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/.../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.



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...