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Microsoft Customers Hit With New Wave of Fake Tech Support Calls
rjmarvin writes "A new surge of callers posing predominately as Microsoft technicians are attempting and sometimes succeeding in scamming customers, convincing them their PCs are infected and directing them to install malware-ridden software or give the callers remote access to the computer. The fraudsters also solicit payment for the fake services rendered. This comes only a year after the FTC cracked down on fake tech support calls, charging six scam operators last October."
This looks more like an advertisement for sdt.bz than an actual Slashdot article.
Here's the real article:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9244207/Fake_Windows_tech_support_calls_continue_to_plague_consumers
I'd go after the AOL market.
Some people die at 25 and aren't buried until 75. -Benjamin Franklin
We are detect you having the problem with the Microsoft. We make you no having the problem. Fifty dollars, in rupees if please.
- "Mike"
The scammers behind it has just moved from country to country and when done in one they moved on to the next. When gone through all the worlds countries they are back in the same old countries again.
So its still ongoing - they have never stopped. The fact that not Interpol has managed to stop them is a sure sign of the fact that the police is nearly incapable of stopping common criminals who operate out of other countries.
Just saying it like it are.
I told him to go F%$$%%% himself. and for one of the lower your credit card rates - I asked for his phone number so I could report him to the FCC - that shut him up.
Pretty much, yep. I have a call go to voice mail every couple months that appears to be a demand in Spanish for a ransom for a relative they've claimed to have kidnapped. You can set up VOIP and operate your scam with impunity in another country. Even if someone manages to track it down, they'll just bust a few call center operators. They're never actually going to catch the guys who are running the show.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
NOW they listen to the IT guy's instructions?
I think it's interesting how cheap VOIP and cloud based services have enabled fraud scammers to base their operations anywhere in the world with ease. .. And even easier to mess with said scammers. There's some great videos on youtube of getting these guys to waste their time in some hilariously configured honeypot VMs. I'm tempted to do it myself.
While that is commendable, user training is more valuable and goes towards solving the problem instead of hiding it.
"Sorry we don't have these windows things you speak of", will be safe but "Why yes, we do have medicare, here is my SSN... " may not be.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Have gnu, will travel.
Had a guy call about that at work pretending to be "tech support" last year.
The only problem is that regedit doesn't do much on AIX7, nor does attempting to run Win32/Win64 based executables. I asked him if he knew any patch to get POWER7 to work with this... needless to say, the conversation didn't last long.
unless you're a commercial licensee, then you can't keep them out of the place with guard dogs and crew-served weapons.
cold calls on the phone? scam.
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
They told me they had received a trouble ticket because my computer was running slow. I told them it couldn't run at all since its legs had been amputated.
*Click*
--Captcha "herpes", somehow appropriate for scammers
Too bad about the do not call list. It severely cut down my abilities to mess with telemarketers.
First one
"OH thank GOD you called this computer has been a mess for 3 days I can not get rid of this virus" *click*
second one I was busy putting in a AC unit
I was going to go with bringing up a linux VM and seeing how far he got. But the AC needed my attention more.
"its a scam you know it I know it move on" *click*
Third one is my best work so far
"That is totally cool how did you do that?"
"Oh the computer calls in and we reach out to our customers"
"No I mean how did you do that when I have no computers"
"well someone in your household must have one"
"Just me living here"
"there *must* be a computer"
"Nope got rid of the blasted things I hate them"
It was most amusing the guy could not conceive that I did not own a computer.
So far my record for getting them stay online before they hangup is 7 mins.
You don't appear to care that your relatives have been kidnapped, you insensitive clod!
I've received around a dozen of these calls from "Windows Technical Support" and similar names, including 2 just this month. They're laughably inept, but no doubt a few among the clueless users would fall for it. They've taken to hanging up on me when I play with them a bit. Don't know why my number got on their lists at all.
