Social Engineering Scam

[max power 21]

My parents got a phone call from someone claiming to be from microsoft. The person on the phone claimed that my parents' computer had a virus and they were receiving error reports. They wanted to fix it for them using remote assistance. Now, my parents are much too savvy to fall for such a thing and hung up instantly.

I did some searching and found that this scam is affecting people internationally.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_vista-security/i-received-a-phone-call-from-someone-claiming-i/4489f388-d6de-416d-9158-0079764bb001

They apparently implant a virus that mines the computer for personal and banking information then steals money from them. This is the first time I've ever heard of a phone-based-virus-scam-bank-heist. If you know someone who might be susceptible to such a scam, bless their trusting hearts, let them know about it.

[walker 0]

Hi all

A similar system was tried on a relation but using the pretext of their virus checker and firewall being dammaged and needing to be turned off.

Kind Regards

[Dwarden 1126]

report the call to police, inform You phone company and ideally if you were able reveal the caller ID / number then give that to police too ....

drop copy in email to Microsoft ....

[PELHAM 10]

I got this call here in the UK last week. Very rude gent who claimed he was from Microsoft, my PC was sending them virus warnings etc.

They ask you to press WinKey + R, then type in www.ammyy.com and download the software so they could fix my PC remotely.

I played along up until he got to the connection and then started acting really dumb and wasted a further 10mins of his time.

When he realised, I got some swearing and shouting. I guess MS employees need some customer service training lol. The number is unavailable (call center) but from the accent it sounded like south Asia somewhere.

This scam has been going for about 2-3 years - they used to use teamview but switched to ammy as not as many have heard about it. If you have elderly relatives or know people not so computer savvy it may be prudent to send a warning email.

Could be a cooincidence but I got several other calls over the next few days (same accent) about banking services and PPI refunds that ended up wanting me to hand over my credit card details and banking info. I wasted lots of their time too. :D

[walker 0]

....I wasted lots of their time too. :D

Hi all

Also my prefered solution to cold caller types, if they dont take the first no for an answer.

I usualy tell them I am realy interested in what they are saying so that they are hooked then ask them to hold the line, as some one is at the door I put the reciever down covered for ten minutes and continue what I was doing, then I pick it up and say "Sorry about that, some one selling door to door and they are terribly hard to say no to, what were we talking about?" and get them to repeat their whole speel.

Then after 2 or 3 three minutes I say, Oh some one else is on the other line just a second while I answer it..., 5 more minutes of covered reciever as I want to play them for a while, then back to them "Sorry, some one selling ... over the phone what was it we were talking about?" Get them to repeat the whole speel again for two or three minutes then it is the "Sorry just got to sort out out the potatoes/joint in the oven, you can hold for a few minutes cant you? Dont go away! It is perfectly convienient." 20 minutes this time followed by a quiet cut off.

If they phone back I accuse them of hanging up on me and being very rude pretend to accept their apology, then I repeat the whole thing with variations.

After a little while you stop getting cold calls as you make it on to their dont call list, which is after all the point.

Perhaps the long term solution is to transfer them to a rented premium rate line just for the purpose, and make some money out of them.

Kind Regards walker

Edited August 3, 2011 by walker

[Tankbuster 1747]

Oh damn. I find myself in the uncomfortable position of being in agreement with Walker.

Sometimes I like to delay as much as possible. Answering the door, making dinner, taking other calls - all the usual stuff.

When I'm feeling wicked, I'll prank them. You tube is excellent for providing background noises. Play some Arma2 game sounds and pretend I'm in a war zone, play some police-stop-pwn sounds and pretend I'm stealing a car. I once pretended I was an shuttle astronaut at lift-off.

Also, I try to get them to take a survey, or sell them loft insulation.

It's my civic duty to ruin these peoples day. I've been so successful that I rarely get calls now, which is a bit of a shame because I enjoy thinking up evil things to do to them on the phone.

[CameronMcDonald 147]

Oh damn. I find myself in the uncomfortable position of being in agreement with Walker.

Sometimes I like to delay as much as possible. Answering the door, making dinner, taking other calls - all the usual stuff.

When I'm feeling wicked, I'll prank them. You tube is excellent for providing background noises. Play some Arma2 game sounds and pretend I'm in a war zone, play some police-stop-pwn sounds and pretend I'm stealing a car. I once pretended I was an shuttle astronaut at lift-off.

Also, I try to get them to take a survey, or sell them loft insulation.

It's my civic duty to ruin these peoples day. I've been so successful that I rarely get calls now, which is a bit of a shame because I enjoy thinking up evil things to do to them on the phone.

Good man, great avatar. Full marks all round. :D

[Mr. Charles 22]

ITT grumpy old men, who play jokes over the phone

jk, i just hate these calls

[Tankbuster 1747]

ITT grumpy old men,

Guilty as charged, m'lud. :)

[KEVINMGXP 20]

ITT grumpy old men, who play jokes over the phone

jk, i just hate these calls

I like to play with such calls and returned the favour and if they go maaad like crazy its such a satisfaction :D anyway reported it to microsoft and the police but they can't do much they seem to move arround so its hard to pin point where they are operating from.

sadly a lot of people get scammed for it they always will find something to steal from people :( ....

[STALKERGB 6]

I once pretended I was an shuttle astronaut at lift-off.

