Fake tech support virus phone scam from logmein12...

[digitaltoast]

I got a call on the 16th of January with an "out of area" (ie: overseas, not "uk withheld") caller ID.

He had a thick strong accent and started off by saying:
"Hello Mr Marshall, this is the Windows XP service provider - we have had a report from your computer that it is infected". Well, that's not my name, but one I use on forms where I think spam might result.

At this point, I started recording the call - the only problem is that the recording is illegible! I'm trying to clean it up so will post as soon as I do - I've got a blog post about this scam at http://www.digitaltoast.co.uk/fake-t...-logmein123com

I was also noting it down, and here's what he told me to do:

Go to the start>run menu and type in

"p as in peter, r as in romeo, e as in echo, f as in foxtrot" - etc etc, to cut a long story short, he wanted me to type in

"prefetch virus" in the run prompt. As it happens, I know exactly what that would do - it simply opens the windows prefetch folder. The word "virus" is ignored

(For a bit more info on what this normal windows folder is, click here. As a rule, however, unless you know exactly what the result is going to be do not start following instructions random strangers tell you to do!)

"OK sir, can you please tell me how many files there are?"
I told him 30.
"Oh my gosh, this is a sign of very heavy infection. You must not touch these files. [about the only truthful part of the call]. Please now clear this box and type 'temp' and press enter".

Again, "your computer has very heavy infection with so many files". He then babbled some crap about how these file were your f-a-t32 system files and that "at any time these files could scratch your hard drive". Riiiighhhht.....

Then came the money shot. "We will connect you now with an agent, please go to www.logmein123.com"
As I had full armoury on (google toolbar, avg, running Chrome etc), so I decided to check it out. It redirected to https://secure.logmeinrescue.com/Customer/Code.aspx

After some chitchat in which he confirmed my (incorrect, spamtrap) home address, he then said "I will now connect you to an agent - for this there is just a small one-time charge of £12".
Before I let him take my details, I said I wanted to check what company it was. Again, he said it was "your Windows XP service provider" (whatever the hell that means).
To the answer "where are you based and what is your name", bear in mind this man had a VERY thick/strong Indian accent and was calling from a scratchy overseas number.
"My name is Kevin Watts and we are based in Bradford". Gold-dust! You couldn't make it up! (Well, he obviously had).

I asked him to hold while I got my card. I put it on speakerphone and went down to make a cup of tea. I brewed up a nice cup of Yorkshire Tea, found a biscuit, did a bit of washing up, and went back upstairs. FIVE MINUTES later he was still going "Mr Marshall? Can you hear me?". Nothing if not persistant! I then just decided to have a bit of fun and pretended he'd been put through to the UK police! Immediately, a supervisor (another strong Indian accent) came on the line sounding very surprised, and claimed that "Mr Marshall contacted us"!

So there you go - be warned. If I can get the audio up, I will. Please post a comment here or on the blog if you've had this call.

[CHR15]

Good to see a post like this where the OP didn't fall for it!!

Have you registered with the TPS to stop these cold callers (not sure it would have worked with this call if it was from outside UK but it certainly helps with a lot of cold calls).

[digitaltoast]

Originally Posted by CHR15

Good to see a post like this where the OP didn't fall for it!!

Have you registered with the TPS to stop these cold callers (not sure it would have worked with this call if it was from outside UK but it certainly helps with a lot of cold calls).

Yes, good point, Chr15 - always worth registering for, and we are, but as you note, it doesn't work for overseas calls.

[marleyboy]

Brilliant toast, can I just ask....at what point did they hang up?

[x64Raptor]

Same thing happened to me. I’m in the US, (Atlanta, Georgia). Call came in on 1/21/2009 @ 13:45 UTC-5.

They have modified their script a little bit. Now they just say “Windows provider” and “spyware”.

Had the same thick accent, on a very poor quality connection. (Probably somewhere in India or Nigeria.)

I literally just got off the phone with Adobe tech support in India and this guy calls. Makes me wonder if there is a breach in the Indian telecom system. (Check your phone system BSNL, MTNL and PSU.)

[fashionfunky]

Just had the same phone call - knew straight away it was some kind of scam so I played along with him for about 20 minutes. The bloke seemed more gullible than anybody he could ever speak to. What a drongo. At one point I put the phone down after saying bye and he had the audacity to phone back asking what the problem was - genius.

[katat]

Thanks I had the same phonecall this morning.Didn't go any further than writing the web site on a piece of papper.

[Spiggle Bum]

I've also been called by these people on more than one occasions..

How do they get my number ? :confused:

[Q Who?]

