PSA: Microsoft Tech Support scam via phone

[WolfeMacleod]

Just a warning here.
This morning my mother called and told me about a phone call she got form someone claiming to be MS Tech Support, and telling her that her computer has downloaded a virus, and they were calling to help her get rid of it.

She knew it was a scam, and *****ed them out.

I got a similar call several months ago.

Their scheme is to get you to let them have remote access to your PC so they can "clean" your system....

Here's an article about it,


Microsoft Warns Of Tech Support Phone Scam
By Stefanie Hoffman, CRN
June 17, 2011 3:26 PM ET

Scammers could be giving you a ring in a Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) phone scam designed to trick users into handing over money to cyber criminals posing as security engineers, the company warned.

The current phone scam employs similar tricks to that of a fake antivirus software scam, also known as scareware, circulating the Internet. Microsoft said that the live phone version of the scam involves miscreants impersonating help desk engineers from legitimate software companies. The scammers then pretend to warn users that their PCs could be infected with malware and then offer a free security check.

In reality, the scammers trick users into allowing them to remotely access their computer, download malware on their systems and part with their credit card numbers to purchase fake security software. Microsoft reports that the average victim who falls for the English language scam loses $875.

The scam prompted Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing Group to commission a survey determining the techniques behind the scam and the affected victims. Out of survey pool of 1,000 computer users in the U.K., Ireland, the U.S. and Canada, 15 percent said that they received a call from a scammer. Out of those who received a call, 22 percent, or 3 percent of the total survey pool, said that they fell for the scam.

Microsoft warned in an advisory that the phone scammers often posed as Microsoft employeesfrom a variety of departments, including Windows Helpdesk, Windows Service Center, Microsoft Tech Support, Windows Technical Department Support Group and Microsoft Research and Development Team.

Microsoft said that the scammers tricked users into installing malicious software designed to capture sensitive or financial data, including online banking credentials and passwords, and later might charge the victim to remove the software.

Scammers were also known to take control of the victims’ computers remotely and adjust settings in a way that would leave them easily accessible to attack.

During the scam, cyber thieves also request credit card data, and bill users for phony services or direct users to fraudulent Web sites that request users to enter credit card data and other personal or financial information there.

“The security of software is improving all the time, but at the same time we are seeing cybercriminals increasingly turn to tactics of deception to trick people in order to steal from them,” Richard Saunders, director of international public and analyst affairs of Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing, in a statement. “Criminals have proven once again that their ability to innovate new scams is matched by their ruthless pursuit of our money.”

According to the Microsoft report, 79 percent of those who fell for the scam said that they suffered some kind of financial loss, with 17 percent losing money withdrawn from their accounts, 19 percent having their passwords stolen, and 17 percent becoming victims of identity theft.

In addition, 53 percent of the victims said that they suffered from computer problems after the scammer downloaded malware or bogus software onto their computers. Meanwhile, the average cost of repairing the damage to PCs was around $4,800.

To avoid becoming a victim, Microsoft advised users not to purchase any software or services from a telephone solicitor. If approached, users should ask if there is a fee or subscription associated with the service and then hang up if there is.

Microsoft also strongly warned users against giving control of their computer to a third party unless they could without a doubt confirm that it was a member of the Microsoft support team, and advised against users providing credit card or financial information over the phone to someone claiming to be from Microsoft tech support.

In addition, Microsoft advised users to take down the solicitor’s information immediately and report the scam to local authorities.

[GH85Carrera]

Like Microsoft has my phone number.
I can see how that would suck in a lot of people.

[porsche4life]

Wonder what they'd say when I told em I don't use windoze....

[john70t]

E-mail scams would be investigated by the feds...if they still had the focus.


I've gotten e-mails from the USPS, UPS, and FEDEX about urgent packages undelivered.

Then there was the RIAA, announcing my ISP with access to the internet would soon be blocked unless I opened the details attachment.

All those are chump change.
The real crimminals have already sniffed through my dirty drawers, and hopefully not not liked it
(I'm still not sure the RIAA email was a hoax though).

[widgeon13]

I thought this was about the prostate gland.

[blakey]

Originally Posted by john70t

E-mail scams would be investigated by the feds...if they still had the focus.


I've gotten e-mails from the USPS, UPS, and FEDEX about urgent packages undelivered.

Then there was the RIAA, announcing my ISP with access to the internet would soon be blocked unless I opened the details attachment.

