Discussion:
Another scam
(too old to reply)
Graham J
2010-10-11 09:03:07 UTC
Permalink
One I've heard about recently:

User receives a call from "some Windows Operating System person saying that
computer has downloaded some virus malware". Goes on to offer a lifetime
resolution of the problem for a single reasonable payment ...!!!
--
Graham J
Jim
2010-10-11 12:13:33 UTC
Permalink
Post by Graham J
User receives a call from "some Windows Operating System person saying that
computer has downloaded some virus malware". Goes on to offer a lifetime
resolution of the problem for a single reasonable payment ...!!!
Any ideas on how the caller found your phone number from the problem
download.

Have Fun,
Jim
Graham J
2010-10-11 13:12:58 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jim
Post by Graham J
User receives a call from "some Windows Operating System person saying that
computer has downloaded some virus malware". Goes on to offer a lifetime
resolution of the problem for a single reasonable payment ...!!!
Any ideas on how the caller found your phone number from the problem
download.
I've heard about 2 cases so far. One is with Tiscali, other is with Zen. I
can believe that Tiscali have sold (or allowed out) their customer list with
phone numbers. I would doubt that of Zen.

In the Tiscali case the computer was seen to report software crashes via
what appeared to be the usual MS mechanism. There could also have been a
keylogger virus. However Malwarebytes found only trivial tracking cookies
and the computer behaved impeccably while it was with me for investigation.

Given that most people have computers, and that most of those computers
crash from time to time, then I would think that making calls at random
would stand a pretty good chance of finding somebody who could be convinced
that they did have a computer problem.
--
Graham J
Denis McMahon
2010-10-11 15:59:40 UTC
Permalink
Post by Graham J
Post by Jim
Post by Graham J
User receives a call from "some Windows Operating System person saying that
computer has downloaded some virus malware". Goes on to offer a lifetime
resolution of the problem for a single reasonable payment ...!!!
Any ideas on how the caller found your phone number from the problem
download.
I've heard about 2 cases so far. One is with Tiscali, other is with Zen. I
can believe that Tiscali have sold (or allowed out) their customer list with
phone numbers. I would doubt that of Zen.
In the Tiscali case the computer was seen to report software crashes via
what appeared to be the usual MS mechanism. There could also have been a
keylogger virus. However Malwarebytes found only trivial tracking cookies
and the computer behaved impeccably while it was with me for investigation.
Given that most people have computers, and that most of those computers
crash from time to time, then I would think that making calls at random
would stand a pretty good chance of finding somebody who could be convinced
that they did have a computer problem.
I had one of these calls a few weeks ago. Unfortunately my internet
explorer browser was repeatedly unable to run their active-x virus
scanner - hardly surprising as the browser is running on a linux box
under wine.

I'm pretty sure they use random uk phone numbers.

Rgds

Denis McMahon

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