Computer Security Scam

[smidsy]

Anyone else been getting these lately, they claim to be from a net security centre and have found problems on your pc - of course what they really want is remote access to your pc to get bank passwords and the like.
I went 6 months without a one and I've had almost 1 a day the last week - tried to put off tonights one saying I didn't have a computer, he quoted my address at me, then rung back 3 times without saying anything after I hung up on him.
I run adaware and spybot search & destroy (which I know aren't fool proof) but just wondering if anyone is getting a rash of these calls lately.
Cheers

[Mobyturns]

Anyone else been getting these lately, they claim to be from a net security centre and have found problems on your pc - of course what they really want is remote access to your pc to get bank passwords and the like.
I went 6 months without a one and I've had almost 1 a day the last week - tried to put off tonights one saying I didn't have a computer, he quoted my address at me, then rung back 3 times without saying anything after I hung up on him.
I run adaware and spybot search & destroy (which I know aren't fool proof) but just wondering if anyone is getting a rash of these calls lately.
Cheers

Yes. Just hang up, don't even entertain them. If they harrass you report it. In your instance the repeated call backs are unacceptable but as these grubs are offshore it is hard to effectively take action against them.
Its easy for them to sound convincing with information straight from a "phone book" listing. If they really were legit they would know a heck of lot more about your PC, and operating system than you do.

http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/693900 give warnings on many known scams

[Opelblues2]

not at the moment, but im sitting behind a server

[ubute]

Whenever we get those calls they seem a few over a week then nothing for months. Usually fob them off pretty easily by saying we don't have a computer, or are not on the internet cos I don't trust it as there's too many viruses and scammers, they generally give up pretty quickly.

The other one I've gotten a few times is a call from "Telstra" saying that I have a virus and it's used up all my download quota and my net will get disconnected and I'll get all these fines blah blah blah. They get the same treatment.

[A Duke]

Hi,
The original mob got busted but it's so tempting that others give it a go and try it on every now and then.
Regards

[Glenn.Visca]

I take great pleasure in sitting on the phone with them, pressing random keys and clacking on keyboard ... And hearing them getting more and more frustrated.

When they tell me my computer has been reporting messages, I ask which one ? They say .. how many do you have ? I say ... 7 !

I read an article where a guy in Canada messed with them for near 90 minutes .. the scammer wanted to abandon the call .. the dude from Canada wouldn't let him ... Saying he demanded the scammer help him stop his computer generating these errors !

[dougturner]

[QUOTE=smidsy;1774443]Anyone else been getting these lately, they claim to be from a net security centre and have found problems on your pc - of course what they really want is remote access to your pc to get bank passwords and the like.
I went 6 months without a one and I've had almost 1 a day the last week - tried to put off tonights one saying I didn't have a computer, he quoted my address at me, then rung back 3 times without saying anything after I hung up on him.
I run adaware and spybot search & destroy (which I know aren't fool proof) but just wondering if anyone is getting a rash of these calls lately.
Cheers

Smidsy, we get these from time to time. If my wife answers the call, she very nicely asks them to hold on for a minute while she "tends to baby", "turns off jug" or whatever, and then just places the phone on the desk, still connected, and continues with whatever she is doing. Some time later she just puts the phone back on the cradle and continues with her work. Her theory is that it will tie up their phone line for a while, and just pee them off. I don't know if it does, but it gives her a giggle. Doug. :;

[Cliff Rogers]

I always ask them "Which one."

They usually try to tell me my home computer or my windows computer.

I just keep asking "Which one."

Eventually they ask how many I have, I tell them "3 or 4 or 5, today I have 4 switched on, which one is sending the errors."

Eventually they give in & say that they can't tell which one but it is one of them.

I ask them how they know that.

They try to tell me because of my ISP.

Again, I ask them "Which one, I have 2."

They try really hard to talk me into getting in front of any computer so that they can do some tests.

I tell them if they aren't smart enough they should get somebody smarter to help them.

