Beware of the computer scam that is going around!

[imanamerican63]

Last edited Thu Dec 22, 2022, 07:46 PM - Edit history (1)

Just talk with my 86 year mother awhile ago. I tried calling and it kept going straight to voicemail. A little while later she calls and she’s been on the phone. Then she tells me why. She open her cover page on her home computer and here is this urgent message telling to call this number to fix a problem with her computer. Yep, you guessed it! She called this number and they began to ask all these questions about her banking situation. They told her they would call back for more information from her bank account. I guess this went on for an hour or so. She called the bank and they told her not to give any more info to them and the bank gave her a new account number for checking and savings. Then the bank told her to call the cable and internet provider to tell about this issue. The provider was aware of the scam and were working on it to stop the scammers. My nephew was to take a lunch break and head over to clear up the mess. Both my nephew and I told her to unplug the computer until he gets there. I haven’t heard back from my mother to see how things went. Oh, she did tell me that the scammers were hard to understand them and she kept asking them to repeat what they were saying. I just hope that they weren’t able get any other information out of her computer?


Update to my thread! My nephew clear out the program that the scammers sent. He also went back into the computer and cleared everything out. He is coming back later to re set up her computer with new password. The bank told that nothing was paid out on her old accounts. Whew! I am relieved!

[Tetrachloride]

1. Scammers strike at T-Day and other holidays because

friends and family are often absent.

A change of phone number may be warranted. Unfortunately all of the key agencies and utilities will need to be alerted.

[SheltieLover]

2. You have to watch Carey Holzman, former FTC! He rocks!

https://www.youtube.com/@CareyHolzman

He has several videos where he sers up a dummy computer, calls the shitbags back & screws with them.

Happy Holidays!



Ps - share with your mom. She will enjoy seeing Carey taking them to task!

[TexasTowelie]

3. You need to ask her whether she gave remote access to her computer to the scammers.

Did they ask her to download any software and so on. I would advise looking at her download folder to see if any files were recently downloaded. That's something your nephew can help her with.

[twodogsbarking]

8. That is like the "I am calling to fix your Windows" scheme. Once they

are in they have all of your stuff. Truly the worst.

[cynical_idealist]

49. I tell them my computer is an HP 11c

antique pocket calculator

[Takket]

4. if things like that are popping up she has a virus on her computer

does she have a decent antivirus package? she needs to scan her machine

[imanamerican63]

5. Yes, I got her the Norton best package, but I think she open up an email, not for sure?

[Tripper11]

6. My dad fell for one similar

When he told me what he had done and that he was on the phone with the guy for like 3 hours I damn near lost it!
I told him to unplug his computer from the modem. Shut it off.
It was one of those ransomware ones.
He was asking me how he could fix his computer and being 3,000 miles away and trying to talk an 81yr old through this would be way too much to handle.
The good thing is my parents still walk to the bank for deposits or withdrawals. They don't do or have any personal information online anywhere. They think it's too easy to get robbed.

Dad ended up just buying a new computer and his computer guru neighbour brought him back online with a few extra safety features.

[sky_masterson]

7. I watch youtube videos of guys hacking scammers

And I can't believe I'm saying this, but if the person on the other line has a middle east accent and tells you an English first and last name, assume they might be scammers. Yeah it feels a bit racist. I see that. But normally it checks out with these scammers.
Good rule of thumb is never download any program that gives them access to your computer.

[niyad]

16. Good rule of thumb is the companies never call you. Hell, half the time, you

can't gdt them when you call them!

[PCIntern]

46. Those videos are really intriguing

I love when the hero erases files on the scammers computer.

[A HERETIC I AM]

50. It's not racist....

If the guy sounds like he has lived all his life in Mumbai and he tells you his name is "Steve", you can bloody well bet it's a scam.

When I answer those calls and the guy says "My name is Robert with the Auto Department" I just say "Your name isn't Robert" and they usually hang up!

[Polybius]

52. It may be racist, but there's not much to do

It's sad, but if someone with an Indian accent calls and claims to be from a healthcare or other company, for many of us the first thing that comes to mind is possible scam.

[cally]

9. My Mom fell for a similar scam about 5 years ago

She did not give remote access and gave out only a little information. We called the County DA for help and they gave good advice. No repercussions but a lesson learned for all of us.