What baffles me about the whole thing is how can this scam be worth the expense of running a call center? Is it really that successful that it can turn a profit after paying for a call center? And the call centers themselves, and their employees-- I've heard call center businesses are notoriously unscrupulous, but the employees manning the phones would have to be very dim not to figure out that they are involved in a scam. Maybe they don't care as long as they get a paycheck. But since the whole thing is a scam, why not cheat the employees too? It's hard to credit another possibility, that it's actually just a one or two person operation with the scammers themselves working the phones. Doesn't seem like they could call enough people that way to have reached everyone as many times as they have.
Intellectual Property is a monopolistic, selfish, and defective concept. It is "tyranny over the mind of man"
Hello valued customer. Remember last year when you called our help desk and then sat on hold for 25 minutes before hanging up?
We're very sorry about that and we're just now getting through our backlog and would like to fix your computer now...
or
Hello valued customer. With our brand-new AlwaysOnMonitoringTool (TM), we amazingly smart computer geeks in the cloud are able to see you are having some problems with your computer but we cannot see all of the problems and need some help getting in and fixing it....
I can easily see novices, grandmothers and wannabe CEOs falling for crap like that. Computing is magic to most people and if you don't sound like Voldemort, then you must be one of the good wizards.
In fairness, this has nothing at all to do with Microsoft, other than most people have it, and most people aren't really tech savvy.
This is just social engineering. Some guys calls up, claims to be from "tech support" or "the Windows Service Provider" and tells you a little techno-babble that sounds scary.
They don't actually have any information about you, and if pressed couldn't even tell you your IP address or even your name -- it's just a blanket approach.
But then they tell you to follow some steps to give them access to your computer, and they make some mumbling about how bad it is and attempt to either steal your files, or convince you that you need to buy some extra services.
A friends father in law got scammed with this a few years ago, and my friend was somewhat livid because he'd explicitly told them about such scams and to hang up on anybody who is telling you that. But people don't know that Microsoft doesn't really have your phone number and aren't monitoring your system.
If you know that 80% of everyone is running Windows, and most of them don't really have a good understanding of what's going on, all you think is some friendly guy is contacting you to solve problems you didn't even know you had. It's just like spam, hit enough people and some fraction will fall for it.
I've actually spent the last 5+ years explaining to my parents how to spot a scam, why they should never trust someone who calls them, and to be generally skeptical of such things. I've managed to turn my parents into somewhat skeptical, and a lot more street smart people by hammering home some of this stuff. But I had a great aunt who was a lot more trusting and got scammed several times.
And since every time someone tries to implement a Do Not Call list, the lobbyists cry "but what about our business model" and the protections get weakened to the point of being meaningless.
And since everyone can fake their phone number (which to me is a huge part of the problem) people see something on their call display and believe it. Which means some douchebag is whateverthefuckistan can call you and look like anything they want to, and the phone companies and the companies who believe it's their right to call you exploit that.
I've actually set my Panasonic cordless phone to say "Unknown caller id means hang up", "Private caller means hang up". I still get stuff that gets through (when you see a local number and hear a long distance ring) -- but I start out with the assumption that I don't trust incoming callers.
But getting everyone to understand how these scams work is hard. Getting people to overcome a belief that others are honest and good takes work.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
I posted a comment/question to a support web page for the backup device I use. About 10 minutes later, I get a call from a support technician, asking me to do stuff on my computer to verify the problem. He asked me to go to the "Start" menu, and open up something inside the control panel. I told him I don't own any Windows machines. He hung up almost immediately.
I should have strung him along for a while to see what he was trying to do. Oh well...next time.
--Be human.
I remember watching this last year: http://youtu.be/u7zuQ8mYpog Some guy recorded an example of these scammers calling!
Awhile back I got a phone call at 10PM. I answered it, partly because I thought it might be my brother, and mostly because I was mostly asleep. The guy mumbled something in an Indian accent that I couldn't understand, though I did catch something about my computer being slow. I mumbled something back, that he probably couldn't understand (I told you I wasn't awake), and hung up. Next morning, I realized that it was an attempted scam.
Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
That throws them off-script. I say, "If you're telling me my computer has viruses, you must know the IP address of the infected computer."
And then when they give me some Windows mumbo-jumbo, I'll say, "But all the computers here are Macs."
