Heads up on a hacking scam via phone

[Taskmage]

I don't expect any of you would fall for this, but here it is anyway. I got a call today from a man with a thick Indian accent who claimed to be from the Windows Service Department of Innovative Solutions, who wanted to convince me that their "global routing system" allowed them to see when my computer was connected to the internet, and through it they discovered that my computer had been "corrupted." They attempted to prove this to me (after asking me to turn on my computer, which was already on and connected to the internet, already disproving their premise) by having me run eventvwr (Windows Event Viewer) and showing me application errors they claimed were a result of corruption (some errors are perfectly normal) and then telling me to open a .pnf file and asking me if I knew why there were files on my computer that it didn't know how to open. When I explained why, he hung up on me, so I didn't get to learn the payoff of the scam. Point is, if someone calls your phone claiming your computer is corrupted they are almost certainly full of shit and trying to trick you into installing malware on your computer or giving them compromising information. The safest thing would be to hang up immediately.

Staying on the line to troll them has mixed results. I wanted to bang my head on the desk just communicating with the guys. My friend who got this call managed to frustrate her guy into raging out and making sexual comments towards her, which she did not consider to be a win.

[Takelli]

Re: Heads up on a hacking scam via phone

Hmmmm....

I had a call like this a few years ago. The person claimed they where from google, and that our computer was sending viruses to other computer through google....

Some people will try anything to get information. And, if they really wanted to, they could already have the information.

[Jarre]

Re: Heads up on a hacking scam via phone

They have been contacting the Uk for the last year, told my father his laptop had a virus on and they could fix it for him if he allowed them access to his laptop. Thing is he doesn't own a laptop. i have had in total in 6 months 7 calls from this company and easy way to get them to hang up is to tell them you own a mac! My mates wifes father was stupid enough to fall for it (like many scams, he has gullable on his forehead) but they say they can fix it all for you for a fee and charged him £120 to "fix it". after my mate and I exhausted scans of his computer we found nothing wrong and made sure they had not put malware on.

[Fliegar]

Re: Heads up on a hacking scam via phone

I also had a call from a guy claiming to be from "Windows Quality Assurance" telling me my computer was messed up. I asked him why it wasn't Microsoft Quality Assurance, then started asking him what my IP was if he was able to see my computer online. He hung up on me before I could yell. D:

Come to think of it, he didn't sound half as impressive as any of your calls. I feel left out.

[Gobo]

Re: Heads up on a hacking scam via phone

Same thing happened to me as Fliegar. Indian women calls and says she is from Windows and asks if I "use internet." I just kept saying "Hello?" over and over until she hung up.

[Satori]

Re: Heads up on a hacking scam via phone

How do they even know you own these products?
Or how do they know you are the person responsible for that item in the first place?

[Aeni]

Re: Heads up on a hacking scam via phone

Past couple of nights I've gotten a "Mabuhay" and a blurb about getting supplemental auto insurance. From the Philippines. And then I've been getting these calls from China (I presume, caller ID was blocked) with obnoxious twats trolling me in either Mandarin or Cantonese about something. I tell them I'm not Chinese and to go drown themselves in the nearest lake. I've registered my call on the "Do Not Call List" but I guess it doesn't apply to International calls.

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Same thing happened to me as Fliegar. Indian women calls and says she is from Windows and asks if I "use internet." I just kept saying "Hello?" over and over until she hung up.

"Moshi moshi" or "Yoboseyo" ... works all the time.

[Takelli]

Re: Heads up on a hacking scam via phone

Past couple of nights I've gotten a "Mabuhay" and a blurb about getting supplemental auto insurance. From the Philippines. And then I've been getting these calls from China (I presume, caller ID was blocked) with obnoxious twats trolling me in either Mandarin or Cantonese about something. I tell them I'm not Chinese and to go drown themselves in the nearest lake. I've registered my call on the "Do Not Call List" but I guess it doesn't apply to International calls.
.

Just blow a whistle in their ears. We kept getting people who kept prank calling us, an we kept asking them to stop calling us. We even registered a complaint for harrassment with the police. But nothing stopped them, so we started blowing a whistle in their ears. They would call us at 2:30 in the morning too. I think it was justified.

[Aeni]

Re: Heads up on a hacking scam via phone

Just blow a whistle in their ears. We kept getting people who kept prank calling us, an we kept asking them to stop calling us. We even registered a complaint for harrassment with the police. But nothing stopped them, so we started blowing a whistle in their ears. They would call us at 2:30 in the morning too. I think it was justified.

+100 I completely support this. Too bad automated calls can't be stopped with this method.