier accents than normal call centres).Are entire call centres set up for this or was it fake background noise?
Microsoft said:
Tech support scams are an industry-wide issue where scammers use scare tactics to trick you into unnecessary technical support services to supposedly fix device or software problems that don't exist.
At best the scammers are trying to get you to pay them to "fix" a nonexistent problem with your device or software. At worst they're trying to steal your personal or financial information; and if you allow them to remote into your computer to perform this "fix" they will often install malware, ransomware, or other unwanted programs that can steal your information or damage your data or device.
Basically Microsoft (or any other reputable company) will never cold call you ask you to 'perform' actions on your PC.At best the scammers are trying to get you to pay them to "fix" a nonexistent problem with your device or software. At worst they're trying to steal your personal or financial information; and if you allow them to remote into your computer to perform this "fix" they will often install malware, ransomware, or other unwanted programs that can steal your information or damage your data or device.
I do like to string them along if I can, my personal record is 15 minutes.
JustGREENI said:
I love wasting cold callers time at work, like 'energy swap' companies who trick you into thinking that they are your energy provider... I nearly spat my coffee out when I realised a well respected member of PH runs one of these companies!
Had an energy cold caller at the door 10 years or so ago - he looked extremely confused when I said "Cheap energy? no thanks only the best for me!" ...
mikees said:
JustGREENI said:
I love wasting cold callers time at work, like 'energy swap' companies who trick you into thinking that they are your energy provider... I nearly spat my coffee out when I realised a well respected member of PH runs one of these companies!
Do tell!
RVB said:
Well, the strange thing is that I said to them that Win+R 'brought up a funny screen' (I didn't actually type anything but suspected it was the run/command screen) but they said I must be typing the wrong thing.
And when I said I'd pressed Win+R and asked them 'what next' they said I hadn't done it properly (could they tell that I hadn't typed Win+R from something showing at their end?).
It works like this:And when I said I'd pressed Win+R and asked them 'what next' they said I hadn't done it properly (could they tell that I hadn't typed Win+R from something showing at their end?).
Win+R brings up the Run popup box thing. They ask "what can you see", and if you have pressed Win+R, your answer would be something like "A little box that says Run".
Then they do one of two things:
Get you to type "www.logmeon.com" (or whatever) and that opens up your browser. They ask you to press Win+R because it's the simplest way to get to a web site.
The second thing is Win+R and then get you to type eventvwr , which opens up the Windows event viewer. Again, it's the quickest way to open it, saves having to get you to go via Control Panel->Computer Management and then finally to Event Viewer.
Because you said "a funny little screen", matey boy did not believe/think you had pressed Win+R, that's all, not that they could see what you had done at all.
They use the event viewer, because, as said in a post above, it will show all sorts of scary red errors or yellow warnings. All of which are totally normally and nothing to worry about. Most PC users will not know that such an event viewer even exists !
I had one kind chap get me to do this a few months ago; I read out a few of the error messages and asked him what the meant. "It's means vey bad things sir are happening to your computer, let me help you". So I started telling what some of them meant - he started getting somewhat annoyed and then said he would transfer me to his boss. His boss then asked me if I "worked in computers" and then proceeded to call me a "cock sucker", "mother f
ker", and all manner of very rude things ! And he told me I thought I was clever. Well, matey, cleverer than you, cus I'm not sat somewhere doing what you are doing !snuffy said:
Well, matey, cleverer than you, cus I'm not sat somewhere doing what you are doing !
To be fair, some of that may be an accident of geography of birth.I'm torn between disliking them and feeling sympathy for their situation that this is a sensible financial choice for them. Sucks that this is so profitable it's what they've ended up doing.
xeny said:
I'm torn between disliking them and feeling sympathy for their situation that this is a sensible financial choice for them.
It might be a "sensible financial choice" if you have no morals. A lot of the people they scam will be elderly, and even if that weren't true - they are knowingly stealing from people.No sympathy from me whatsoever. Absolute scumbags.
There’s a guy on YouTube who hacks them back and has done everything from hacking into their security and computer cameras to wiping the hard drive on the scalpers computer.
Very funny 😄. I don’t care that this might be their job, that they need the cash to feed their family or anything like they. It’s an evil scam and it needs to be stopped.
Very funny 😄. I don’t care that this might be their job, that they need the cash to feed their family or anything like they. It’s an evil scam and it needs to be stopped.
It works by ringing people like my Father, who while being very intelligent, has no common sense whatsoever. He got the standard Windows tech call, gave them control of his pc, then ooops it's got a virus, £300 to fix it please. He paid up and they "fixed" it, but it was still running badly, so he called me. As soon as he said I had a call from Microsoft, I said Scam ! His pc is now with a local repair shop, but basically will need a complete rebuild and he will be lucky if they can salvage anything.
I do exactly as the caller says.
They get confused when I tell them what I can see on screen. I'm not too quick and have to get them to help. I usually get escalated to a colleague and it goes well with them until they actually ask: "Are you running windows on that computer?" It's running Ubuntu.
I had one supervisor get very cross and tell me I was wasting his time.
Or, I just say I have several computers, can they tell me the IP address of the machine thats sending out the errors?
Just so I know that I'm talking to BT, can you confirm my BT account number ? (for the "BT calling" type).
They get confused when I tell them what I can see on screen. I'm not too quick and have to get them to help. I usually get escalated to a colleague and it goes well with them until they actually ask: "Are you running windows on that computer?" It's running Ubuntu.
I had one supervisor get very cross and tell me I was wasting his time.
Or, I just say I have several computers, can they tell me the IP address of the machine thats sending out the errors?
Just so I know that I'm talking to BT, can you confirm my BT account number ? (for the "BT calling" type).
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