Not Vape Related

[NancyR]

Heads up, I received a phishing call
I just had a phone call from some guy saying he was with windows, not microsoft just windows. Then said my internet is running off their servers and is showing a problem with my computer.

I didn't let him get past that he wanted me to pull some info up so he could show me, but in reporting it to my phone company they said it is a marketing company and to not give them any info.

As not everyone knows about stuff like this, please if you get a cold call like that NEVER give them info or access to your system.

 

[Robert Cromwell]

Microsoft will never call you and ask for access to your PC or for any personal information.
I got one of these calls once. I acted interested and asked him for more details on the issue and told him I was an IT security consultant for the Federal Government.... CLICK!

 

[NancyR]

Yeah I use to do minor tech work with a chat program host, so I know more than enough to take care of my system and to know if I need help I call them, not them cold calling me. But as we have a lot of people here, some of who are new to using computers, I figured the heads up would be a good idea.

 

[Robert Cromwell]

I worked client server systems for 15 years or so. I do not work for the feds though

 

[OlderNDirt]

We get quite a few of these calls from "windows" and, depending on our mood, either hang up or "have some fun". Playing stupid and seeing just how long you can keep them on the phone can be interesting. Had them wait while my computer was "turned on" (which seemed to take forever for some unknown reason) and then I couldn't find the keyboard button with 4 flags on it. Then he threatened to have Microsoft disconnect us from windows. The last one I asked how my computer could "call and report a problem" when the only thing it plugged into was the electrical outlet. He said by the internet connection and I said using my best old man voice "what is this internet you talk about? He hung up on me.

I don't remember if it was this particular scam, but I got a call a couple years ago and kept "Jack" on the phone quite a while before it ended. I got another call with the same scam a couple days later and after his opening pitch I said "Jack? Is that you?" and he replied "You remember me!?!?"

Next one I get I'm gonna tell him I got so tired of my computer constantly reporting problems that I traded it in on a new Mac.

 

[chopdoc]

I got a few calls like that before. I always laugh at them. I will ask them why windows would be calling them when I run exclusively Linux. Thats always followed by a click.

 

[jbok]

Lol my uncle was a victim of social engineering just last week. Have up his moms username and password and actually help them install a root kit on his mother's computer. Malicious attackers like to play on the good nature of people and they are real successful at doing it


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[NancyR]

Lol my uncle was a victim of social engineering just last week. Have up his moms username and password and actually help them install a root kit on his mother's computer. Malicious attackers like to play on the good nature of people and they are real successful at doing it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I do hope they were able to get it taken care of

 

[jbok]

I do hope they were able to get it taken care of

It was so bad I had to wipe the hard drive. Funny enough he told his mother what he did as soon a she got home like he did something good, and she immediately knew that he had been suckered and she's 77yrs old lol


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[roxynoodle]

This happened to my parents a month ago. They fell for it I told them to have that computer checked before they do anything with it.

 

[Cacique]

Heads up, I received a phishing call
I just had a phone call from some guy saying he was with windows, not microsoft just windows. Then said my internet is running off their servers and is showing a problem with my computer.

I didn't let him get past that he wanted me to pull some info up so he could show me, but in reporting it to my phone company they said it is a marketing company and to not give them any info.

As not everyone knows about stuff like this, please if you get a cold call like that NEVER give them info or access to your system.

That part I bolded there automatically sent red flags in my brain. I'm self taught about computers, so I'm no where near an expert, but having built my computers and set up my own home network I feel like I know enough to know no one's internet runs through the servers of an operating system. I would imagine if anything, it would be your internet provider calling you over internet issues, or something like an issue you've been reporting, which needs you to start the whole process. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong lol.

We get quite a few of these calls from "windows" and, depending on our mood, either hang up or "have some fun". Playing stupid and seeing just how long you can keep them on the phone can be interesting. Had them wait while my computer was "turned on" (which seemed to take forever for some unknown reason) and then I couldn't find the keyboard button with 4 flags on it. Then he threatened to have Microsoft disconnect us from windows. The last one I asked how my computer could "call and report a problem" when the only thing it plugged into was the electrical outlet. He said by the internet connection and I said using my best old man voice "what is this internet you talk about? He hung up on me.

I don't remember if it was this particular scam, but I got a call a couple years ago and kept "Jack" on the phone quite a while before it ended. I got another call with the same scam a couple days later and after his opening pitch I said "Jack? Is that you?" and he replied "You remember me!?!?"

Next one I get I'm gonna tell him I got so tired of my computer constantly reporting problems that I traded it in on a new Mac.

That's hillarious!

I got a few calls like that before. I always laugh at them. I will ask them why windows would be calling them when I run exclusively Linux. Thats always followed by a click.

It was so bad I had to wipe the hard drive. Funny enough he told his mother what he did as soon a she got home like he did something good, and she immediately knew that he had been suckered and she's 77yrs old lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Glad you were able to fix that for them. The part about your uncle's mom knowing it was a scam is pretty funny lol.

 

[jbok]

This happened to my parents a month ago. They fell for it I told them to have that computer checked before they do anything with it.

Yeah info sec 101..never give up ur user name a password. It's funny for me to see a thread like this, it's a crossing of my two worlds. I'm a 3rd year cyber security students and my time consist of school and when I take a break, I check out the threads here on ECF. It's kind of like chocolate and peanut butter.


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[NancyR]

Cacique you are not wrong, even if Microsoft had some reason to call, they would not say they worked for Windows.

Jbok, I get where you are coming from, the only reason I posted this here is I know some of our people here are new to computers and may not know what some of us know about this type of issue.

 

[jbok]

Jbok, I get where you are coming from, the only reason I posted this here is I know some of our people here are new to computers and may not know what some of us know about this type of issue.

I think that was a good call. I have thought in the past to do the same but I was afraid of the

 

[NancyR]

I think that was a good call. I have thought in the past to do the same but I was afraid of the

I fully expect mods to move it, but I knew putting it here more chance of it being seen before they did. If they want to give me a slap for it, their call.

 

[hashtag]

No one in the tech industry will ever proactively try to help you solve a problem. If your computer/internet/application is broken it isn't their problem until you make it their problem. Even then they will be hesitant to help.

If you have ever called comcast or microsoft for tech support you will know that they do everything possible to not help you. There is no reason to believe they would go out of their way to call and help you.

 

[Hans Wermhat]

If they help you, your machine gets fixed. If you can't fix it, you buy another one.

 

[SomeTexan]

I love getting calls like that. Start breathing heavy into the phone and ask them what they are wearing... Lmao. A few years back, I was a mod on a sportbike forum and the owner had an account that we could use for this stuff. If they tried the info, they would be offline for quite some time... He had some crazy virus and hacking bugs loaded so the first time anyone tried to access it, they were down for the count, and he could delete all their stolen info, find out who they were, etc.

 

[OldBatty]

I got a few calls like that before. I always laugh at them. I will ask them why windows would be calling them when I run exclusively Linux. Thats always followed by a click.

Got my first one of these a few months ago and wanted to play along as long as possible with out mentioning Linux. Guys accent was so thick I gave up after a few minutes and hung up. Love to go the the password stealing phishing pages and use user names and passwords which would get me bannanated here.

 

[tj99959]

If it's not a friend calling, or a return call, it's a phishing call!!
Probably best to not answer those calls. Problem is, I just love seeing how long I can string them along.
I kept that "windows" guy on HOLD for over an hour.