I point out that if they can't tell me anything about the computer or the ISP I am using then I find it VERY hard to believe that they know what they are talking about.

I also point out that if I have 3 or 4 or 5 computers & more than one internet connection, maybe, just maybe I have an idea of what I am doing.

I also point out that if they hadn't worked that out for themselves that maybe, just maybe, they weren't smart enough to be ringing up trying to scam people.

At about this point they start to become defensive.

That is when I tell them what low down, lying thieves they are & they should get off the phone & go & get a real job.

[smidsy]

Last week I was in the mood for fun so I put on a fake german accent and kept telling them my window is working fine cos I could see the blonde with big t*ts next door quite nicely.
It just bugs me when they quote my address at me - I guess that will teach me to remember to make the phone silent when I get it connected which I usually do.

[Cliff Rogers]

....
It just bugs me when they quote my address at me .....
Just tell them that is in the phone book & ask them what your IP address is & what ISP you connect through.... that will bugger them up.

[BobL]

You could always invoke the "Computer says No" skit from Little Britain.

[Poppa]

Great idea. Haven't tried that one. I've done the "hang on a minute, I'll be right back", and I've played along with them as well. Lately I've taken to shouting "Don't call me anymore" very loudly down the line. One of them quoted an error number at me, so I searched it on google. It is a common number that is on everyone's pc, and is used by the scammers to convince gullible callers that they really do know what is happening on your computer. After stringing that one along for a while I asked him whether he felt good about trying to steal money from gullible people and whether he really felt this was the best way he could find to make a living. That seemed to shut him up...

[Handyjack]

Try this.
When you get an unwanted call ask for their details.
Company name - now that was not hard was it.
Return phone number so I can contact you, and your name, please spell it slowly so I can write it down.
Now that we have that, what is your address. Let us start with the country you are calling from.

By this stage they are usually well off their script and ready to chuck it in, if not keep going.

Now what city, it is not hard, what city are you calling from?
Now the street name and number, please spell it out slowly so I can write it down correctly.

This should take at least 5 minutes (if they last this long) after which you can say sorry I have to go.

:D

You should get as much info from them but give nothing in return.

[DavidG]

One I use when I don't feel like playing with them..

"I run Linux not Windows."

They hangup real quick.

Probably work with Apple too.

[crowie]

I have a pastor mate, who just asks them to hold a few seconds then starts reading the Bible to them......
most of the time they don't bother hanging on the line...

[_fly_]

Ask them how proud their parents and grandparents must be knowing that their child is a thief and scam artist.
They don't like that.
Or tell them that the court does not allow you to have internet access as part of your parole for killing 2 people on your last trip to India.

[BEKKY]

Had one the other day and as I was'nt doing much decided to play along, the computer was'nt even on at the time.
He asked a lot of questions and said to press certain keys, after giving him a lot of silly answers he said, "You're a liar you bloody idiot" and hung up.
Have fun leading them on,
Keith.:D:D

[smidsy]

I had one back in 2010, when he told me the windows problem speil I asked him how he knew I had windows, that I might have Mac or linux - he said "oh f*ck" and hung up.

[Mobyturns]

After receiving a few such calls one morning when on sick leave recovering from a significant illness I got to the point where I had enough. My wife had gone out for a short while, so I had to get up again to answer the phone and it was that pest again so I hung up. :(

About 10 minutes later another call so I gave the caller a blast. :(( Then another 10 minutes or so the phone rang again and after getting out of my sick bed again I wasn't to happy but before I could say a thing this nice friendly female voice very quickly said "I'm not them." :oo: I had given her the blast and thankfully she had hung up before she had got the worst of it. Turned out she was from the Brisbane Hospital I had recently been in & was doing a routine follow up survey to check on my surgery progress etc. :-

[AlexS]

A referee's whistle works just fine.

[Bob38S]

Have said it before - probably very rude but "they" are using my phone and taking up my time etc.

If I have the time and or inclination - wind them up and or waste their time and dollars.

If they catch me at a bad time the I break into their spiel with 2 questions.

