Microsoft pc help scam beware 'Global PC Helpline'

sabbykins

My BIL phoned today to let us know he'd signed up to a company that said they work for Microsoft and have offered to 'fix' his pc and secure it. I'm not 100% sure what they said but he fell for it!!

He forwarded me the invoice and it has this address for the company:

Global PC Helpline
D-66, Sector 63
Receipt: 20120134
Noida, U.P, India Sold To xxxxxx xxxxxx
800-014-8910

Fax 1.800.014.8910
support@globalpchelpline.com

I DO know he let them have remote access and they charged him £249.99 Apparently (according to their email) they:

1.optimize the computer.
2.Optimize the browser.
3.Remove the errors.(2000+)
4.Remove the conflicting softwares.
5.Remove the corrupted files.
6.Install Microsoft security essentials for lifetime.
7.Stop the unwanted files to harm the windows.
8.Remove the unwanted files.
9.Increase the performance.
10.92% windows files are affected.
11.Renew the windows.
12.Remove the threats.
13.Remove the trojan files.
14.Update the windows security software.
15.Run services from microsoft windows.

I've told him it's a scam and he's now in the process of sorting it out before he gets fleeced. I feel very sorry for him! His PC is not working anymore I've just heard- anyone know what can be done to fix it?

I just wanted to give a heads up about this company, it appears to be a relatively new one!

Keep safe!

andy2004

hopefully when he bought the computer he did a master backup onto dvd
he'll need those dvd's to restore the computer back to how it was bought then it should work fine.
I suggest you tell him to get to the bank first and cancel any payment he made
when he let them gain access to his computer, they infected it with a trojan, so make sure to tell him NOT to do any online banking. change all his password to all his accounts immediately.
possible reason for windows not working is no.10-
small note if he doesnt go to the bank and cancel it
they wont take £249 they'll take every penny in the account.
just tell the bank they Global PC Helpline is a SCAM business and if they allow it to go through, you'll take them to court.

companys not new. its the same one thats been going for the paste 2 years, all they have done is changed the name.

sabbykins

Thanks Andy, he paid by credit card and has phoned them to cancel the card and they're hopefully going to get his money back.
He's got backup disks and is in the process of trying to restore as I type.

Point number 7 tickled me Stop the unwanted files to harm the windows THE windows??! lol!! :rotfl:

Hoping damage has been limited and enough people see this thread and tell them where to stick their helpline if they get a call!

They are on fb: http://www.facebook.com/globalpchelpline

Have a look and .......well......maybe leave them a message

millwalll

sadly there are many companies that do this sort of thing and they tend to make out they from Microsoft and feed you a line about your computer spreading lots virus and you need to have this magical tool installed that will stop this. and Andy advice is spot on I would do clean install change password and just keep eye on bank statements as you don't know what they installed. The only other thing he can do is learn for this and no matter who calls just don't give them access to his computer.

andy2004

reason i said to phone his bank, they most probably copied his cookies and if he does online banking they could use those cookies to get his password and id, hence the reason i said to change all his passwords and usernames.
Someone else on here, a couple of months ago, gave them information about her back account and when it was checked the next day, was cleared out.

Dollardog

That's one of the reasons I will never do on-line banking, no matter how many times my bank suggests it.
I haven't even given any of them my email address so I know if an email allegedly comes from a bank I bank with, its got to be a phishing email.
I know the bank keep telling me its perfectly safe as long as you are careful but I don't want to take that risk.

jamespir

i think they know when your doing a windows update because i and several others have had calls straight after doing a windows update and i doubt that just coincidence

Dollardog

I had a call yesterday from the scammers and funny enough about an hour before that, I noticed a box came up from my antivirus warning that something malicious was trying to be downloaded. I knocked the Internet off straight away and ran a full anti virus scan.
Luckily, nothing was found, just to make sure, I then ran Malwarebytes too and that found nothing.

05dwarner

I gave them access to my computer so they could control the mouse etc but happily i got wise before I paid them anything. They didn't obviously download anything but how can i find out they still have access and how can i lock them out forever? Could they have got access to my bank details from 3 minutes access??

Dave_C_2

jamespir wrote: »

I think they know when your doing a windows update because i and several others have had calls straight after doing a windows update and i doubt that just coincidence

The skeptic (with a k) in me must point out that Microsoft always put out windows updates on the second tuesday of the month. A phone call by the Scammers on the second Wednesday of the month will do the trick.

Even ignoring that, as windows update is done monthly, then that's only a 1 in 30 chance.

Confirmation bias could be playing a part as well

Dave

Dave_C_2

05dwarner wrote: »

I gave them access to my computer so they could control the mouse etc but happily i got wise before I paid them anything. They didn't obviously download anything but how can i find out they still have access and how can i lock them out forever? Could they have got access to my bank details from 3 minutes access??

See post number 2

<Flame on>As this thread shows, it is stupid to store any password that involves money on your computer. Sadly there are people who just blindly buy a computer and then think everything will be OK without them doing any form of maintenance whatsoever or even spending time learning how it works. It just doesn't work like that! <Flame off>

Dave