I do technical support, but people have to come to me. I tell all my customers and potential customers that nobody cold-calls you, tells you they "have noticed" that your machine needs repair, and offers to do same. This is guaranteed to be a scam.
Other indications: A heavily accented voice saying: "Hello, my name is Frank and I am from The Microsoft and I am calling because we have noticed that your computer is infested with the viruses." I'm sorry, not only does nobody make that kind of call, nobody talks like that. (I have a friend who works at "The Microsoft", and he has decided he will henceforth be addressed as "The Frank"....) Like anything else these days, scam call centers are typically low paid foreign nationals with poor communication skills who are following a script. They do it this way because (a) the overhead is very low, and (b) it works, at least, often enough to be profitable.
These scams are not limited to fake tech support. I got a robocall a few weeks ago saying "This is a message from Chase bank. We regret to inform you that your Chase bank card has been frozen. To unlock your card, please press one to be connected to our security department". Obviously the helpful, heavily accented person you get when you press one will helpfully take your card number and identity, "unlock your card" and you'll have been robbed.
It's all the same type of scam. People sitting at card tables patiently calling number after number with the same, pre-written script, secure in the knowledge that there will be enough people who buy it to make their pimp happy and maybe they'll get a place to sleep that night.
Never give personal information to a cold call. Never believe anything you hear from a cold call. If you think it could be legit, conclude the call, look up the *real* number of whatever institution purports to have called you, and call them. Real institutions (even creditors) will understand when you insist on doing this. Do I really have to say, do *not* believe a cold call when they give you a number to call back.
Let's be careful out there.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
They dont handle not having a windows machine in the house very well. They threatened my girlfriend the one time they called when she pointed out to them the fact that there has not been a windows machine in this house since the mid 90s.
This has nothing to do with Microsoft customers, they just dial random numbers. We've got two linux machines and a Macbook, we've not been MS "customers" in any way for over a decade. I tend to keep them talking for as long as possible by playing dumb and "needing to go and look something up", record so far is just over an hour with them "on hold" for five minutes at a time. There's also multiple videos of people messing with them using VMs.
Do the whole world a favor and keep these guys on the line as long as possible. While they are "helping" you, they're not scamming the vulnerable.
I find it's entertaining to talk to them as you imagine your 79 year old grandmother would. Inept but just able to do all that they ask ... after three or four tries.
"Just a minute, I need to start my computer. This might take awhile. I need to put the phone down, don't go away. OK, I'm back. Wait, I need to find my password. Hold on."
They all disowned him.
There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
No one (least of all him) can explain why he thought it was legit, especially considering how paranoid he is about securing his data. I had to spend a large chunk of my vacation reformatting and re-installing everything on his computer.
And the men who hold high places must be the ones who start
To mold a new reality... closer to the heart
Yes, on linux when things don't work, I just search for my problem on google, find some website with a "fix", and then enter that command that I don't understand with root privs......
I get sick of people and their "I'm not a computer person so it's not my fault" attitude. It's like getting in a car accident, taking your car to the shop, and then proudly declaring "I don't know how to drive!" to the mechanics. If random weirdo walks up to someone and says "You're sick! Bend over and let me give you this suppository!", are they going to do it? And then later say "I'm not a doctor, so how was I supposed to know?" It is beyond ridiculous in a world where computer use is such an integral part of everyday life.
Ha! In America we just shoot missiles at em or have the CIA/NSA/Seals snag them and then drop them off in Egypt for torture... I mean "questioning"
Being a Microsoft customer isn't causing people to be targeted. The callers are posting as Microsoft technicians, making it relevant only to Microsoft customers.
There's a vast difference between the two.
Dammit Gregory. Pay up!
I'm here stuck to this radiator for next to five years now!
Typing this with my toe on Luis' cellphone.
Not much time. I hear him coming now.
There has to be a point to point connection between the originator of the call and the person receiving it. Why is it so hard to shut these operations down.
The problem with email I understand, but is the phone network that screwed up? Or is it just resistance from the Telcos to protect their customers?