"Are you interested in travel?"

as most appear to young/overseas etc they answer "Yes" quite quickly

"Are you interested in sex?"

throws them a bit {by now they are well and truly out of their spiel} but have never had one answer "No"

Now the statement "Well then, why don't you F##k off."

Must admit not a usual part of my vocab but it seems to be the only term that is understood by these pests. Have only had to do it a few times a year as they must put me on their own do not call list.

[A Duke]

Had one the other day and as I was'nt doing much decided to play along, the computer was'nt even on at the time.
He asked a lot of questions and said to press certain keys, after giving him a lot of silly answers he said, "You're a liar you bloody idiot" and hung up.
Have fun leading them on,
Keith.:D:DThey must be learning some Australian answers at last, pity they don't do it instead of passing it on.
:):D

[smidsy]

What we need, and the technology is probably there, is a means to either opt out of, or ID (maybe through caller ID) incoming calls that originate from an IP phone since most of them use IP phones to call from India.

[rrich]

There is a thing here about generating electricity from solar energy. :o

It is not a scam but a PITA. So I play along.

The way that it works is that the panel installation is "free" (yeah, right) based upon not paying for electricity but using that money to pay the loan for the panels.

I take one of two attacks to waste as much of their time as possible.

The first one is into their spiel they ask, "How much is your electric power bill?" I answer that I don't pay for electricity. Then we go into the how can you do that / are you off the grid etc.? Finally I tell them that the landlord pays the bill.

The other attack is that we go through the place of installation for the panels. I don't have a carport. I'll ask if I need neighbors permission? No we're not in a Home Owner Association area. Why neighbors permission? Well they live above us. Usually again more disbelief. Then I'll tell them that we live in a condominium.

The real problem is that you're not going to stop the calls so you might have as much fun as possible with the idiots.

BTW - Here in the US we are allowed to have any name listed in the phone book and attached to our caller I/D. I use "None Xyzzy". Pronounced non-E' Zizzy. Some of you may recognize xyzzy as a very old 'magic word'.

[The Bleeder]

I used to get a lot of cold callers and scammers....now I let the Fax machine answer them. It's kind of fun listening to them talk to a squealing fax machine.

Not many ring back and them I'm off their list.

Everyone else knows my mobile number and my policy is 'no number no answer', 'don't know that number no answer'

Seems to work and I don't have any stress......that I know of.

[Sebastiaan56]

I haven't had one for a while. I asked the last one what the blue screen meant, kept her busy for about 15 minutes.

The one I keep getting at work is "now the NBN is in your area you need to replace your phone system" yeh right, NBN....

[Skew's_Girl]

How to make a scam artist their pants.

Them: Hello, I am Ciza, I'm calling from the IT Department of Windows--
Me: One moment please. [Hold the phone away from my mouth and make a couple clicks], can you say your name again for the record?"
Them: My name is Ciza, and I'm calling from the IT department of Windows because we have been receiving notifications that your computer has become infected and viruses are corrupting your system. I need you to--
Me: Ciza, I'm required by law to inform you that this call is being recorded and traced as part of an ongoing investigation by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. This number has been associated with Illegal Arms Dealing under the new International Anti Terrorism laws and thereby all incoming and outgoing calls WILL be THOROUGHLY investigated as part of the upcoming court case. You and any one associated with this number will be expected to --
[CLICK]

Never laughed so hard in my life. I've got a really great phone voice when I want to; I wonder if they started frantically packing or just hoped I was a spoof.

Skew has been a Sys Admin and I've been a programmer in Computer games so we love taking them for a ride. We especially love laying on the jargon "Are the messages coming in on Tcp-ip, Dhcp, SMTP or PCP? The router logs aren't showing any messages to 127.14 or 128.11 so you can't be receiving them directly? Just one second we'll double check the Bastion Gateway; you're probably registering the honeypot again."

[Ironwood]

A referee's whistle works just fine.

A loud whistle does indeed work. My Wife has put one beside the phone to use on these scumbags. They dont like it when they get a loud blast, in fact after 3 times they have stopped ringing our number.

