This seems to be the source of your confusion. Scammers can't install it. You have to. They'll try to trick you into doing it, maybe, but they can't do it.

I don't doubt that it's traumatic for a user, but you're banging the wrong drum, very loudly, and shouting down anyone that tries to tell you so.

They are not easily used surreptitiously - It is clear from your words that you do not understand this technology and this is the source of your concern ..

These tools cannot be installed by anyone except the user in fromt of the screen.

I understand it well enough to convince a bank fraud department that they had no cause to blame the fraud victim and to reimburse the £8,000 plus lost.

Does your understanding of the subject go that far? I wonder.

Did I say they were easily used?

They were knowledgeably used against a customer who they targeted as being likely to be easily confidence tricked into following instructions like "now just click on the link in the bottom right corner, and then just click OK on any box that pops up after that ..." etc.

Really? And why then would it be worthwhile for a fraudster to use USD1,080 of defrauded money on upgrading a trial version to PREMIUM? And how might they do that if they already have the other listed remote control softwares up and running? Think harder before you post please. What I describe did happen. What you are asserting is that no-one but a complete fool would suffer the fate of having telephone scammers emptying their bank account using fresh installs of such softwares, which I earnestly suggest is not very helpful given your enormous breadth of digital knowledge under that hood

What you are asserting is that no-one but a complete fool would suffer the fate of having telephone scammers emptying their bank account using fresh installs of such softwares, which I earnestly suggest is not very helpful given your enormous breadth of digital knowledge under that hood

You are splitting hairs. Most users know that their Windows PCs suffer constant automatic updates, many of which do not even announce that they have installed.

New applications do not have to be very large - if they are chosen because the install is quick and does not announce itself boldly or give the user any option to choose to continue to install or stop or change the install then the fact anything dodgy has been installed can easily be missed when you believe you are being guided by someone who is genuinely trying to assist.

It is very clear that the makers of these types of software know their products are used far too easily and surreptitiously by scammers, so they should contain clear warnings when they are being installed.

Really? And why then would it be worthwhile for a fraudster to use USD1,080 of defrauded money on upgrading a trial version to PREMIUM?

You think scammers pay for software. You really are deluded.

I have the receipt from Connectwise ScreenConnect for $1,080, paid for by a fraudulent transaction during the course of a telephone scam, so because I hold that receipt

Go find it if you are interested - should be a breeze for those such as your goodselves if applying the latest string search techniques.

'just click here'
'close that window'
'type this in here'
'just ignore that'.

Your super duper solution of warning users upon installation would just be another window that can be clicked away, if indeed the scammers don't get rid of it in the dodgy version they install.

$1,080 went from my friend's bank account to Connectwise. It is confirmed by the bank. It looks like a standard transaction. The receipt was sent by Connectwise to the fraudulent email account used to open the Connectwise registration account. How do I know? I later hacked into the new Gmail account they had set up for the purpose right at the beginning of the scam call using the victim's personal data and real mobile number.

They weren't very clever then if they set up a bogus email and then didn't change the details afterwards so that people like you on the case could access it.

Y It is very clear that the makers of these types of software know their products are used far too easily and surreptitiously by scammers, so they should contain clear warnings when they are being installed.

Because on a cascading basis and not in the order I gave them, they are the preferred tools of trade of confidence tricksters and they can all be downloaded in the background and the strongest versions purchased using fraudulently set up online registrations from anonymous new email accounts, ALL WHILST THE VICTIM IS DISTRACTED. The victim may have only been persuaded to click on one or two innocuous or helpful-looking links (remember they believe they being are telephone assisted by Microsoft or similar into stopping a hack in progress). The worst of the downloads and the worst of the fraud then occurs behind the screens that are being discussed with the victim if the victim can be kept on the line long enough.

And how can that be? Well such software will only end up live on your machine by fraudsters who have far too easy non-verified access to such dangerous software and the comparison with Microsoft Word is if you forgive me, a rather naive one.

I think a better comparison might be to suggest that these softwares in the wrong hands are a bit like a crowbar in the wrong hands. If you see someone other than a craftsman in the street with a crowbar, you report it right?

If you see a normal non-corporate antivirus customer with these Tech Support Desk type softwares on their machine, you are saying they should not be reported by the antivirus software? Why not? Even simple adware is reported routinely!

Because on a cascading basis and not in the order I gave them, they are the preferred tools of trade of confidence tricksters and they can all be downloaded in the background and the strongest versions purchased using fraudulently set up online registrations from anonymous new email accounts, ALL WHILST THE VICTIM IS DISTRACTED. The victim may have only been persuaded to click on one or two innocuous or helpful-looking links (remember they believe they being are telephone assisted by Microsoft or similar into stopping a hack in progress). The worst of the downloads and the worst of the fraud then occurs behind the screens that are being discussed with the victim if the victim can be kept on the line long enough.
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