Definitely trying this one!

[KEVINMGXP 20]

Definitely trying this one!

lol yeah that looks fun ....

Sorry sir a cant connect to my home coputer I am 1 million miles above earth please call again when I am back over 6 monts :D

[CameronMcDonald 147]

"I'm sitting down to dinner with my fiancée" turns off all but the most ardent Indians, I've found.

Do this even if it is 10am in your location.

[Tankbuster 1747]

It's more about the background sound effects and the voice you put on to authenticate the illusion. Another favourite of mine a WWII Spitfire pilot, complete with "SCRAMBLE!" and takeoff noises, "Bandits @ 6 oclock!!", "What ho! Ginger!" and all that. Me making the gunfire noises ("Takakakakakakakakak!") was a bit too much and I ended up in giggles.

The trick is to have an appropriate soundtrack ready to go on the PC when the phone rings.

[dmarkwick 261]

Banks are odd. They ring you up, then you have to confirm to them who you are. WTF. Anyway, I always tell them I cannot do that on he grounds that any moron can say yes, but not every moron can say no.

[hellfire257 3]

Anyone think of trying to fake an earthquake yet? I think that'll be the next one to try.

[KEVINMGXP 20]

Anyone think of trying to fake an earthquake yet? I think that'll be the next one to try.

lol good one, spitfire is not a bad thing also but hmmm i think falling for it is a other thing were not living in the 1940's anymore ....

but not every moron can say no.

so true minus the moron part then :D

Edited August 3, 2011 by KBourne
Gramma

[dmarkwick 261]

so true minus the moon part then :D

What kind of a moon can't spell? ;)

*edit*

Ninjad :D

[KEVINMGXP 20]

What kind of a moon can't spell? ;)

*edit*

Ninjad :D

corrected it it's not my native language you know lol

Edited August 3, 2011 by KBourne
Gramma

[gossamersolid 155]

Funny that a thread gets brought up about this now. I got a call like this at the start of the summer.

I asked the guy how he detected there were viruses on my computer. He replied "Because microsoft can detect any file changes on all computers with Windows".

So not only are they sullying microsoft's name, but they are blatantly inciting that Microsoft has spyware on everybody's pc to monitor all of our file changes.

I then told him that what he said is against the law and I will take action by phoning the police. As soon as I said police, he hung up.

What a bunch of douches.

[mrcash2009 0]

Banks are odd. They ring you up, then you have to confirm to them who you are. WTF

I agree its madness really when you think about warnings ref scammers. I actually worked in a bank that had to do this and saw it the other way around. Although I was listening to the customers saying exactly what I would say .. what should happen is the bank/staff who is calling you should then give you their ID of some sort and then give you number the number to call back in to ask for said person to then go through the security procedure the other way around. Although many dont and just stay on the phone going in a loop.

Having seen it from both sides, I still dont give out info. The best thing to do when the person asks "hello is that xxxxxxx ?" .. I say ... "whos that?" ... in which case they have to respond and I never confirm who I am ... fun times.

I had inland revenue call me before and I stated for them to contact me in writing due to the fact they could be anyone plus calling them back on a number im not familiar with would be a cost to me .... it got sorted via mail at a cost to them :)

BT cold call me regular, I always know becuase the time of the call and also its 9/10 times a scottish chap ... he always hears the dead click pretty fast.

Edited August 3, 2011 by mrcash2009

[SWAT_BigBear 0]

I just simply say "hang on, someone is at the door", set the receiver down and never come back.

[rangerpl 13]

Jack black soundboard

Tourettes guy soundboard

Duke Nukem soundboard

Sgt. Hartmann Soundboard

My weapons of choice.

[jerryhopper 286]

Jack black soundboard

Tourettes guy soundboard

Duke Nukem soundboard

Sgt. Hartmann Soundboard

My weapons of choice.

LOL - i have that hartmann soundboard on my mobile ;)

I just simply say "hang on, someone is at the door", set the receiver down and never come back.

Meh, you could do better - but you have to be prepared.

you're on phone, with marketeer.

let him speak and make sure its marketeer.

Start sounding interested in the product, ten say that

doorbell rings, ask for hang on. ( have a doorbell mp3 at hand ;) )

Then start a mp3 with :

a vaguely dooropen sound, first talking then screaming in native language, LOUD gunshots, breaking glass and then silence. after one minute of silence you hear policesirens some glass breaking by foot, some mumbling and then hang up.

;)

feel free to change the script, and sound like its a police bust, house caught on fire, terrorist bust.

variations on the door could be : you get another phonecall on your cell, and then play and endless conversation with your mother-in-law about 'as the world turns' or your docter about a fatal disease you got.

just be creative with 'where could i receive a call, and what fatality could happen to me'

In a car, at work, in a plane possbilities are endless!

So much for ideas, here is the REAL master at work.

oLnQXmkR3dI

Tom Mabe - Revenge on the Telemarketeers.

( i ran this album on SahraniRadio once in a while )

for more inspiration check this searchresult : http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=revenge+of+the+telemarketeers&aq=f

Edited August 3, 2011 by jerryhopper

[dmarkwick 261]

Another one that I heard (although I never used it yet) is to say you're busy, but if the caller were to leave their home number you will get back to them later. When they inevitably decline, you say "That's OK I'll get it from the same place you got mine".