A new variation on the "Windows tech support" phone call scam?

[Diosoth]

A new variation on the "Windows tech support" phone call scam?

Someone I know locally received an odd phone call from "tech support" with an automated message, stating they would be charged $200 to fix their PC by automatic debit and they would have to call a given phone number for further details. As they have no existing accounts with any PC service business, the caller did not use any names or other identifying info- either their personal or company name, or naming the person they were calling- and their only financial purchasing info is restricted to local utility companies, Paypal and Amazon(I had them change passwords regardless), they and I determined this has to be the phone scam but it seems to be playing out differently than the usual ones. I would assume that they intend people to call in to cancel this scheduled charge but have to give their credit or debit card into to "verify" it. Unfortunately I couldn't find anything online about this variation.

And while I know people here would be wise enough to not fall for these things but many people still are on a daily basis, as these scams easily target less tech-savvy people, especially the elderly, so it would be worth informing people about this take on the scam.

 

[Paul Black]

Hi Diosoth,

Thanks for bringing this to the forum members attention!
There are unfortunately [as you say] less PC literate users that might fall into this scam.
If there was a problem, only users with an actual MS account would be notified via a genuine email anyway!

 

[organicgoose775]

Thank you for sharing this warning, Diosoth. I think it's important to share this everywhere. We all have family, especially the ones who don't familiar with internet things, like our elderly grandparents, etc. I have just Googled about this and found some reports filed at Fake tech support agents using 315-791-4443 / 3157914443 about similar scams. People should be on extra guard and keep informing family about how these scammers work.

 

[RoWin7]

I keep getting these because my answering machine picks them up when I'm out, which signals them to keep calling. My variation says my tech support subscription is about to expire.

When I used to get the real human "from Microsoft," I told them I don't have a computer, and they haven't called back. That worked very well, as my goal is always to make them stop interrupting me. I work online from home.

I also get a few Chinese ones, or maybe they're all the same.

Verizon catches many of these, and it says "SPAM?" on the cordless phone's little screen. I've read that the telco's are all working on solutions

 

[Barman58]

The way that these "Call this number to Cancel" type scam often work is that the phone line given is a "Pay Line" and is set up at some exorbitant rate - even worse than the "legitimate" ones

There was one different spin on the technique used in the UK a few years ago, a lady dressed smartly to look like a typical business woman would knock on the front door in apparent distress saying that her Mobile / Cell Phone was not working and she was running late and could she make a call from the house phone to make sure that her children were picked up from school or similar. She would even offer a few pounds to cover the call often the housholder was elderly or otherwise vulnerable to this approach, but if they said yes they had a bill from their own telecoms company charged at £20 per Minute or more - the scammer had set up the line they called so they received the majority of the money.

This system can also work with an input of a Website so never ring any number to check

Another thing that I have noticed on UK TV recently is that companies are making statements about their products as to quality or awards, and then providing a special email address to contact to verify the info rather than a Web address - what is of course actually happening is they are harvesting the potential customers personal email for future marketing

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I've had a couple of calls, one of which said my Social Security number has been "suspend" (not suspended) and to press 1 for more information (my answering machine picked it up). Another one my answering machine picked up said my Social Security number had been suspended, a warrant had been issued for my arrest, and to press 1 for more information.

So, if I completely disappear from here, would someone please come out here to bail me out?

 

[Diosoth]

Suspending a SSN? Not likely but it's one of those things I can see a lot of people falling for, as they wouldn't know that. Also calling you about a warrant- as I understand US police don't operate that way.

Letting a stranger in your home is another BAD idea- they might be casing your house to rob it later, but people feel a need to help others in need so it's another one easy to pull. At most you should tell them to stay outside and make all calls yourself to be safe if you must help an unknown stranger.

The "charge per minute" scam sounds likely in this case though- they didn't call the number, I'll warn them though not to do so in the future if they get another.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Suspending a SSN? Not likely but it's one of those things I can see a lot of people falling for, as they wouldn't know that. Also calling you about a warrant- as I understand US police don't operate that way...

I had no doubt that the calls I got about my SSN were bogus. I was being facetious about possibly needing to be bailed out of jail

 

[RoWin7]

A friend has recommended Nomorobo, which blocks the call, so your answering machine won't pick it up.

 

[townsbg]

For a previous employer I had to work with real Microsoft techs. Support was always achieved the same way. Call a special number, give our contact information and method of payment (in our case an account number), description of our issue with the severity, and we get a case/ticket number. Then the tech would call. If you don't have a ticket number then your caller is not from Microsoft.

 

[XweAponX]

And while I know people here would be wise enough to not fall for these things but many people still are on a daily basis, as these scams easily target less tech-savvy people, especially the elderly, so it would be worth informing people about this take on the scam.

