Scam warning - please read

kingfisherblue

This is one of the more widely read boards, so I thought it the best place to post. I'll also post in The Arms.

I just wanted to warn everybody about a scam that is being investigated by police and trading standards.

This evening I was at my mum's and the phone rang. She was busy, so I answered it for her. They asked for my mum by name, so I just asked who was calling. It was a company called Smart Support Guys. They obviously thought I was my mum, and I didn't correct them.

The chap said that the Windows computer registered at my mum's address had sent error messages to a central point and was about to crash, but they could fix it for her.

I asked him his name, company name and phone number and wrote them down. The phone number is 0208 099 7527.

I then explained that my parents have never had a computer and that there has never been registered at that address. I also told him that I knew he was lying and that it was a scam that I would report to the police and trading standards. Funnily enough, he put the phone down on me.....

I did ring the police, and they noted the details, including the fact that there is some information about it being a scam on the internet when you type the phone number into Google. A police officer phoned me back and said that the details were already under investigation as they have had others receive similar calls. He also told me that he had the same call a couple of weeks ago, but a price for 'fixing' the computer was quoted as £80, payable over the phone.

Hopefully no one will be taken in by this scam, but maybe you could warn others, including elderly relatives if they use a computer. My mum is 79 and doesn't have any interest in computers at all, and luckily she is still mentally competent, but there may be some who are taken in and pay up, especially if they panic about their computer crashing.

Thanks for reading and passing on.

ValHaller

This scam has been running for years.

kingfisherblue

It's the first time I've come across it, and as there are many vulnerable people I thought it worth mentioning. I'd have loved to have seen the chap's face, though, when I pointed out that my mum doesn't have a computer, and has never had one.

Eliza_2

You are absolutely right to mention it. Even though it might have been around for years, it's too easy to forget and drop your guard. It's sickening how these people can prey on people who might be vulnerable. While my elderly mum doesn't have a computer, her gentleman friend does and although he likes to think of himself as competent, I'm quite sure if someone rang him like this, he would give them the information - and pay the money - because he trusts people and would believe there is a central point that logs errors.

Well done for getting the company details, phone no etc. Interesting that the police knew about this particular company - I wonder how many people will be taken in by it before they actually do something about it.

Makes me so mad!!!

Carl31

I love it when i get these ring up, i wind them up something chronic, go along with it then at the last minute pull them up on it, or tell them i dont have a computer, so how did they manage to get signals from it

Simple pleasures

loracan1

Carl31 wrote: »

I love it when i get these ring up, i wind them up something chronic, go along with it then at the last minute pull them up on it, or tell them i dont have a computer, so how did they manage to get signals from it

Simple pleasures

So do I if in the mood, the longer I'm talking random carp (have you been to the cinema lately?/are you sure your name's Kevin/do you live on your own?) the less time they have to mither others. I do like insisting I don't even have a phone line though.

marcowil

One of my friends managed to string them along for nearly 40 mins recently!

jumpedtheshark

I tell them that British people aren't as stupid as they assume and that their scam is well known here. I then put the phone down and only hang up once it starts bleeping at me... hopefully that stops them making another call or two whilst I'm holding up the line.

ellay864

Somewhere there is a thread with people happly bragging about how long they've managed to keep these scamers on the line - some great reads on there. I've had them myself - managed to keep them there quite a while asking which computer was sending the message and they said all of them. When I really asked if all 6 that we had between us were afected they assured me they were...and stuck to this even when I said 2 were Apple Macs. I asked how they could get info from Macs if they were Microsoft Support and they did try to waffle round that one too. In the end I said I was going out for a meal and asked for the guys home number so I could call him just before he was going out. He hung up!

McKneff

I get at least 3 of these a week.

I just say 'hold on a moment' put the phone to one side and forget about it for half an hour.

You can bet your bottom dollar that they will have gone before you go back to put the phone back on the hook:D

julie2710

I've had these calls too. I usually string them along for as long as I find it entertaining then I tell them I know it is a scam, just like the last call I received like this was a scam and that I will be reporting it to the police just like I have the previous calls but they should be in touch with them this time as my calls are now being tracked! It's really odd but the line seems to develop an instant fault and they get cut off after that