topbanner_forum
  *

avatar image

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?

Login with username, password and session length
  • Thursday March 28, 2024, 2:15 pm
  • Proudly celebrating 15+ years online.
  • Donate now to become a lifetime supporting member of the site and get a non-expiring license key for all of our programs.
  • donate

Author Topic: Phone scam - pretending to be Microsoft Engineer  (Read 12425 times)

nudone

  • Cody's Creator
  • Columnist
  • Joined in 2005
  • ***
  • Posts: 4,119
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Phone scam - pretending to be Microsoft Engineer
« on: May 24, 2011, 06:15 AM »
I've just had a call from a friend describing how their distraught daughter has had her computer "hacked" AND it was a phone call from a Microsoft Engineer that told her so...

...the "MS Engineer" then went on to tell her how to remove the virus from her machine and, no doubt, do several other things to it as the same time. Oh, they also told her that her "operating system license" had expired and so would need to renew it for the cost of £150.

Obviously, this is a total scam aimed at the non security savvy pc user. I've told her to change all usernames and passwords, etc. and will be wiping/restoring the hard drive for them later.

Seems it's a growing problem: http://www.computing...-targeted-phone-scam

(No doubt, there are better links and information elsewhere.)

Stoic Joker

  • Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2008
  • **
  • Posts: 6,646
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Phone scam - pretending to be Microsoft Engineer
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2011, 06:33 AM »
Thanks for the heads up I hadn't heard about this angle yet. Be interesting to see if I get any client calls about it here in the US.

OTOH I certainly sounds like it could make for a fun afternoon if I get called ... Maybe turn them loose in a sandboxed VM to see what they do. I love playing dumb... ;)

tomos

  • Charter Member
  • Joined in 2006
  • ***
  • Posts: 11,959
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Phone scam - pretending to be Microsoft Engineer
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2011, 08:35 AM »

I visited my mum last week (Rep. of Ireland) and answered one of these calls. He was saying something along the lines of - you have a computer with microsoft windows number xxxyyxxyyxxyyy and that there was a problem with - I said straight away that there was NO computer in the house, and he hung up very quickly.

I was very sorry afterwards I didnt play along a bit to see what exactly he was up to but it sounds like it was the same crew.
Tom

nudone

  • Cody's Creator
  • Columnist
  • Joined in 2005
  • ***
  • Posts: 4,119
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Phone scam - pretending to be Microsoft Engineer
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2011, 09:43 AM »
Good points both of you. It would be fun to try and keep one of these scammers on the phone for as long as possible, see how far they'll go with someone acting really "confused" and "gullible"; make it sound tempting to the scammer...

..."oh no, I'm so glad you called, I know it will cost a lot of money for you to mend my computer and I'm more than happy to pay. Now, please tell me what I need to do..."

Renegade

  • Charter Member
  • Joined in 2005
  • ***
  • Posts: 13,288
  • Tell me something you don't know...
    • View Profile
    • Renegade Minds
    • Donate to Member
Re: Phone scam - pretending to be Microsoft Engineer
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2011, 06:07 PM »
It's times like that where you kind of wish you had a nice sized bot army. Oh, what was that link? <tappity tappity click /> Oh... The site seems to be down now... :P
Slow Down Music - Where I commit thought crimes...

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker

Stoic Joker

  • Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2008
  • **
  • Posts: 6,646
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Phone scam - pretending to be Microsoft Engineer
« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2011, 06:20 PM »
It's times like that where you kind of wish you had a nice sized bot army. Oh, what was that link? <tappity tappity click /> Oh... The site seems to be down now... :P

[Evil Laughter] He He He He [/Evil Laughter]  :Thmbsup:

ravenlaughs

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2006
  • **
  • default avatar
  • Posts: 16
    • View Profile
    • Fire From The Sky
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: Phone scam - pretending to be Microsoft Engineer
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2011, 06:36 PM »
Owoo, I would so love to play with one of those dorks. And of course record the whole thing.
Happiness is a warm reboot

Renegade

  • Charter Member
  • Joined in 2005
  • ***
  • Posts: 13,288
  • Tell me something you don't know...
    • View Profile
    • Renegade Minds
    • Donate to Member
Re: Phone scam - pretending to be Microsoft Engineer
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2011, 07:49 PM »
Owoo, I would so love to play with one of those dorks. And of course record the whole thing.
-ravenlaughs (May 24, 2011, 06:36 PM)

I had some Jehovah's witnesses or mormons over one time as they tried to convert me. I gave them a mini sermon on the infinite mercies of Khorne the Blood God. (That was my avatar here for years!) That was fun~! :)
Slow Down Music - Where I commit thought crimes...

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker

Stoic Joker

  • Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2008
  • **
  • Posts: 6,646
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Phone scam - pretending to be Microsoft Engineer
« Reply #8 on: May 24, 2011, 08:00 PM »
Owoo, I would so love to play with one of those dorks. And of course record the whole thing.
-ravenlaughs (May 24, 2011, 06:36 PM)

I had some Jehovah's witnesses or mormons over one time as they tried to convert me.
Cripes those people make me nutz ... I answered the door once holding a beer, wearing nothing but a big grin, and invited them in.  (Damn'dist thing) They just ran down the driveway. *Shrug* People with standards are boaring...

I gave them a mini sermon on the infinite mercies of Khorne the Blood God. (That was my avatar here for years!) That was fun~! :)

I'd been wondering what that was. Cool.

Carol Haynes

  • Waffles for England (patent pending)
  • Global Moderator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 8,066
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Phone scam - pretending to be Microsoft Engineer
« Reply #9 on: May 24, 2011, 08:48 PM »
I have had a number of clients hit by this scam and a few have handed over money and access to their computer. They basically diddle about looking like they are doing something and install some free tools (like Malwarebytes).

One client contacted trading standards and got her money back and an investigation started. Trouble is it is difficult to tell where the scammers are based as I have come across a variety of accents!!!

tomos

  • Charter Member
  • Joined in 2006
  • ***
  • Posts: 11,959
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Phone scam - pretending to be Microsoft Engineer
« Reply #10 on: May 25, 2011, 03:14 AM »
^ great to hear someone got their money back. I would have thought that if they are able to debit your credit card that they would have to at least have a business address. But I guess that probably wouldn't mean much anyways...


Trouble is it is difficult to tell where the scammers are based as I have come across a variety of accents!!!
-Carol Haynes (May 24, 2011, 08:48 PM)

accents wouldnt necessarily indicate location anyways.
Tom

cpt.deckard

  • Participant
  • Joined in 2011
  • *
  • Posts: 3
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Phone scam - pretending to be Microsoft Engineer
« Reply #11 on: May 26, 2011, 01:51 PM »
I've just had a call from a friend describing how their distraught daughter has had her computer "hacked" AND it was a phone call from a Microsoft Engineer that told her so...

...the "MS Engineer" then went on to tell her how to remove the virus from her machine and, no doubt, do several other things to it as the same time. Oh, they also told her that her "operating system license" had expired and so would need to renew it for the cost of £150.

Obviously, this is a total scam aimed at the non security savvy pc user. I've told her to change all usernames and passwords, etc. and will be wiping/restoring the hard drive for them later.

Seems it's a growing problem: http://www.computing...-targeted-phone-scam

(No doubt, there are better links and information elsewhere.)

growing problem indeed, these bastards are going global, check out some of the comments and videos on this page:
http://callercenter.com/800-698-9034.html


nite_monkey

  • Member
  • Joined in 2006
  • **
  • Posts: 753
    • View Profile
    • Just Plain Super
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: Phone scam - pretending to be Microsoft Engineer
« Reply #13 on: July 09, 2012, 04:27 AM »
It would be funny to make a linux box look as close a possible to a windows distro, and give them access to that, and see what happens from there... ;)
[Insert really cool signature here]

SeraphimLabs

  • Participant
  • Joined in 2012
  • *
  • Posts: 497
  • Be Ready
    • View Profile
    • SeraphimLabs
    • Donate to Member
Re: Phone scam - pretending to be Microsoft Engineer
« Reply #14 on: July 09, 2012, 05:49 PM »
It would be funny to make a linux box look as close a possible to a windows distro, and give them access to that, and see what happens from there... ;)

Mintbox. Or one of the mint-named Linux distros is designed to be easily adapted to be Windows-like.

I like the idea of turning them loose in a VM though. Because while they are busy, I run netstat on the router to pick up the IP they came in from in order to file an abuse report with their ISP.

Carol Haynes

  • Waffles for England (patent pending)
  • Global Moderator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 8,066
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Phone scam - pretending to be Microsoft Engineer
« Reply #15 on: July 09, 2012, 08:08 PM »
They don't seem to care - if you ask them they give you a real phone number (at least the one I spoke to did) - trouble is the police don't care either!

SeraphimLabs

  • Participant
  • Joined in 2012
  • *
  • Posts: 497
  • Be Ready
    • View Profile
    • SeraphimLabs
    • Donate to Member
Re: Phone scam - pretending to be Microsoft Engineer
« Reply #16 on: July 10, 2012, 04:37 PM »
trouble is the police don't care either!

-Carol Haynes (July 09, 2012, 08:08 PM)

Isn't it great? We wouldn't need half the laws we have or government officials we have if the laws that exist actually were enforced by people who actually care about following them and upholding the standards.