It's not simply computer repair scams, there is also a huge scam where they call you to tell you your Social Security will be CANCELLED.


they prey on user's FEARS, in your case, or your friend's case, it was computer-related. Maybe because they mentioned something abut computer repair on social media, that's how they pick up on whatever you were looking at last, same way facebook abuses the Ad system and shows you ads based on what you were talking about the day before, or even Googol searches you have done.

There are usually ways to OPT OUT of Info-gathering systems that are intended to give you "Personal" Ads (You look like you need a Guinness, John Anderton!) - But sometimes, there is a system that you can't opt out of. That's where they get you.

You should ask your friend, were they discussing the subject of the Spam with anyone on Social Media? Because in most cases, that's where they get the info - Since you have opted out of Twitter's Ad system, they mine your actual TWEETS, Facebook posts, even Messenger Messages.

 

[RoWin7]

Equally important is not to use social media at all. Don't give all your private info away and then complain that you're being spied upon and that your personal info is being sold. Facebook and Twitter are not in business as public services but to make money from ads and selling your profile.

Then I see people in stores willingly giving away their phone number to the cashier to get a sale item. Occasionally I tell them the phone lists are being sold, but it's a hopeless campaign. One supermarket wanted my driver's license, phone number and another ID to give me a plastic "Loyalty" card. I turned them down.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

...Then I see people in stores willingly giving away their phone number to the cashier to get a sale item. Occasionally I tell them the phone lists are being sold, but it's a hopeless campaign. One supermarket wanted my driver's license, phone number and another ID to give me a plastic "Loyalty" card. I turned them down.

I deal with the "need" for a phone number to get a loyalty card by giving out a bogus phone number: a real phone number with the exchange (the three numbers between the area code and the last four numbers of the phone number) changed to 555. If they are stupid enough to try and call that number, they will get redirected to directory assistance (and you would be amazed at how many people do not know about 555). That way, not only do I not get bothered, neither does anyone else nor does anyone else get an opportunity to access my personal data.

I draw the line at showing my driver's license and and another ID, though.

 

[Barman58]

So that's why so many phone numbers given out on us Movies and TV shows include the 555 - I've always wondered,

 

[RoWin7]

I deal with the "need" for a phone number to get a loyalty card by giving out a bogus phone number: a real phone number with the exchange (the three numbers between the area code and the last four numbers of the phone number) changed to 555. If they are stupid enough to try and call that number, they will get redirected to directory assistance (and you would be amazed at how many people do not know about 555). That way, not only do I not get bothered, neither does anyone else nor does anyone else get an opportunity to access my personal data.

I draw the line at showing my driver's license and and another ID, though.

For years, I gave a phony name, address and phone # to get loyalty cards. But recently I lost one plastic card, and discovered now they need a driver's license, "so people don't get 2 cards." When Walgreen's asks for a phone #, it's because the customer has already registered previously with a driver's license, and they have to look her up fast.

Someone in my knitting group doesn't get it. "Why should I care? I'm not doing anything illegal. You're seeing conspiracies everywhere."

 

[RoWin7]

So that's why so many phone numbers given out on us Movies and TV shows include the 555 - I've always wondered,

They've always been 555, going back 50 years or more.


The bottom line is that I get lots fewer spam calls than people I know because I don't give out my address and phone number freely. Also lots less junk snail mail.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

...Someone in my knitting group doesn't get it. "Why should I care? I'm not doing anything illegal. You're seeing conspiracies everywhere."

I'm continually being gobsmacked by how many otherwise intelligent people can be so ignorant. It's like a disease named Stupid (Stupiditis?) has become epidemic.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

So that's why so many phone numbers given out on us Movies and TV shows include the 555 - I've always wondered,

I'm shocked that someone as bright and knowledgeable as you are wouldn't have known that!

 

[XweAponX]

Equally important is not to use social media at all. Don't give all your private info away and then complain that you're being spied upon and that your personal info is being sold. Facebook and Twitter are not in business as public services but to make money from ads and selling your profile.

Twitter has become a #Joke (to use the proper hashtag). I used to enjoy using it to follow Actors or bands I liked, maybe a few other random individuals. Some of them I had pleasant interactions with. But ever since 2016, I had to block over 20k trolls/bots/sycophants. They can't limit their activity to REDDIT or 4/8chan, they have to infect any website that has a discussion board, including news websites, in fact, I'm sure that IMDb delete the hell out of their Discussion areas because of Troll Activity. Unfortunately, the TROLLS moved to the REVIEWS section, and they have taken over THAT. ANY Positive review of ANY film or TV show gets bombarded with hundreds of "Downvotes" (Unhelpful votes). All NEGATIVE reviews, and they are all verbatim DUPES of each other, get massive "helpful" votes. I mean even reviews that are less than once sentence that says "it sucks", it'll get 500 helpfuls. And the NEWS Sites, well even earlier, in 2012, and especially Huffington Post, the discussion areas under each article got appropriated by 8chan twits. As far as News sites go, I'm not interested in seeing people TALKING about any news item, it should be JUST news and that's IT.