I recently got a call from one of these. Working as a Network admin for a small school I asked them if they had a case number or a ticket with the name of one of my colleagues, they said yes but wouldn't give me the name and kept saying it was MY computer infested with virus (that's how they said it) and they said they worked for "Windows". I told them I ran OSX and they said YES that version of Windows was virus. I laughed and asked if they worked for Apple, OSX, Windows, or Microsoft and they said "YES" I laughed harder and they hung up.
I work for a fortune 500 that uses Unisys in India for our helpdesk. I had 2 outstanding requests with them when I came down with a cold and had to work from home for a few days. When a heavily accented Indian guy called my cell phone telling me he was calling from the helpdesk, and that I could go to logmein.com and he would remote in and take a look, it almost sounded legit.
This could easily have fooled someone since I had outstanding incidents, we use an Indian helpdesk, they do use logmein, and they do have my cell phone number (which they might actually use since I was not at my desk at work). The primary remaining tip-offs were: 1) They didn't know my incident number and 2) My requests were for hardware issues not software. But if I had a problem like being unable to login to Outlook or access a network share, I wouldn't have had much reason to distrust them.
We (my wife and I) haven't gotten a call in a while, but a month ago we were getting daily calls.
We would ask them questions about exactly what part of Microsoft they work for. We would ask them what their real name was and where were they really calling from. We would echo back everything that they said to us. We would note that we only have Mac and (other) Unix systems systems in the house and then give various takes on "how could you be getting warnings from our Windows computer when we have none here". At one point, we had a contest to see how long we could keep them on the line until they got frustrated and hung up.
We haven't gotten a call in over a month.
You should set up a VM running XP and let them fuck around in that for a while.
It's ongoing and it's also inaccurate to say "Microsoft's Customers" since it implies that these guys have a mailing list that they're using. I know a couple people who have gotten the call and they only have Macs. They're just moving from country to country and randomly calling anyone who will listen. I'm sure there are variations on the scam that adjust for specificity vs scope. For instance if I call and say I'm from Dell technical support and you're a Dell customer you're more likely to feel like it's true since they called you and knew you had a dell "how else would they know!". I'm actually pretty surprised that someone hasn't gone "all the way" and crafted the script to be like
"Hi, you called dell Technical Support a couple weeks ago and I'm following up to say that it appears that we didn't correctly resolve your issue."
The odds of getting someone who did call support in the last couple of weeks are low, but if you hit someone who did your chances of them believing you are very high.
She doesn't even own a computer. My (computer ignorant) wife was there and spoke to them. When they asked her to turn on the computer she said, "well if you can tell there is malware on the computer you would know whether it was on or off and already be able to access it. Do you think I am stupid?"
I have never been so proud of her.
The Lunatick, Carpe Corpus!
Mine is getting there, still have access dbs at work to convert (LAMP style).
This scam works regardless of OS.
Teamviewer (one of the software packages they'll talk you into downloading) is completely legitimate and useful software and is truly cross platform . Not just "maybe it works on Linux" but it works on Linux flawlessly.
Here, go get it and play around.
http://www.teamviewer.com/en/download/linux.aspx
You can't fix layer 8 except through education about best practices, and that's only if the person you're teaching is willing to actually listen - a rarity.
--
BMO
I don't know where they got my number, but the conversation was amusing.
Caller: "Hi, I'm from Windows support and I am calling you as we have reports coming from your computer because it has been infected"
Me: "I doubt that"
C: "Your computer is telling us it is, so it must be"
M: "How did you get my number?"
C: "You gave it us when you registered Windows. We have reports coming from your computer indicating it has been infected"
M: "No I didn't and no you don't."
C: "We do, Windows sends them automatically"
M: "I don't use Windows"
C: "You must do. We have reports from your Windows computer"
M: "Pretty sure I know which operating system I'm using and it isn't Windows"
This went back and forth for a little while with the caller trying to convince me I ran Windows. They hung up eventually.
Sure blame the gypsies.
I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
It might be his in-laws you insensitive clod!
I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
I'd go one better and setup a VM running Windows 3.1
Come at me bro!
I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
are in bed with the Fed and they really 'believe' they are doing this for national security reasons (and not just the additional short term revenue) THEN why isn't there a phone number to report ANY of this activity?
