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Computer phone scam?
self | 5/4/2012 | self

Posted on 05/04/2012 7:41:46 PM PDT by Leo Carpathian

Got weird phone call (Clearwater, FL number), someone (foreign accent) claiming to be working for company doing support for Microsoft. Verifying that I am running legit Win 7 and they are having problems with my computer sending messages. Asking me to run some program, seeing warning and then asking me to allow them to access my computer remotely and "fix" the problem. Red flag went up, I asked how he got my phone number, apparently from Win 7 registration, which I don't remember providing. Smells like takeover of my computer. Anyone else experienced this? New scam to take over our computers? If so, please be aware of it.


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: computer; phone; scam
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To: PetroniusMaximus

we have an answering machine , so no message ,no answer , before the answering machine I would use a whistle ,scares crap out of the scum


21 posted on 05/04/2012 8:41:50 PM PDT by molson209
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To: ozaukeemom

That seems to be their take, but I don’t understand how a multi-billion-dollar company can’t do something about people falsely claiming to represent them. Isn’t that copyright infringement?

Just another thing to remind us all — with computers, you never ever respond. It’s hard enough making sure that when you initiate contact that you are doing so correctly. I have to constantly remind my wife to ignore pop-ups, e-mails, and other enticements to fix problems with the computer.


22 posted on 05/04/2012 8:44:17 PM PDT by CharlesWayneCT
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To: Leo Carpathian

Clearwater is the World Hq of Scientology.

?


23 posted on 05/04/2012 8:49:21 PM PDT by MindBender26 (New Army SF and Ranger Slogan: Vengeance is Mine, sayeth the Lord.... but He subcontracts!)
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To: Leo Carpathian

My first reaction to anything remotely like that is to run my AVG and my Malware Bytes and then Spybot for good measure. If it comes via a popup on the monitor then I do not cancel or otherwise click on it bu run all my antis. My wife got it as a phone call like that once and we ran all the antis. Malware Bytes got a load of “objects” after one such.


24 posted on 05/04/2012 8:50:15 PM PDT by arthurus ( Read Henry hazlitt's "Economics In One Lesson")
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To: ozaukeemom
The CID will show as being from Microsoft too. I called them when it happened to us. They say there is nothing they can do.

Well, in fairness, there is in fact nothing they can do. The CID is being spoofed. There's nothing to do to stop it.

25 posted on 05/04/2012 9:10:11 PM PDT by Ramius (Personally, I give us one chance in three. More tea anyone?)
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To: Leo Carpathian

That is a definite scam. Microsoft doesn’t do that.


26 posted on 05/04/2012 9:11:51 PM PDT by Ramius (Personally, I give us one chance in three. More tea anyone?)
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To: Ramius

Oh, I know that. I was just stating it so others would know.


27 posted on 05/04/2012 9:15:15 PM PDT by ozaukeemom (No to Romney, no how, no way, no money, no vote)
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To: Leo Carpathian
You need to immediately destroy your computer and phone, then rip your phone lines from your walls.
28 posted on 05/04/2012 9:21:59 PM PDT by HereInTheHeartland (We are the 53%. 47% of Americans pay no taxes; end the free ride...)
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To: eXe

I would love the opportunity to do something similar. “what, a virus? Sounds serious. Ok run what? I can’t find it. Etc etc. ... Oh yeah. I see the problem, lack thereof, Im not running windows! “ click.


29 posted on 05/04/2012 9:49:06 PM PDT by ThunderSleeps (Stop obama now! Stop the hussein - insane agenda!)
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To: Leo Carpathian

They tried this with me telling me they were responding to a request for help....I laughed at them and told em to get off of my phone because I do not use microsoft on my MAC


30 posted on 05/04/2012 10:12:12 PM PDT by Nifster
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To: Leo Carpathian

There’s one good way to greatly reduce the number of scammers calling you: don’t pick up the phone at all when you don’t recognize the number.

When you pick up the phone, you “reward” the scammer because he knows he has found a “live” number, and he will keep calling you so long as he thinks he has a chance to scam you.

If you don’t pick up, he’ll move on until he finds the next live number.


31 posted on 05/04/2012 10:20:57 PM PDT by Altariel ("Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!")
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To: Altariel
There’s one good way to greatly reduce the number of scammers calling you: don’t pick up the phone at all when you don’t recognize the number.

Absolutely! I cannot live without Caller ID and would much rather have to return a legitimate call than to give the scammers an inch. If the call isn't important enough for them to leave a message, then it's not important enough for me to call back. When one of these calls comes in and I'm at my computer, I immediately type in the telephone number, with quotes around it, to see who it belongs to. There are a number of tracking sites that will tell you -- and if it's a scammer, it immediately goes into the "spam" directory so that if this number ever calls again, my phone won't ring.

32 posted on 05/04/2012 10:30:35 PM PDT by Fast Moving Angel (O's new cookbook: "101 Ways To Wok Your Dog")
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To: Leo Carpathian

Pffft! Mircosoft won’t even answer their phone, much less use one and call someone.


33 posted on 05/05/2012 12:41:08 AM PDT by WKUHilltopper (And yet...we continue to tolerate this crap...)
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To: eXe

You can usually get them off message by just asking them where they are calling from.


34 posted on 05/05/2012 12:58:59 AM PDT by richardtavor
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To: Leo Carpathian

What? Were you born yesterday????????????????????? Geeze, get some street smarts!


35 posted on 05/05/2012 1:09:56 AM PDT by Doc Savage ("I've shot people I like a lot more,...for a lot less!" Raylan Givins)
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To: Leo Carpathian

Never, ever allow anyone who contacts you out of the blue have access to any info or to your computer. I had a gal call and tell me that Edward Jones was trying to reach me, but there was something wrong with the info in my account. I told her that I could see her number on my phone and she might think about moving before the Feds showed up. Instant silence on the “line”.


36 posted on 05/05/2012 3:20:46 AM PDT by trebb ("If a man will not work, he should not eat" From 2 Thes 3)
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To: Ramius
Well, in fairness, there is in fact nothing they (Microsoft) can do.

Hogwash. Microsoft can take legal action to protect their company name, which is being hijacked and used illegally.

37 posted on 05/05/2012 7:36:47 AM PDT by aimhigh
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To: smokingfrog
Scammers are using several well-known brands, including Microsoft, to fool people into believing that something is wrong with their computers. The scam typically unfolds in the following manner:

Wouldn't work with me. I'd put on the voice of evil and tell them:

There is but one true code
BSD



Repent your sins or burn in MS-Hell.

Then hang up -- with a grin...

<grampa_simpson>
Oddly, only two things of note have come out of Berkely: UNIX and LSD. This is not a co-incidence.
</grampa_simpson>
38 posted on 05/05/2012 10:29:28 AM PDT by Peet (Cogito ergo dubito.)
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To: richardtavor

Wow, this is too funny, I have one on the line RIGHT NOW!!!!

I am gonnna play with him


39 posted on 05/05/2012 5:09:28 PM PDT by eXe (Si vis pacem, para bellum)
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To: eXe

Eh, wasn’t so much fun.. once he knew I was wasting his time, he hung up on me.


40 posted on 05/05/2012 8:08:34 PM PDT by eXe (Si vis pacem, para bellum)
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