You can use Facebook to talk about that poop. And that's what people used to do until 2016.

These days? You read any important news item, and there are always links to TWITTER posts, by you-know-orange-who. Like, WHO CARES!?!?!?! So I try to keep away from News Sources that link Twitter crap all the time. I just want FACTS that I can corroborate on more than one news source, I want to see how it is reported at different places, and like HELL if I am interested in someone's TWITTER reaction to it. Gah! Fook That NOISE!

So mainly when I use Twitter any more these days, I react to those POS tweets by spamming one of my bands or band videos. That's the only good use of Twitter, cos I get lots of hits from those tweets where I link songs and videos, especially on what's his arse's timeslime.

As far as facebook, I really depend on it, not for the main Facebook app, but for Messenger. But when I do venture out into the main facebook Area-Of-Dren, I keep to my friends and followers. I do have to keep a Cell number on my FB Business page, cos it's business. And Business is Business! lately I have deflected any SPAM that may mitigate from my FB Business page by using a free Obomaphone I got when I was at a 99 cent only store, I figured, if they are handing out free phones, I'll grab one. I even offered to PAY them for more Data BW, but they would not let me! Which was the craziest thing I have ever seen. But that free UMX phone, a crappy snapdragon device, fortunately cannot be used for any social media whatsoever, cos it's too weak to run the apps. But it gives me an alternate phone number I can use on my facebook Business and band pages. This allows for way less SpamCalls on my real iPhone.

In fact, I do approve of NOT using Social Media especially after I was hit with the ADAME virus that wiped out 3/4 of my irreplaceable Pro Tools session files. Fortunately, someone told me, that the files ADAME encrypts are actually first, deleted. So, I was able to use that free undeleter app Recuva to locate and restore a bunch of those Sessions, in fact I just got done going through the sessions, and they are all there and complete, so it is a slight relief. I still have to go through the rest of my storage drives, but I haven't seen as positive of a result on the drive I just started the scan on. So I think I just got lucky with the sessions I WAS able to "recuva"

I may indeed start curbing my Social app activity, I'll stick to using those for Band promotion, cos I did spend about 10 years building those accounts up from scratch. I really don't need to talk to anyone else, I have a core of about 200 people I interact with daily, and it's mostly for real-time and real-life events. And for setting up computer repair jobs, I get about 10% of my calls from my FB Business page. But now with the Obomaphone, I can easily VET all of those calls.

Then I see people in stores willingly giving away their phone number to the cashier to get a sale item. Occasionally I tell them the phone lists are being sold, but it's a hopeless campaign. One supermarket wanted my driver's license, phone number and another ID to give me a plastic "Loyalty" card. I turned them down.

Usually, it's Guitar Center, or Moze Guitars, or Alans Music cos I have been buying equipment and accessories from those places for 40 years, and I do not mind #Spam from those places, cos I WANT to see those ads. I look at em, then delete em. I'm thankful for them cos I found an early 80's Peavey Renown in one of those Guitar Center ads. For 250 bucks! I RACED down to GC and bought it, those heaps are 160 Watts RMS, and although they are Transistor amps, they SOUND like Tube. They even gave me a GC credit card! I was amazed. I used it to buy the Amp, and some strings and stuff, then paid it off and am not using it anymore.

However, Office Despot, Home Cesspool, Staples (least offensive of the lot), FRYs (a real stinklhole), And it used to be RADIO SHACK, always insisted on my Phone number, my response was always like Hugh Jackman in X-Men First Class. Sometimes they try to not finish the sale, so THAT's when I start yelling "Manager! Manager!"

Haha!

But I wholly agree, be prudent what you put up into your profile, EVEN if it says "Nobody Else can See it!" -- The SPAMMERS see it and bombard you!

(I Tried to edit out any cursewords, I might not have gotten them all)

 

[XweAponX]

I draw the line at showing my driver's license and and another ID, though.

You mean when they ask you for a "2nd" ID? Most places have a sign that says they need "2 forms of ID"

For many years, I got past this by using my Passport, until it expired. Most places got bent out of shape, they could not DENY the transaction I was doing, cos it is a valid Federal ID. Mostly I used it at my own bank, when I wanted to cash a 3rd party check, and they never gave me any grief about using my passport. Until one day I was an a Bank of America, and they were trying to refuse to cash a check written out to me on their bank. So I started yellin' MANAGER, MANAGER, and the manager came out and did it for me. But he said he would never do it again, I told him **** Off, I'm never coming back here, and I never have.

What they really want is a credit card though. I want to know, how in 57,000 bloody blue blazes, a CREDIT CARD can be defined as an ID? About a year after the BoA incident, I actually got a Debit card which was a MasterCard, and it could not be used as a credit card. And then, the very next place that tried to pull the "2 forms of ID" cack on me HAD to take it as my "2nd form of ID".