Wouldn't you think some serious libertarian tea-party patriot would have realized by now that this is a serious assault on personal freedom? Wouldn't you think Microsoft would be interested in tracking down these perpetrators who are adulterating their brand? Wouldn't you think that Telcos and ISPs, whose services are being used to perpetrate fraud, would be interested in protecting their customers and engendering the good will of all?
OK that last bit went a little over the top, I agree...
A month or two ago, I was getting daily, sometimes twice-daily calls from these clowns in India. I told the first one that I knew it was a scam, and was even explaining exactly how the scam works, when I was interrupted with "I assure you this is not a scam" and practically being ordered to quit arguing and let him fix my PC.
Another time I told the guy "go fuck yourself", which was greeted with a long pause, and then "I'm sorry sir, I'm in an office right now and cannot do that here".
Another time I laid into the guy, lecturing him about being a criminal parasite, and a "worthless sack of shit" among other terms, and we got into this thing where I was cursing a blue streak while he said over and over, almost rhythmically, in that heavy Indian accent "shut up, shut up, you shut up, shut up, shut up, you shut up..."
Another time I asked the guy "do you like to fuck monkeys?", and when he responded with some confusion I explained "I was just wondering, since obviously your father fucked a monkey to make you", and then he just continued as though I had not just insulted him.
Really, it seems impossible to get these shit-filled monkey-fuckers to give up and hang up, no matter how badly you abuse them. But there is one thing I never had the patience to try... I'm not a Windows user, but I do have some Windows VMs, so I've thought that I should fire up a copy of one, follow their instructions, and when the hit me up for payment reply, "nah, instead I think I'll just delete the virtual machine we've been working in". Maybe that would actually piss them off enough to get them to hang up--you think?
I kept one going for 35 minutes one day. I told the guy my version of Windows was Word 2007. I was somehow unable to figure out what a web browser was or how to open it. References I made to Safari and Finder should have cast doubt on whether I had Windows at all. Then after the frustrated (but very patient) guy got his supervisor on the phone I revealed that I didn't have Internet. They lost interest very fast after that.
I would gladly contribute some sweet, juicy BTC to a kickstarter to put these kind of annoying parasites out of business. The ones plying their shite via television and junkmail also. Preferably by at the same time removing them from the gene pool and the material realm.
Actually, I have no idea why I even have a telephone. But everyone else thinks I should have one.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
"Hello, my name is Brad Foster" says the man in a thick Indian accent. And then I hang up the phone.
But I don't trust any site made with ASP.
No, I think he was saying you're a smug douchebag.
"But people don't know that Microsoft doesn't really have your phone number and aren't monitoring your system."
If these scammers want to catch more people all they need to do is say they're from the NSA calling regarding a downloaded virus or copyrighted on your machine.
But...
- *you* are the one seeking this information
- there's less urgency because you are not on the phone
- you have multiple sources to cross-reference if you wanted
Compare with these scammers:
- they called you, and are trying to convince you of their false identity. they are the ones that want you to do whatever action they are refering to.
- this is over the phone, you must do it now, you machine is not safe. Danger danger danger!
- they make it seem that only they know about this, and you could only ever get help from them
Please call me Mr "The Microsoft" uber tech support. I want you to call me and remote into my specially crafted honey-pod where I can gain all the info I need to take you down.
Next time I get one of these scams, I plan to type the scammer's words into the Eliza program and respond with what it says. Maybe I can find a copy of the Dr. SBAITSO that came with Sound Blaster cards and run that in a DOS box to make it easier. I could just tell him I lost my larynx to cancer.
Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
Who cares windows sucks
"predominantly" ?
