Strange telephone call about corrupted files?

Ximian

Next time one of these idiots call, tell them:

a) I run Linux, so your knowledge about MY computer sucks, unless you have a Linux guru there as I'm wondering if you might be able to assist with a Kernel compilation issue

b) Really? Tell me what my IP Address and exact Operating System version is since you are monitoring my PC.

macman

Unfortunately the kind of people who fall prey to this often don't know what their own OS is, so they're unlikely to demand that information of someone else.

balt

Had a call on Skype the other day, a robot voice said I had a virus etc. Getting really bad these days.

ivavoucher

when I ran eventvwr.msc I got to the event viewer and see the option to connect to a new computer, This is what they would most like want you to give them access to.

Miley

I'm getting 1 or 2 of these calls everyday now grrrrrrr! Do you think the phone providers have anyway of tracing them if I reported it? It just says calling and no number comes up so I don't hold out much hope They called about 20 mins ago, at which point I treated them to a very loud Eminem song (yes, lots of swearing!!) through my computer speakers!

Darksun

Miley wrote: »

I'm getting 1 or 2 of these calls everyday now grrrrrrr! Do you think the phone providers have anyway of tracing them if I reported it? It just says calling and no number comes up so I don't hold out much hope

Even if they could trace it, it's almost certainly coming from somewhere overseas where it will be very difficult to do anything about it.

You can get your phone provider to block calls from withheld numbers though, which might stop the calls.

Biggles

I wonder what Sheila and Anita were doing in India?

penrhyn

Indeed they are usually on Radio 5 Live.

spannerzone

They don't usually bother to infect your PC but make it seem like you've got a problem and offer to remotely fix the problem using totally legitimate remote access software. If you let them they will be able to remotely access the PC and make some 'improvements' which probably consists of deleting temp files, cleaning out crud and afterwards you'll be £50 worse off. So although it is a scam, they generally don't actually steal files, infect the PC or make the cat ill, they just scam you of some money in return for their 'IT services'

As already said, this scam has been doing the rounds for several years and usually they say they're from Microsoft or on behalf of Microsoft of from IT etc.

Quite amusing if you want to waste some of their time acting like a pc newbie.

JohnG

I was at an 'Elderly' customer's today she asked me to deal with a dodgy caller who was trying to 'help' sort out her computer from a large number of infected files or something. The chap on the phone was presumably based in India, in the back ground there was the sound of a busy call centre, he said he was was calling on behalf of Windows and that they'd noticed a large number of infected files had been received and that their Service centre would sought everything out.
I asked, how do I know if they were legit and he said well we can confirm and do everything over the internet, I then said well I wasnt going on there right now but give me your name and phone number and I'd call back later.... and if by magic "POOOFFf" he was gone! :j

Frankly, what with being harrassed recently by a pushy utillity salesmen, receiving numerous scam emails and calls from dodgy foreigners, it's like being under constant attack in fact "It's like a jungle out there, it makes me wonder how I keep from going under!"
Is there no way these people can be tracked down (Pushy salesman excepted as I could and perhaps should have reported him to British gas).

Of course, it's the vulnerable and/or gullable out there who are in greatest danger from these low life's. :mad: