Solved New Scam Alert: This is NOT Microsoft!

[theMozer]

I am ashamed to say I have fallen foul of an internet scam in the early hours of New Year's Day.

While doing some stuff on Facebook, I foolishly clicked on an article which claimed 'Donald Trump was being sued for divorce'! Within an instant, my computer was frozen, I had notices flashing across my screen, and a loud voice was yelling out at me that 'Microsoft had disabled my computer due to a virus attack'. I was prompted to call the displayed 'toll free' number for immediate assistance or else my computer would be permanently blocked!!! Unbelievably, half asleep and totally confused, I rang the number.

I was assured the virus attack was genuine and, for the next (heaven knows how long) I was guided through the steps to repair the damage. The 'Microsoft technician' gave her name and actually accessed my computer remotely to show me the damage on my system. I saw the word 'Trojan virus' displayed. When I suggested she could be a scammer, she assured me she was not - otherwise, how could she be taking me through these steps? She then asked what security I was using. I told her it was the free version of Avast which I'd had for the past 5 years or more with never a problem. She warned me it was of no use whatsoever and I needed to install a Pro version of security.

If I admit to being 'sold' Malwarebytes for the sum of (in British Pounds) almost £300, you'll probably say, idiot - serves her right. Don't forget, it was about 3 am on New Year's Day, and I had been out celebrating. I was dead on my feet and not fully aware of my actions.

To cut a long story short, I was the victim of the latest scam. They now have my credit card details and God knows what else. Yes, my computer was finally 'fixed' by them but I notice my login admin picture and password no longer appear on my screen. They are still on my Control Panel but I cannot get them back on login. How do I get this back?

I alerted my credit card issuer and they were extremely helpful. They blocked my card and will be sending out a new one. Once the withdrawal appears in my online account, I have to contact the fraud investigators and I'll be refunded.

Let this be a warning: Microsoft would NEVER disable your account! SCAM! SCAM! SCAM! If only I had known how to close that 'alert' screen - but my computer had been frozen. Other than to call me an idiot, your comments and suggestions would be highly appreciated.

 

[Layback Bear]

I'm not sure why anybody would fall for that scam. Warnings have been all over the net for a very long time.

Things I recommend.
1. Change all passwords to everything. Using a known clean computer. Not the one the stranger has had access to.

2. Call all banks and credit card companies and explain what happened and why you are changing all passwords. They should give more guidance.

3. At that point if it was my computer, I would do a Clean Install because no one knows what else has been done or installed in the computer. Things like key loggers.

After the Clean Install and updating along with installing your security programs that computer should be up and running and ready to use.

Jack

 

[MoxieMomma]

Hi:

I'm not sure why anybody would fall for that scam. Warnings have been all over the net for a very long time.

Ouch!
That sounds a bit harsh towards the OP, que no?
I'm sure theMozer already feels bad & stressed enough about the whole ordeal.
It was courageous to come forward for the benefit of others.

The bad guys are pretty good at "social engineering" these days.
No one, not even sophisticated computer users, is completely immune.
The OP is not the first or the last.

Having said all that, yes, I agree with Layback Bear's advice.
If you need help with any of it, or if you need more resources about "safe hex", let us know.

Thanks,
MM

 

[HAVOC]

Microsoft could care less if you get a virus.
I, like Layback Bear, can't understand how people fall for these scams. He is right, there have been warnings and it's also on the news.

 

[dg1261]

Jack's recommendations are spot on. Once a Windows installation has been compromised, you can't clean it up and be 100% certain you got everything. Even if it seems like everything is clean, the next time Windows hiccups there will be that nagging worry in the back of your mind that maybe you didn't get everything. A clean install (or a restore of a known-good backup image) is the only way to really be sure.

As for lessons to be learned from this, perhaps the foremost is to never make critical decisions when you don't fully have your wits about you. That should go for everything in life, not just computers.

When all h*ll was breaking loose around you, you're only reaction should have been to simply yank the power cord out of the wall and go to bed. Sure, Windows won't like that, but at that point it's the lesser of two evils. Then come back to it when you have a clear head and can intelligently work through a resolution.

 

[Barman58]

Ok please can we have a little more compassion for a New member who by inexperience or whatever has suffered from a quite traumatic event Yes this is a well known problem to those of us either in the business or enthusiasts, Not everyone is a knowledgable in the area of computer malware so should be treated with common courtesy

 

[Layback Bear]

I surely didn't intend to show a lack of courtesy. I was just thinking with my keyboard.
My reasons for my keyboards words came form me. I have for years heard about these scams from T.V., radio, and all over the net, so I assumed everybody knew of these scams. Wrong assumption on my part. Hopefully this thread will help others but then again maybe not.

@ theMozer

I do apologize if my post offended you in any way.

That being done, please follow the recommendation that I posted.
If you have any questions, just ask. We are here to help and do it more politely than my post#2.

Let us know how things go for you, or if you need any help.

Jack

 

[HAVOC]

Nor did I. I also thought that these scams were known to everyone.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Ok please can we have a little more compassion for a New member who by inexperience or whatever has suffered from a quite traumatic event Yes this is a well known problem to those of us either in the business or enthusiasts, Not everyone is a knowledgable in the area of computer malware so should be treated with common courtesy

Thank you, Nigel!

 

[theMozer]

What Barman58 has said is perfectly true. Yes, I was aware scams were about; what I wasn't aware of were the forms in which they manifested themselves. Obviously, what I shouldn't have done was click on an article which was fairly preposterous in the first place. I never click on stuff like this. Why I did it early on New Year's Day remains anyone's guess.

The fact is, this engulfed my screen and, in my confusion and shock, I panicked. Of course I should have forced a complete shut down, even if that's something one's never advised to do! I could see no way of doing anything else with that screen at the time it happened.

As I see it, my best way forward is to invest in a new laptop altogether. I hate the thought of Windows 10 and really need to source a new device with Windows 7 already installed. Unfortunately, Dell won't ship to the UK which is a shame as they still have brand new Windows 7 models with 8GB RAM and 1TB storage. I need to trust a device is actually brand new and I can trust in them!

Although I realise I have come across as a total idiot, this is far from how most people see me. As a result of this, I feel both violated and vulnerable - the very last thing I need in my life at the moment. The whole incident seems like a bad dream on reflection. I just cannot get to grips with the way I was 'guided through the repair process'. I wasn't even drunk, just over tired.

Anyway, how ever you view me, I'd just like to thank you all for your time and input. All the best, Mo

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

While replacing the laptop is rather extreme (not to mention costly), if you do want to go that route, NewEgg UK still has some windows 7 models available. I suspect that Amazon UK will as well. You can usually upgrade RAM and storage on most computers (some are easier than others).

 

[theMozer]

Hi, Lady F!

I've not heard of NewEgg UK, but will certainly look them up. Amazon have the model I most desire but, as you said, it's a bit pricey! To be honest, I bought a new laptop from Argos a couple of weeks ago but returned it unopened. I decided Windows 10 was not for me! The left and right click buttons have rather expired on my present laptop so I'm having to use a wireless mouse. Hopefully, I'll source what I want within the next week or so.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi and welcome to SevenForums,
For what it's worth I have not heard about this scam either

 

[TrustMe]

Does your laptop have a recovery partition? Does Samsung come with software to create a recovery drive? I would go that route to clean your laptop. Even if you had to purchase recovery disks from Samsung, it would be much cheaper than buying a new laptop. If you need help, I'm sure there are people here who would be happy to assist.

 

[MoxieMomma]

^^ That sounds like a good start. ^^

Moreover, officially, sale of consumer, OEM Win7 computers ended in October 2016.

Forbes Welcome
Microsoft gives OEMs a deadline: No more new Windows 7 PCs in one year | ZDNet
Microsoft Windows 7 Pro Sales Ending October 2016 - InformationWeek

Although there may still be a few Kosher Win7 computers out there somewhere, I would be very careful about what and where I buy, especially if the price seems "too good to be true".
I would hate for you to fall victim to yet another scam.

Thanks,
MM

P.S. FWIW, Win10 is not all that bad, once you get used to it. I still have two Win7 systems (1 desktop and 1 laptop), but Win10/Pro on my main production desktop is not as terrible as it's cracked up to be. (My major complaint is the loss of granular user control over updates; but MS has now implemented a similar, "Windows as a service" model for Win7, too.)

 

[Barman58]

For UK laptops the choice is limited compared to the US, doubly so when you add Win7 Into the specs, I did, however, come across this ...

Lenovo T420 i5 14" Refurbished Laptop with Windows 7 Pro - Aria PC

There are other places you could try one that popped up is Buy Cheap Laptops & Netbooks > Windows 7 at Morgan Computers which I remember from back in the 1980's ( not exactly a newcomer) they specialise in older equipment so could be a last chance option

 

[Firefox]

I seem to be the go to person for my entire family, let me tell you no matter how many times I try to educate them, them all get in a rush and click on just about anything. They almost go scammed by a fake website selling NFL jerseys for $35, that's a deal too good to be true. After they sent me the link, I immediately was able to determine it was fake.

Us folks that know these things, the best we can do is pass on our knowledge to help make the world a better place, even it its only one person at a time.

 

[sheppitydawg]

I have encountered this many times and initially you cannot close the window and it does appear to render your PC useless.

However;
ctrl-alt-delete to get to task manger and shut the application down.
Run the relevent malware anti-virus after but dont panic it only becomes an issue when you contact them and they bribe you into paying for a service you dont need.

 

[akjudge]

Each year my very first New Year's Resolution is....

Remember that although I may be an expert in several fields...I am an idiot in all the others...so don't jump to judgements...

While I probably would not have fallen for this particular scam, I am sure I have for many others out of my few fields of expertise... that car driven by that nice old lady I bought when I was 18... that star I paid to name after my sweetheart... should I go on??

Jim

 

[theMozer]

Sheppitydawg has also hit the nail right on the head! My biggest mistake here came from the fact I panicked. Of course, if you don't panic, and weigh matters up logically, you'll come to a logical solution.

Unfortunately for me, it's all now a case of locking the stable door after the horse has bolted! I KNOW what I did wrong and I know why I did it, I was over stressed and over tired. I thought I'd unwind and relax on Facebook for a while!!!

Initial steps have been taken to recover my money and I've been given a couple of options by the fraud dept of my credit card as to where we all go next.

One of my biggest concerns is the disappearance of my login Admin picture and password from my start-up screen. I can see the box displaying them in my Control Panel but I cannot recover them to start-up. Now, Windows 7 opens with the usual Welcome Screen, and goes directly to my wallpaper screen - bypassing everything else! I can logon to the internet with no difficulty whatsoever ... but I don't like the thought of no password. I have asked around as to how I could restore this to start-up ... No remedies so far! I hope the entire world out there can't login to my system ... Remotely!!!