I own a computer repair shop, so I see all the random junk at various times. I've had 3 computers come in with this; the first came in because "it had a virus that the Windows guys couldn't fix", and after I explained that "the Windows guys" are a fraud, she decided to bring in her other computer to have me remove their junk as well. The scammer had done A LOT to the computer, changing account permissions so that she coldn't do anything, giving themselves admin access in a separate account, then revoking hers, and had installed 3 different remote desktop applications. While I was looking at it, they connected to it without notice via TeamViewer. I just disconnected it fromt he internet, backed up her files, and wiped it; with how much they'd done, I didn't feel there was any way to be sure I'd gotten it all without starting from scratch. The 3rd was a friend of my mom's; she had falled for the scam and paid $300, then about a month later she saw a bunch of fraudulent charges on her credit card so she cancelled it and got a new number; about a wee later, she got another call from the scammers, telling her that because she uses her computer for games and watching videos, she had to pay another $500 and they would give her extra protection. Thankfully, at that point, she realized they were scammers (she's a little old lady who uses it for email and nothing else, and has no idea how to play any games, or even what YouTube is), and brought the computer to me. The interesting thing is that the scammers had not done as much to her PC as they had to the other customer, which leads me to think that they don't have an automated script, but manually change settings on the computer. That means a lot of time and effort for each mark.
They probably need to remote desktop or get you to install remote software to "fix" whatever malware they intend to install.
I find it difficult to believe you can operate a computer.
I run a phone system that covers 5 exchanges... It's fun watching them when their auto-dialer starts hitting our numbers. I just route them all to the same recording -- which they hit just short of 50,000 times.
I got several calls from the last wave.
I worked them hard, even getting a few of them to admit they are just running a script for easy cash.
This wave is different. My usual "hey, let's fuck with them on the phone" techniques have been accounted for. They hang up much quicker and do not reveal much of anything. Most importantly, they will not entertain basic human conversation easily. It's either advancing the script, or they play dumb hoping you are too and things can proceed anyway, or they are gone.
I damn near got one of them to quit on the spot last wave. Had him on the ropes feeling very shitty about the whole thing. One of these days, I'll get one to go, right then, just leave the phone hanging and walk out.
Fuckers.
Blogging because I can...
I received such a call from Brad with a D.C area code.
His goal was to get me to install remote-access software on my Windows PC.
He was genuinely confused as to why none of the commands he asked me to run weren't working on my Linux computer.
"I believe in Karma. That means I can do bad things to people all day long and I assume they deserve it." : Dogbert
At least four of my friends, including myself, already got these calls.
Bad luck for the "service" we already know what real tech support is.
Someone needs to hunt these people down and destroy them with no prisoners.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
If this an actual thing, where people are able to be scammed (and invoiced!) for f**king over their computers, what about simply cold calling people with a spiel like this but actually FIX their !@#$ computer?
Most everybody has a crapton of malware on their computer, so if you call with a semi-legitimate intro, but actually do at least a half-assed job of fixing their computer, get a remote session going, etc. then why not make a few honest bucks?
Call back the people you've helped in 2-3 weeks and make sure they're happy. Next thing you know, you'll have a following and a legitimate business model.
Stranger things have happened, you know...
I have no problem with your religion until you decide it's reason to deprive others of the truth.
I let them get into their spiel then the females get called a brother fucker, the males get called sister fucker and then I loudly blow a referee's whistle down the phone line and hang up.
That's how Microsoft, and any other decent proprietary software company, creates jobs.
When they called me. I did some research to trace the scammers.
My report is posted here: http://pastehtml.com/view/1d5h8mf.html
They called the wrong number ;)
I had one of these calls about a year ago. It took a couple minutes of stalling for me to get into one of my (totally segregated & packet captured) Windows XP SP1 Honeypots and get it ready. I had both websites and local files of the dirtiest, depraved, disgusting (to most) Gay and BDSM/Orgy porn up. (I'm a male, bi, and on slashdot. No way I'm ashamed of my porn collection)
He remoted in, and in my best, horrified, souther-grandfather voice I kept him on the phone for a good 15 minutes (volume all the way up), chasing pop-up after pop-up that were about as NSFW as humanly possible. After some of my laughter finally broke through into the phone he realized the gambit, and I gave him a decent tongue lashing, along with possible IP and location and went on to gave a much better day.
My father had a run in with these guys back toward the end of September, He picks up the phone and some Indian guy says "I'm from Windows!" and my father responds "Okay, What window are you in?" and he responds "No, The operating system" my father responds "Oh, We only use Linux in these parts ... Can you service linux?" ... "Oh no, only Windows!". Always fun screwing with these people.