I did have a long discussion with her about not giving any information over the phone and to call me first if she had concerns. She is now deceased but we had no more problems

[treestar]

10. also hard to get that generation to stop answering the phone

practically every call is spam.

But their mindset won't change from the 1950s when it was exciting to get a phone call.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

29. Exactly. I watched my mom do it a hundred times

At Thanksgiving. Finally got her to say "take me off your call list"

[MurrayDelph]

40. Unfortunately, for people of that age

Many numbers that they may not recognize may also be from a doctor's office.

I'm of that age, but as a retired SysAdmin, I used to fuck with those calls that waited through the phone company's "no solicitors" message. Now I just tell them to get a real job and hang up on them.

[raccoon]

44. Thank you.

[treestar]

47. They would leave answering machines messages

My mother is scatterbrained enough that all of those calls go to one of her adult kids. No more driving for her, so we have to schedule them anyway.

[slightlv]

11. It's not just the 80-somethings...

I walked in on my hubby at his computer. Nearly dropped my teeth when I heard him on the phone behind his computer. I immediately told him to hang up and turn his computer off. He had already downloaded the information... had just finished the download, but he couldn't figure out what or how to install, thank goodness.

I took his computer back to almost "out of the package" restore mode and then ran every IOBIt program I use on the system before I let him back on it.

Hubby is NOT stupid when it comes to computers; and he's not at all gullible on the phone. And we'd already made the connection between middle eastern or slavic accent with U.S. (or local) phone number and English sounding name. But this scam really had him going. He truly thought he owed something that wasn't correct.

Luckily, I still have enough marbles left from my 40+ years in computers to keep us out of the biggest messes, but I even have to admit, these scams are getting slicker. In fact, when on the phone to one caller, I gave him the "talking to" his mother -should- have given to him when he was a teenager about what he was doing.

I'm trying to get hubby used to just letting the phone ring until it's done. We're at our systems, here in front of the TV, most of the day. We can see who and what's calling, and can usually easily see if it's a scam call coming in. My advice is to just let it ring til they give up. Actually, if it were me, I'd take the damned phone out of service... but he see's it as a backup to our cells (sigh). Sometimes it's easier to just make little compromises this far along in a marriage (lol).

[Joinfortmill]

14. 👍

[Generic Brad]

27. Gen Z and Millennials get scammed way more than their elders

I am in the financial services industry and see this every single day. Our young are too trusting, not cognizant of privacy, arrogant in their comprehension of technology and inexperienced in financial matters. That is a toxic mix. They unwittingly provide full online banking credentials, provide their full debit and credit card numbers along with expiration date and CVV code, and they will also help scammers get into their accounts by texting them their authentication codes when the scammer is taking over their online banking. The scammer simply asks and they willingly comply. No financial institution would ever ask a customer for any of those things.

I understand people of all ages get scammed. But industry wide the percentage of Traditionalists, Boomers and Gen X who fall victim to financial scams is a considerably lower percentage than you would think when compared to the young.

If anything - shout out to Gen X. They didn't get suckered so easily when they were young and they have continued sound personal financial safety habits as they go through middle age.

[slightlv]

33. Oh, no doubt we're ALL getting scammed

and spammed on ALL our devices. I detest what it's all become. And this, from someone who's hated the telephone since I was past teenage years.

The difference is... as you grow older, the marbles tend to move around on their own, making new patterns of recognition that don't always relate to reality. Add on top of that to losing a few each week... and it's the same hell as having to choose medical insurance when you're 80 and 90 years old. The old intelligence and recognition level just isn't there, nor is it as quick, as it used to be.

We've been on every "no call" list since they first came out with them. Regularly check to ensure the numbers are still there. I've almost come to the determination to the scammers and spammers use them as their checklist of numbers TO call!

Happy Holidays! And may they all be spam free!

[IbogaProject]

53. important with debt collectors

Tell them to verify the debt and all the details in writing, if you hear ok then you still wait for the letter. If they come up with any other song or dance, start screaming and say you have to go something just happened.

[Joinfortmill]

12. Wow, close call. So glad to hear all worked out.

[TNNurse]

13. She was fortunate

So many do not have resources to help them.

