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New Scam

by Chuck Burke
16 replies
  • OFF TOPIC
    • |
It's new to me anyway.A group with India accents call and say the are from "Windows Tech Dept".Tell you that a secret security code alerted them that I am infected and that I need to get in front of my computer and follow their instructions.They will "help me".
After the caller would not answer any of my questions about who they were and how/why me. I told them to p#@ off and hung up.
Today they hit my 83 yr. old mother.They almost got her too. I came in as she had banking info in hand and had downloaded team viewer.I stopped the process.They called back four times.Four different techs trying to
get me.A lady that I spoke too ended up telling me to "pi#$ off". Very Microsoft like.The #1-952-991-8750 is where call originated.Bad #
Beware
  • Profile picture of the author kindsvater
    Fortunately you saved your mother. The first tip-off a scam is at hand is getting a phone call for this type of issue.

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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Call screening + Caller ID.

    Done.
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    Tell them you have your Dcom turned off and there's no way they know anything you're doing on your computer.

    I've had some emails that were highly alerting lately, too - I knew better but they were pretty well done and I'm wondering how many people they were able to sucker.

    I'd report those calls to the fraud dept of your phone company.
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    Sal
    When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
    Beyond the Path

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    • Profile picture of the author David Beroff
      Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

      I'm wondering how many people they were able to sucker.
      They've taken my dad twice. (One way they get people to trust them is to place their direct phone numbers in ads that appear when you search for "Linksys", "Belkin", "Norton", "McAfee", "virus", "crash", "blue screen", etc.) They freely admitted to him that there were thousands of people who worked their particular call center 24 hours a day, and he could hear the din of many of those voices. It's a stunningly large, highly successful operation.
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      • Profile picture of the author AprilCT
        Well, they are just thieves and con artists trying to do their best. I've gotten around 3 calls in the last month. One of those was today, right along with the other loonies, Briget who wants to talk about my credit card, and a call because a card I had needed my input to authorize me to use it, Paul from the shipping department and the last bogus call with the kindness of another scam artist returning the call I requested to learn more about what they can do for help for my back.

        Don't any of these people care enough to get a real job where they aren't scamming someone? How can these idiots sleep peacefully at night?

        It was good you saved your mom from the tech department. They are real scammers and they, too, will call back over and over and over just like the other idiots. Some people just have no real moral code for their lives.

        I just put them on hold as soon as one of them or a robot calls to talk. Occasionally it takes a minute or so for the line to quit blinking.
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        • Profile picture of the author Kay King
          Instead of identifying each scam - what needs to happen is to TEACH everyone - including older relatives - to HANG UP when some start such a spiel.

          I would never try to "tell them" anything - I won't engage at all...I just hang up. Caller ID keeps us from answering calls like this for the most part. I've always had a love/hate relationship with phones. Just because you want to call me doesn't mean I'm going to answer....
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          January was long, February was iffy, March was a freaking dumpster fire.
          So sit down, be quiet, and don't touch anything.
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          • Profile picture of the author yukon
            Banned
            Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

            Instead of identifying each scam - what needs to happen is to TEACH everyone - including older relatives - to HANG UP when some start such a spiel.

            I would never try to "tell them" anything - I won't engage at all...I just hang up. Caller ID keeps us from answering calls like this for the most part. I've always had a love/hate relationship with phones. Just because you want to call me doesn't mean I'm going to answer....
            Yep, a little self control goes a long way (don't answer random phone numbers/calls).

            Seriously, who doesn't have caller ID in 2015? If it's a cell phone, program names to match phone numbers.
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            • Profile picture of the author seasoned
              Originally Posted by yukon View Post

              Yep, a little self control goes a long way (don't answer random phone numbers/calls).

              Seriously, who doesn't have caller ID in 2015? If it's a cell phone, program names to match phone numbers.
              "caller id" is no longer anything of the sort, so people often change or remove the TRANSMITTED "caller id". If they do that, perhaps 100% of people PLANET WIDE don't have caller id as far as that number is concerned. HECK, when I got my black berry, I found out I could turn the ID off, and DID! People COMPLAINED that THEY didn't know it was me when I called! I had to turn it back on.

              I recently got two "mobile emergency alert" messages, asking me to respond. I didn't, but wondered if it was a scam.

              Steve
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          • Profile picture of the author MikeAmbrosio
            Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

            Instead of identifying each scam - what needs to happen is to TEACH everyone - including older relatives - to HANG UP when some start such a spiel.

            I would never try to "tell them" anything - I won't engage at all...I just hang up. Caller ID keeps us from answering calls like this for the most part. I've always had a love/hate relationship with phones. Just because you want to call me doesn't mean I'm going to answer....
            A good first line of defense, but they get smarter too. Now they use a local number to get you to answer. I have never gotten these calls, but I HAVE gotten them from scammers trying to say I owe money to some company and unless I pay I will be sued (or some such garbage). Last time that happened they got a loud whistle in the ear...
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  • Profile picture of the author Justin Tyme
    Unfortunteatly this is not a new scam.

    This one has been going around for quite some time now.

    They are taking advantage of the older generation who is new to computers.

    I try and make sure all the older members of my family are aware of this scam.
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    • Profile picture of the author tagiscom
      True, when l got a new PC, the amount of crap saying that my computer would explode with hundreds of viruses if l didn't buy their s%%^, was overwhelming!

      I later found out it wasn't that bad.

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    • Profile picture of the author Chuck Burke
      I'm going to local police and FBI.Don't mess with my mama!
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      Miles to go before I sleep.

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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    It's a very old scam but sadly, it still cons innocent people who don't fully understand what is happening. It's good to share this stuff because I bet there are members here who have never come across it.
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    Cheers, Laurence.
    Writer/Editor/Proofreader.

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