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Listen To a Microsoft Support Scam As It Happened

Posted by samzenpus on from the can-I-trust-you? dept.

itwbennett writes You know full well that Microsoft will never call you and ask to "access your computer" to help fix a problem. Yet this is a ruse that many unsuspecting computer users fall for and wind up with their machine hacked. CSO writer Steve Ragan, turns the tables during a phone call with a scammer — and he records it all for us to hear. Do yourself a favor and play it for your parents.

15 of 229 comments (clear)

  1. the real problem by slashmydots · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And here's a written transcript of all actions taken by the Indian government to stop this scam:

    1. Re:the real problem by Steve+B · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Why do you think governments should step in?

      Because suppression of fraud is one of the basic responsibilities of a government.

      --
      /. If the government wants us to respect the law, it should set a better example.
  2. sending to partents by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've told my parents so many times not to click on links in an email.....now you're telling me to send them a link and have them click on it?

  3. Funny thing... by stazeii · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Had one of these (and only one)... told them I only had Mac's at home, and the guy got belligerent and said I was lying, then finally after telling him that over and over for a good minute he basically said FU and hung up. Can't imagine what they'd say if I said I only ran Linux, or something really obscure ("Sorry, I only run OpenVMS"). =D So yeah... guess their scheme falls over pretty quickly if you don't have a Windows box...

    1. Re:Funny thing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      LOL If you have only Mac's at home, you've already been scammed.

    2. Re:Funny thing... by Merk42 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Windows are a horrible magnet for this because they're popular, not because they're difficult to use. If Macs had the same market share, they would get targeted too.

    3. Re:Funny thing... by bondsbw · · Score: 5, Funny

      Windows are a horrible magnet because they're glass.

      FTFY

      --
      All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.
  4. NoScript by DrunkenTerror · · Score: 5, Informative

    There are ninety (90) scripts trying to run on that page.

    1. Re:NoScript by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      This always seems to come as a complete surprise to many people, but you can just link directly to an audio or video file. You don't actually need any javascript "playback controls". My OS will take care of that just fine, thank you, and play the file when I click on the link to it. That's what it's for. And it's far more trustworthy than some random site's pile of javascript doing who knows what.

      So yes, zero script is the preferred answer. Like the GP, I disable them locally, so only sites I wish to allow to run scripts can run scripts.

  5. These guys call me every few months... by H0p313ss · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ... and depending on my mood I have several strategies;

    1. Just tell them you only have Linux, they'll hang up immediately.
    2. Musical hold, put the phone next to a speaker and go on with your life.
    3. Tell them you have several computers running various Windows versions, which one did you mean... do you have a hostname or IP address so I can narrow it down? You don't? So how do you know it was my machine again? Really? ... So can I speak to your manager. (So far I've never got a manager.)
    4. Pretend to follow along with their instructions, honestly the most time consuming and least satisfying.

    But the problem is not with us, it's with Joe User who for some reason is unaware that Microsoft isn't phoning everybody. Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.

    --
    XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
    1. Re:These guys call me every few months... by I4ko · · Score: 5, Funny

      Last time I got one of these I was in a playful mood and pretended to be an illiterate, however I answered their questions like I was using a VAX via a green screen VT-100 terminal. Took them 15 minutes to say - "aaah, we are sorry, we don't support that". Especially when they asked me what is the key on the left of Alt and I told them I don't have an "Alt" but a "line feed".

    2. Re:These guys call me every few months... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Recently discussing this with friends we came to the conclusion that the best approach would be:
      State that your girlfriend/wife is the main user of that computer.
      Get increasingly angry that "she" has broken it
      Say she's just come home and you'll be back in 2 minutes - you need to talk to her
      Go into another room, shout, make some loud banging noises then go silent.
      On the phone say "oh god what have I done" repeatedly. Maybe cry.

      Once they hang up, carry on as normal.

  6. Re:Photo of Microsoft scammer by robbyb20 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Crap, i clicked on it.

  7. Re:Which computer? by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It saddens me to see what kind of amateurs and dazzlers muscle into the ancient trade, if not art, of grifting. A professional would have said something akin to "Hmm... sadly I only have one set of data here and it doesn't say exactly what it is but from what's installed that would be a ... laptop?" Chances are that you have a laptop and maybe only one.

    Ah well, heavy sigh... But then again, everyone who perfected the art of sweet talking, telling people what they want to hear and at the same time making them fear the world as they know it comes to an end if they don't listen to him and pay him for it has long since moved on into consulting. More profitable and even legal!

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  8. works in linux too by mejustme · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Maybe 3 years ago I played along with such a caller. I run Ubuntu, but didn't say anything to them about what o/s I was using. When he asked me to visit a web site and download a Windows file from a web page, I laughed inside, thinking nothing would happen. I downloaded the .exe from a throw-away Ubuntu VM I had. Unexpectedly, Ubuntu downloaded Wine, installed it, then ran the .exe file. I was both impressed and scared that Ubuntu had done this automatically to run the .exe file. This resulted in a completely empty Windows (Wine) desktop, to which they of course quickly tried to connect. I kept "accidentally" disabling their control, so they could only look. When I finally gave them access, they were very confused that it had none of the usual Windows applications and menus they were expecting to see, nor did their usual password changing and locking work. More and more people on their end of the call were talking on the phone, trying to figure out what was going on.

    After nearly an hour on the phone, I had enough and told them I was a software developer, and they hadn't scammed me. They swore at me and hung up. Immediately, I got a phone call from someone else saying he was calling to help me unlock my computer for a fee. Obviously as soon as they lock a desktop, they must trigger something in their call system so someone else calls back to earn some money.