[milan755803]

15. Not a new thing

I have been getting phone calls for a couple of years from people telling me about my computer. They all have a distinctive East Indian accent. One time, I asked the caller where he was calling from and he said Delaware. LOL. A couple of months ago, I got a call and I reached my limit of patience. I told him to f- - - off and I have never received another call. I realize that these poor guys are trying to make a living and I feel sorry for them but they are so persistent that it is just aggravating.

[Mr. Evil]

18. I don't feel sorry for them at all.

I hate them. They know they are scamming people. Mostly the elderly. They are thieves. There are plenty of ways to make a living that doesn't include stealing and shitting on innocent people. Fuck them!

Merry Christmas!

[Aussie105]

22. The 'F off ' response is the one my wife goes to straight away.

Last edited Thu Dec 22, 2022, 09:38 PM - Edit history (1)

I pity any legitimate caller with an Indian accent.

I like to string them along. Or feed them info that rapidly ends the call . . . 'I don't have a computer' or 'Windows? I only have Linux'.

But the scam callers and 'click this link now' or 'ring this number now' email type scams will continue while a small number of people fall for them.

They know what they are doing in their call centres are attempted scams, so no pity from me.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

17. Confuse the scammers. Set her up with a linux system but tell her it's Windows.

[onlyadream]

19. When this happened to me I called the number

And yelled at the guy (from India). I gave a speech about karma and doing good in the world. When I was done he said, “if you can find me a better job, I’ll take it.” He sounded defeated and I felt bad, sitting in my nice house.

[Gore1FL]

31. There are Youtubers that actually pull that sort of thing off.

It's an interesting bit.

[Desert Dog]

20. Lead In

It starts off with a very basic coincidence.

1: Many people have ongoing computer problems of differing types. One could also make the case that older folks, with older desktop computers fit this target demographic.

2. Someone calls them, possibly from a phone list that identifies their exact name.. They say "Hello Mr or Mrs Taylor, I am from Microsoft and our systems indicate a problem on your side. Have you been having problems?" Never being specific on what problem that is..

Then they are off and scamming.. First goal is to install a remote access program to take over the computer. This does not always mean trouble, as many mature people do not do too much online banking or save passwords. Two factor authentication stops scammers in their tracks too. The scammers proclaim to have found the problem and put a price tag on the fix. Then they extract real bank account info for the payment (instead of CC number).. Once that info is out, Havoc reigns.

I had to unwind a mess with my father. Happened something like this, but never got to bank account stage.

[pandr32]

21. It is getting ridiculous.

I ignore the scams but there is always a new approach. I seriously worry many are victimized and probably ashamed to admit it.

[niyad]

23. That crap is back again? This happened to an older friend of mine several years

ago. She called me because she was all upset because of her computer problems. Microsoft had called her and. . you all know the rest. I told her to unplug her comouter, and call her bank immediately to alert them. I also told her to call the DA's fraud squad, and our local news. She spent hours getting her computer sorted out with a real dell (yes, she has a dell, sigh).

I told her that the first indication of the fraud was the person saying they were from microsoft, as microsoft never calls. You can barely get them when you call them. And never give out any kind of personal or financial information if you have not initiated the call.

I HATE THESE SCAMMERS!!!

[Aussie105]

25. Only legit phone call from a bank

was a flagged withdrawal in Sri Lanka on the wife's card.

She was there at the time for the cricket.

Nice to know her bank is watching.

As above though, any bank or Microsoft, etc calling you just never happens.

If you hate scammers, there are a few videos on scam baiting that are worth watching.

[progree]

28. Similarly from my credit card company (Chase) - they called me and asked me if I had been to a hotel

in Connecticut. Nope. Anyway, they gave me a new account number and sent me a new card.

So, as you indicate, some phone calls about problems are legit. If they initiated the call, I just won't give them personal info or account info, even if for "verification" purposes (and wasn't asked to in this case).

[niyad]

37. I generally don't answer my phone unless the number is in my contact list.

Anybody else, if legit, can leave a voice mail. On the rare occasion that I am in that mood, and I get one, I have several responses. For the auto warranty, "But darling, there must be some mistake. My Bugatti is under factory warranty." For the irs scam, "Would you mind repeating this so I can record it?" Etc.

[niyad]

39. My card company texted me several weeks ago, as I was having trouble with

a store's chip reader. The text asked if I was using the card, and when I said yes, no problem. But, on theur advice, I cancelled the card, and was issued a new one.

