WARNING - Possible telephone scam

Hi All,

Apologies if I have posted this to the wrong forum, but wanted to pass this on to every one.

Have received a telephone call from someone claiming to be from Tech My Help. He said that they are Microsoft certified and they have been told by Microsoft that I have download some 'corrupt' software onto my computer. He then goes on to say that he will show me what the problems are, in an attempt to get me worried. The next thing is that he wanted me to allow him remote access to my computer.

When I said I was not going to type his instructions into the 'run command' to allow him access, he said that my computer will stop running in the next few days. When I told him I did not believe him, he became very abusive

The telephone number he was calling from was withheld, so I am unable to help you with that. The only thing I can say, and I do not want to be racist, is that he did not have a British accent.

So, if you get a call from someone claiming that Microsoft have told them to contact you because you have major problems with your computer, PLEASE BE CAREFUL NOT TO ALLOW THEM REMOTE ACCESS TO YOUR COMPUTER.

I know someone who went through with the full phone call, they coincidentally had had problems with their PC being slow, they got the call followed the instructions and got a load of error messages which the caller said they could clear for a charge of £150.00.....they put the phone down.

Beware.

this is a well known scam, its been on Watchdog a couple of times. The bottom line is, unless you are expecting a call from a technology company in regards to a problem, it is a scam.

No one legit can access your PC without specific info, and only then if you give permission, anything else is illegal and is most likely a con.

The best defence against this kind of thing is common sense, if someone rings, ask them to provide information about themselves, see how quickly they decend into threats.

 

So, if you get a call from someone claiming that Microsoft have told them to contact you because you have major problems with your computer, PLEASE BE CAREFUL NOT TO ALLOW THEM REMOTE ACCESS TO YOUR COMPUTER.

What I don't understand is why they insist on saying that Microsoft somehow have identified your PC as being infected, and then taken the time to find your phone number to inform you, I think Microsoft get too much credit.

i would ask them what computer they were on about as i have 4, with 3 different operating systems and then ask them what specs it was as he knew so much about the problem, watch m squirm and struggle lol

The thing is that they know that quite a lot of people will use Microsoft, it is a well known name. Just get a name and telephone number and then off they go. Then they try to get the 'unknowing' worried that they do have a problem.

As you say mkdr21, just put the phone down on them. My worry was for anyone being taken in by these people.

Quite right dawnt1970, I got him coughing and spluttering when I asked him which operating system. He started saying Vista, then changed to 7. But he got really got really upset when I said I was using windows 98.

I think that was when he realised that I was just stringing him along. The abuse started just after that. A nice interlude while I had my coffee break

Hi All,

 

Apologies if I have posted this to the wrong forum, but wanted to pass this on to every one.

 

Have received a telephone call from someone claiming to be from Tech My Help. He said that they are Microsoft certified and they have been told by Microsoft that I have download some 'corrupt' software onto my computer. He then goes on to say that he will show me what the problems are, in an attempt to get me worried. The next thing is that he wanted me to allow him remote access to my computer.

 

When I said I was not going to type his instructions into the 'run command' to allow him access, he said that my computer will stop running in the next few days. When I told him I did not believe him, he became very abusive

 

The telephone number he was calling from was withheld, so I am unable to help you with that. The only thing I can say, and I do not want to be racist, is that he did not have a British accent.

 

So, if you get a call from someone claiming that Microsoft have told them to contact you because you have major problems with your computer, PLEASE BE CAREFUL NOT TO ALLOW THEM REMOTE ACCESS TO YOUR COMPUTER.

I had this exact same thing, unfortunately for the guy on the other end I work with computers all day and was in a particularly bad mood.

For 90 minutes, he was quite patient "OK, but where is the any key?", "What do you mean re-boot? Should I kick it?"

After I got particularly bored, I decided to tell him that I was in an airport departure lounge 30 miles from the PC he was fixing for me.

Quite right dawnt1970, I got him coughing and spluttering when I asked him which operating system. He started saying Vista, then changed to 7. But he got really got really upset when I said I was using windows 98.

 

I think that was when he realised that I was just stringing him along. The abuse started just after that. A nice interlude while I had my coffee break

I had fun when I got a similar call two weeks back. I'm running Snow Leopard.

my grandparents had this call a while ago now or something similar, conversation went along lines of.

hi im ---- from microsoft we have had an error report sent from your pc syaing you have x number of trojans and viruses, a few are particularly bad etc. would you like me to assist you to remove them.

(nannan) im 80 and my husband is 82 we dont own a computer and even if we did wouldnt know how to work it.

needless to say she was hung up on rather sharpish lol