Hi all
I had one of these calls yesterday. A chap with a very strong Indian accent told me that as I was paying my broadband bill on time every month I was being given a new service, 24 hour computer support! At first I wasn't sure as I haven't heard of this type of scam before. However I was dubious as he hadn't mentioned my isp by name. He said they can help with any problem, such as installing software or problems with my pc running slow. Then he told me that they could install their own antivirus software and by means of "the latest technology" connect to my pc and do the work without me having to worry He told me that he would get more details now and then tomorrow someone would phone me back and get everything setup. I asked which company he represented and he said it was my isp. I asked who my isp was and he said Virgin. It isn't. I told him this and he asked who my isp was. I told him that I wasn't going to say and that if he thought I was daft enough to surrender my computer by means of remote desktop he had another.....the line went dead. Even if he had given me the right name I wouldn't have gone for it. Worrying though.
Is this a common scam? There doesn't seem to be much about it on the web. It would also be interesting to know how they knew my name and that I had broadband. Unless it was a lucky guess?
What a wonderful world!:confused:
Cheers
Q

[furndire]

I got the same call this morning.

[dacouch]

Was he selling "Internet Service Providings" ????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8woC9B30zE

Loving the fonejacker...

[Hackneyboy]

Thank goodness for this thread. I found out yesterday that my mother-in-law fell for the scam. Unfortunately she went so far as to let him take control of her laptop and gave him her bank details.

On the bank side of things, she was fortunate not to have enough in her account to clear the £57 a year that he was offering to take out. He's due to give her a call on Saturday to try again, We've since phoned her bank and they've cancelled her card etc. There's been no activity on the card.

However, what happens about her laptop? She's with AOL/Carphone Warehouse. Can he log into her laptop at any time? And can he log on to another family member's computer as they share the same wifi connection? What's the best course of action? I've suggested changing all passwords using a different connection, but does more need to be done?

[JohnLennon]

I had a call like this today.
Firstly there was no one on the other line, then it sounded like my phone was phoning out.
A guy with a strong Indian accent answered. He said that he represented a computer support company in Bradford and that my computer was infected with a virus.
I was immediately suspicious, so I told him all my computers run Linux. He didn't seem to know what Linux is (strange for a computer support guy) and then rang off.

[digitaltoast]

Originally Posted by dacouch

Was he selling "Internet Service Providings" ????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8woC9B30zE

Loving the fonejacker...

That is GENIUS! In fact, some of the calls use exactly this language. Thanks for a great Thursday chuckle!

And thanks to JohnLennon for the report, too.

[macman]

Originally Posted by Hackneyboy

Thank goodness for this thread. I found out yesterday that my mother-in-law fell for the scam. Unfortunately she went so far as to let him take control of her laptop and gave him her bank details.

On the bank side of things, she was fortunate not to have enough in her account to clear the £57 a year that he was offering to take out. He's due to give her a call on Saturday to try again, We've since phoned her bank and they've cancelled her card etc. There's been no activity on the card.

However, what happens about her laptop? She's with AOL/Carphone Warehouse. Can he log into her laptop at any time? And can he log on to another family member's computer as they share the same wifi connection? What's the best course of action? I've suggested changing all passwords using a different connection, but does more need to be done?

They can only log in when the laptop is on and connected to the net. If file sharing is enabled on your network then yes, they could view files on other connected PC's that are switched on. They will have downloaded software onto the laptop to enable the connection to be made. As long as that software is removed then they cannot log in. So just check to see what they have installed, and uninstall it.
Since they have already been connected, you would be wise to change all passwords used on the network anyway

[lil_miss_sunshine89]

i just got the phonecall now the phonecall, lasted about twenty minutes i nearly pressed enter, when i was typing in the code they told me to write in the run bit when i just stopped and thought this is to dodgy so i was explaining i did not belive them and that it was sooo a scam and they kept repeatin the excat same thing over and over again like she just was reading a script and then got kinda agressive when i just said i really dont belive you in the slightest so she got her supervisor it was like she was sittin next to him didnt put me on hold and very strong accent indian man came to the phone and he was excatly sayin the same thing so i just put the phone down and they rang me back 6 times!!! x

[lil_miss_sunshine89]

o also they rang up as soon as i set up in internet wireless routa which seems abit strange and im with skyx

[YorkshireManc]

I got my call from "Online PC Store" from a chap called "Michael Smith" in the same thick indian accent (International caller ID) He took me to the Microsoft event viewer and told me that any more than 5 errors and my computer would be fatally damaged beyond repair (there were hundreds over months) he asked me to type logmein123 web address in the run bar, at which point I googled it, and came to this page.

What a jerk. He was really persistant too, called me back three times!!

[lincroft1710]

I've had similar calls a few months ago, but can't remember who they claimed to be. Just refused to agree to their request to turn on my computer. After 3rd call they gave up.

[raven-lunar]

just had the same type of call from number 034009054, asian guy telling me my computer was giving out virus signals from windows, (well something like that, the accent was so strong and the line quite bad) told him that wasnt possible i own and run a mac, (I don't but it sure did confuse him ) after jabbering on a bit about windows and viruses and me keep saying but i have a mac he very rudely hung up!!!
where are they getting our numbers from?