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Tech Support Scammers Used Victims' Webcams To Secretly Record 'Testimonials' For YouTube (gizmodo.com)
A team of scammers sneakily filmed dozens of Australians by remotely accessing their webcams, then uploaded those videos onto YouTube, according to Australian news outlet ABC. From a report: The victims were reportedly lured in through a false tech support operation. One victim, Geoff Sussman, told ABC he looked online for a service that could help him download Adobe software. He says he was duped by a fake Adobe support page claiming to provide "Support for Adobe Australia," and called a 1-800 number on the site. The number led him to an operation called Macpatchers, which told him he had a virus and asked him to download software to give them remote access to his computer. This is a common scam technique, but Macpatchers seems to have taken it a step farther and asked him to read a script that appeared on the screen, claiming he was pleased with the service. Unbeknownst to him, Macpatchers were accessing his camera, and recorded the statement. The group then reportedly uploaded the video to YouTube along with the videos of 68 other victims -- a chorus of fake testimonials recommending the service. A man who describes himself as a "scam-baiter" uncovered the operation and shared his finding with ABC. He told ABC that Macpatchers recommended he check out their reviews.
I have a relative who fell for a "free Microsoft service" scam. (No cam here.) The family eventually had to lock their credit and bunches of other headaches because of stolen personal info.
He fell for it for two reasons. First, he's up there in age and not so clear-thinking these days. Second, he's a cheap-skate and didn't want to pay for real service. The idea of "free" always made him giddy, even before his marbles started slipping away.
Table-ized A.I.
Need we say anything more?
but Macpatchers seems to have taken it a step farther and asked him to read a script that appeared on the screen, claiming he was pleased with the service. Unbeknownst to him, Macpatchers were accessing his camera, and recorded the statement. The group then reportedly uploaded the video to YouTube along with the videos of 68 other victims -- a chorus of fake testimonials recommending the service.
If you are willing to perform like a trained monkey, I'm not sure anything can help you.
This shit is so evil as to be ... actively funny.
Hey, you know what else would be funny? Tracking down the muppets that pull this crap and breaking their knees on video. It'd be a great testimonial for the baseball bats used. "See, they smash over and over without splintering! Buy Sweet Revenge brand baseball bats today!"
A truly excellent pizza parlor is a delight unto the heavens. Treasure the sauce and the toppings!
Who allowed us to get to this point. Then the tech company CEOs who helped make the necessity of it believable. Then the developers who implemented it because their fat paychecks were more important than their morality.
After we've gotten that far you can start beating on the citizenry for either voting these schmucks in, not educating themselves in regards to tech, or for falling for these scams.
It's beatings all the way down.
The part that weirds me out the most, they read the script out loud?
I mean, they didn't think the webcam was on, and they were asked to read a script which supposedly no one could hear. But they read it out loud? And not even in a mumbling, under-their-breath voice, but a clear enough voice with convicing emotion that could be used in a marketing video? When they thought no one could hear them?
Adobe support was demanding I give them a new card for payment and canceled my sub even though the card was still good for 3 months and didn't care that the bank wouldn't send me a new card until the last month the card was good for. kept saying my card was expired every time I talked to them. Be nice if I could just buy the product instead of this stupid subing crap now.
Jesus Fucking Christ. This clown did everything but drive over to the scammer's house and hand them cash. Is it really a crime to take money from someone this gullible?
I had a spare VM image lying around when they called my parents. Was curious what they actually 'did'.
Got me to download LogMeIn and guided me to Event Viewer. Pointed out "red crosses" as signs of a virus. They then proceeded to poke around the PC, occasionally firing up Regedit, and just generally looking through folders.
At the end of the process, I explained I'd just been following along as I was curious what the patter was, he attempted to delete My Documents, My Pictures and My Music, and proceeded to swear at me for wasting his time.
For the same reason that pickpocketing is still a popular form of employment in many places; because there's a shortage of jobs, and an extreme shortage of jobs for those who have no education and limited skillsets.
This kind of venture - as compared to pickpocketing - obviously takes more effort and money to set up in the first place, but it takes far less effort and money than setting up a real business with a tangible product which is in demand and competitively priced. When you're scamming people you don't really have to worry about pricing, demand, and competition (or at least not as much).
It's an especially attractive line of business when you're living in some third world shithole and targeting people in first world nations. There's not much you can steal from your neighbours, let alone legitimately earn by selling to them, whereas fleecing a single westerner can keep you fed and happy for the next few weeks.
https://downloads.tomsguide.co...
#DeleteFacebook
My mother-in-law was hit with this one. As her "tech support guy", I then had to reformat her PC. They're very slick in gaining people's trust. They ask them to download the software and then read all their stored passwords out to them. Not only is it the money, but it also makes people feel stupid to anyone who finds out they fell for it. It's only going to get worse - what will happen once scammers can emulate other people's voices really well? What about fake photos too? Should old people no longer have a phone?