[crowie]

How to make a scam artist their pants.

Them: Hello, I am Ciza, I'm calling from the IT Department of Windows--
Me: One moment please. [Hold the phone away from my mouth and make a couple clicks], can you say your name again for the record?"
Them: My name is Ciza, and I'm calling from the IT department of Windows because we have been receiving notifications that your computer has become infected and viruses are corrupting your system. I need you to--
Me: Ciza, I'm required by law to inform you that this call is being recorded and traced as part of an ongoing investigation by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. This number has been associated with Illegal Arms Dealing under the new International Anti Terrorism laws and thereby all incoming and outgoing calls WILL be THOROUGHLY investigated as part of the upcoming court case. You and any one associated with this number will be expected to --
[CLICK]

Never laughed so hard in my life. I've got a really great phone voice when I want to; I wonder if they started frantically packing or just hoped I was a spoof.

Skew has been a Sys Admin and I've been a programmer in Computer games so we love taking them for a ride. We especially love laying on the jargon "Are the messages coming in on Tcp-ip, Dhcp, SMTP or PCP? The router logs aren't showing any messages to 127.14 or 128.11 so you can't be receiving them directly? Just one second we'll double check the Bastion Gateway; you're probably registering the honeypot again."

This is excellent....well done similar to a programmer friends response....
They must be bombarding the Blue Mountains at present as I've had a 12 calls this past month...
I've taken to answering the phone with my grade 7 German, only remember a few words BUT the beeps come quick.....

[Burnsy]

Had one tonight, was reading on here whilst I strung him along, "press the windows ikon and R at the same time, what has happened" he says. "Naked ladies" I say, "there are naked ladies on my screen" he just kept on going, ignoring it, I kept him on the line for 5 minutes before I got bored and said "I'm bored now, F....off" and hung up.

The best ones are the ones that ring and say you have a problem with your windows. I always tell them "yeah I know they are very dirty can you send some around to clean them". :D

[Dalboy]

Maybe try playing this back to them

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&uact=8&sqi=2&ved=0CF4QFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.digyourowngrave.com%2Ftom-mabe-telemarketer-crime-scene-prank%2F&ei=39ABVN-hCIbjavKGguAK&usg=AFQjCNFT005DBJ24asqL5GxrhaZn3RwtsA&sig2=2Es0iGIWsbMijmDRj-qtAg

[crowie]

Maybe try playing this back to them

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&uact=8&sqi=2&ved=0CF4QFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.digyourowngrave.com%2Ftom-mabe-telemarketer-crime-scene-prank%2F&ei=39ABVN-hCIbjavKGguAK&usg=AFQjCNFT005DBJ24asqL5GxrhaZn3RwtsA&sig2=2Es0iGIWsbMijmDRj-qtAg

I think Skews Girl has been upstaged..... :roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

[chrisb691]

Maybe try playing this back to them

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&uact=8&sqi=2&ved=0CF4QFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.digyourowngrave.com%2Ftom-mabe-telemarketer-crime-scene-prank%2F&ei=39ABVN-hCIbjavKGguAK&usg=AFQjCNFT005DBJ24asqL5GxrhaZn3RwtsA&sig2=2Es0iGIWsbMijmDRj-qtAg

That is an absolute gem. :D

[Skew's_Girl]

Maybe try playing this back to them

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&uact=8&sqi=2&ved=0CF4QFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.digyourowngrave.com%2Ftom-mabe-telemarketer-crime-scene-prank%2F&ei=39ABVN-hCIbjavKGguAK&usg=AFQjCNFT005DBJ24asqL5GxrhaZn3RwtsA&sig2=2Es0iGIWsbMijmDRj-qtAg

YES! I've always wanted to do a homicide scene. I've been a pre-homicide one "Help! Help! He's got a knife! AHHHH! AHHHH! [click]"
But never a post mortem.
*insert evil Grinch grin here* Must practice, just in case I get the opportunity.