I just told my mum to tell the scammers that her computer is an Abacus 1000 and that the user manual is the size of a washing machine and in the other room, and that she would have to go and get the manual before she turns it on.
I was in the local computer discount retailer standing at customer service to return a faulty tablet... The guy next to me has his computer on the counter and the lady is helping him with it ... "Yeah; it's just really really slow... I can't even load the google..." She asks "and these toolbars at the top here, did you install those on purpose?" "No, they just appeared. I can't get rid of them. I even paid $250 to have the computer cleaned of viruses and stuff!" "You did? Was it someone online that you paid to do this?" "Yeah! They called me up because they said my computer was causing problems on the internet and I paid them $250 to clean the viruses off of it but it didn't help at all."
I just turned and looked at the guy... It was weird. He didn't look like an idiot. Looked just like some kid's dad...
This is what I did. I ended up wasting an hour and a half of their time.
agreed, once had the micro$oft fairies raid our warehouse, apparently they shipped us more OEM win98 packages than we had paid for... they came in without warning and walked around the entire building with the CEO picking up any unopened copies sitting around... including the one on my workbench which belonged to a customer. that was when I really began to hate them. up until then I was just hating to be cool.
I'd just like to take this opportunity to point out that Teamviewer does not have an ARMv6 port... it wont run on your raspberry pi so I wouldn't consider that 'truly cross platform' or 'works on linux flawlessly'
ohh, downmodded, must have hit a nerve.
I've dealt with a few of them over the last few years, it can be very entertaining.
The way to do it is to set up a virtual machine with a packet sniffer on it. If you use all the old tricks that you would have learned on the helpdesk, you can even keep them on the phone while you set it up.
Here's a few of the classics to get you started;
"Yes...Ok...right...ok...right..yes...<15 minutes later>...no, sorry, I'll never remember all this. The computers in the other room: If I go in there, would you show me how to do it?...."
"it's a terrible slow old thing, let me start it up <ten minutes later...talking about the grandkids, especially the oh-so-clever favourite who built the computer for you is an excellent way to pass the time> oh, looks like it's frozen, I'll just turn it off and start again..."
"Start button? Oh, he must mean the button on the front of the hard drive! OK...it's shutting down now...OK, it's off, now what?"<20 minutes, easy>
Once you've got it all set up, let them talk you through downloading and running the LogMeIn software on the virtual machine. don't make it too easy for them, now...Did you know the app that you download from LogMeIn is only good for five minutes? If you haven't got it running by then, you'll need to download a new one and try again! Hours of fun and excitement for you both! So, let them connect and then use the packet sniffer to identify the IP address their connection is coming from. Also, here's a fun tip - the local session takes priority over the remote session, so if you are moving the mouse, even just a little bit, they can't! Fun!
Once you've had your fun, and you have their IP address, you can let the authorities know, and their internet connection will become a very interesting place. Briefly.
A friends father in law got scammed with this a few years ago, and my friend was somewhat livid because he'd explicitly told them about such scams and to hang up on anybody who is telling you that. But people don't know that Microsoft doesn't really have your phone number and aren't monitoring your system.
With all of the news coming out about the monitoring done by the government and large corporations (like Google and Microsoft), it will be interesting to see if those on the front line start getting more stories like this.
Actually, going by his .sig, I'm pretty sure he set them all on fire with his mind.
even if it's fake.
i hope you're being paid well, /.
In couple of years later, you'll see a forked version of Node.js which runs on IE JS engine.
If they call, I just tell them I have a Commodore 64. They usually hang up then.
Would it be possible for one of you experts (no sarcasm intended) to run a Windows VM and spend all the time you're talking to them tracing back to their machine? ... find out where they are ... trace their server and cause it to reboot??
Change a few settings
Or even just have "BOO!!" appear on their screen?
Hack the Hackers FTW!
Don't blame me, it's usually 2 in the morning when I post
This scam ONLY works on Windows, because that's what they assume (with a high probability of accuracy) you do use. Just like no one should fall for a call/email from "random bank you do not use", this scam is not
cross platform
even if the remote administration software is.