All those are chump change.
The real crimminals have already sniffed through my dirty drawers, and hopefully not not liked it
(I'm still not sure the RIAA email was a hoax though).

problem is that a lot of these scams are not considered crimes until someone actually get scammed, and even when that happens FBI won't prosecute unless it's over 250k in losses. You can see an FBI agent admitting it here

[vonsmog]

Well I got my phone call this afternoon. Laughing on the phone I told them to F***off and that I don't even have a PC! and called them some bad words until she hung up. I tried to redial the phone #, but the # had been disconnected according to the recording.

[azasadny]

My aunt got this scam call a few months ago, so she bought a new PC!!! Unbelievable how naive and gullible some people are...

[masraum]

This is awesome, folks doing the same kind of scam called an IT security guy that was in the mood to lead them along and see what they were doing.

Security Expert Fools, Records Fake Antivirus Scammers - Dark Reading

[Zeke]

So, if you fall for a CC scam, won't your CC company help you out? Wouldn't they have a way to trace where the money went? I can see how a person with a stolen CC# can make some purchases and disappear. I don't see them collecting the money through a financial institution and getting away easily. How does it work?

[pmax]

[azasadny]

I do not have any sympathy for people who fall for these scams any more.... They have been around forever and the mentally weak will fall for any and all scams, regardless of the warnings they receive. I know this firsthand because almost all of my family has fallen for them even after I told them to expect the calls and exactly what will happen.....

[legion]

I play along. Meanwhile, I've gone to a command prompt and typed: "ping fbi.gov". When they ask for an IP address to attempt to log on to my computer, I provide the one I got from running the command above. The conversation generally goes like this:

Scammer: "I am going to attempt to log on to your computer now. Do you see a window popping up asking for permission?"

Me: "Yes, I see the window.....oh no! It just disappeared. Can you try again?"

Scammer: "Okay do you see the window now?"

Me: "It just popped up......and it went away again."

Scammer: "Okay. I'm going to try again..."

At some point, they suddenly hang up on me.

[GH85Carrera]

I received a recent call claiming to be with Microsoft Security. It seems my Microsoft security had expired. Of course I instantly knew with certainty it was a BS scammer. The background noise of a call center was loud, so I told him I can't hear him, and for him to tell those other folks to shut the *uck up so I can hear. I told him I like to live dangerously, and I did not want to renew my security package. So he said there was a form he could send me and I have to pay to have it shut down. I told him I would not pay it at al, just shut it down. He said if I did not pay my computer would lock up and I would have to pay a lot more to get it to work again.

Then I asked what is his favorite to have intercourse with, goats, donkeys or cows? And if his mom was still doing her donkey act at the strip club. Then I started to get rude to him. He hung up.

[zakthor]

Had to call comcast a few years ago. Called the 800 number at the top of my search results. Had coffee ready because navigating their menus and being on hold is going to take time.

Imagine my surprise when a very well spoken man immediatelly picks up:

Comcast tech support, how can i help you?

Uh.. Woah! Wheres the phone menu and the muzak?

Sir weve changed our menu system to better serve you. Do you like it?

Yeah but how can you afford it? Its unreal...

Told him what i wanted (some account change) and hes like: Ok, i need you to install this software so i can help you... Uh.... No. Hey i really enjoyed talking with you but i need to call comcast now.

Sir! Remember you called us! You have reached comcast!

Ok, bye...

[rcecale]

This guy, Kitboga, spends HIS time trying to waste the SCAMMER'S time, preventing them from really scamming the unsuspecting...some of these videos are hilarious, yet scary.

[john70t]

That last one:
She must have worked in major call centers before. Very slick.
There must be extensive .db of her voice fingerprint, which any audio analyzer would find.

The scary part is that there is no federal fraud agency specifically handing these types of cases.

Even the major manufacturers don't have a department for it.
Disney, Porsche, Apple, Hollywood, etc all aggressively protect their brands using federal agencies.
Yet this stuff continues in daylight and goes unpunished.

[HarryD]

I get these calls. I like to string them along and ask them if they are referring to my Timex/Sinclair or VIC-20 Computer to be cleaned. I tell them my Altair8000 seems to be ok.

My computer looks like this:

[RWebb]

I got a call like that and told the guy I didn't have a computer.

He fumbled a bit then was about to hang up, so I said maybe it's a virus on my phone!

We had a nice chat and after a while I told him my phone was just a land line with no "apps"

Finally, I gave him a nice fuzz tone blast to hang up on.

[stealthn]

Geez these have been going on for years, at least CANADA has been shutting some of them down in India, but it’s whack a mole.

Just have fun with them, last one I told I didn’t have time to talk cause I was outback slaughtering a couple of cows for meat