[progree]

24. I got one from my ISP, CenturyLink, some problem with my modem, asked me about what lights were

showing on the modem and on and on. She had me open a new browser tab, and then asked if she could give me a URL to link to their server and asked if that was all right, and I said no and hung up

But up to that last point I was believing her.

That was April 2021. Got one in October 2022:

Someone from my ISP Centurylink calls and says have been updating from 4G to 5G in your area, and have been trying to send my modem updates, which haven't been accepted or some such. She asked questions about lights blinking on the modem. Then on what was connected to it - I said my computer. Is your computer for business or personal use? I said does it matter? She replied something but went on to the next question but about then i hung up.

Edited to add: No, those calls weren't from Centurylink. But I really believed the first one was for quite a while.

=======================
Yes, I look gullible being sucked in for so long. I get lots of other "tech support" calls or ones from Windows Technical Support and such about something my computer is sending out indicates it might be infected blah blah, and I hang up on those right away.

[Aussie105]

26. "There is a warrant out for your arrest.

You owe the IRS $X, pay now to clear your name.
Please click the link."

. . . haven't seen that scam for years.

OR

"Your Bank of America account details are out of date. Click this link and re-enter your details."

[Laura PourMeADrink]

30. +1 Another new scam this year are emails saying your online order

Is delayed. They look so real and they are from fake companies that you actually ordered from
Jeez I fell for it at first - didn't get far enough to know what they were gonna get out of it? CC #? Address?

[LAS14]

42. Yes! I've gotten multiple e-mails about my held up...

...package even though I've marked it as phishing each time.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

45. I get those daily. trash them without even opening. And emails saying my wells fargo, citi bank,

(names of banks I don't have accounts with) are blocked and I need to call. Last email, the name of the bank was mispelled.

[LAS14]

32. I had heard for years about people calling....

... and pretending to be a grandchild. Then it happened to me last week.

Me: Hello?

He: Gramma?

Me: Who is this?

He: It's your grandson.

I hang up.

[Aussie105]

35. The 'Mom' text scam.

"Mom? I'm in trouble!"

More texts:
Phone got stolen, no money, cards gone, stuck, using friend's phone, he has no money either, but can you send him some? He can withdraw it and give it to me.

It continues from there. If you let it.

Needless to say, sending money to some stranger's bank account is probably not a good idea.

[LPBBEAR]

34. Please...

PLEASE tell all of your computer challenged friends and relatives that there is no way someone in India can call you to tell you your computer is infected. A phone number is completely separate from your computers "IP" address on the Internet. There is no correlation between the two devices. None. Simply hang up and go on with using your computer and enjoying your life.
These scammers are just randomly dialing phone numbers hoping to hit upon someone who doesn't have much knowledge of computers to frighten them into allowing remote access to their computer. Unless you allow them remote access to your computer they have no idea where your computer is on the Internet nor do they know whether your computer is infected or even on.
JUST HANG UP.

[GenThePerservering]

36. I've always been baffled as to how people fall for this

kind of thing. Doesn't it seem even remotely odd to them that someone calls them out of the blue about their system? Starts asking a lot of questions?

[LisaL]

38. There is a reason these perps prey on the elderly.

NT

[imanamerican63]

43. It wasn't a phone call.

It was a pop up on the computer and my mother called the number. She realizes it now that she should not have called the number. But everything is fine now.

[FrankChurchDem]

41. Behold, the Scammer Payback channel

This guy will provide you with all sorts of comic relief:

https://www.youtube.com/@ScammerPayback

[Dysfunctional]

48. My neighbor called me the other day. He said that his computer had a virus.

It is a fairly new computer. He said that he couldn't do anything and he wanted to know if he should call the number on the screen or BestBuy where he bought it. I told him it was a scam and just reboot his computer. That worked of course. I told him to call me before ever giving anyone any information either on his phone, his computer, or his mail. I had already told him not to answer the phone if the number wasn't in his contacts and that if it was important they would leave a voicemail or text and he should tell me what it was before answering.

[Polybius]

51. I've always wondered why older folks are so much more trusting of scammers

Is it because there were far less scammers years ago, and they are super trusting still? Or is it because most aren't tech-savvy?

[GreenWave]

54. Once I left the phone off the hook. They could npt disengage.

I hoped they liked the 20 hour international phone bill.