Exposed Cold Calls - Computer Errors

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Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 8:25 pm

Came across this it's pretty informative Laughing

http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/pc-help/1908340/exposed-cold-pc-service-company-tried-mislead

Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 10:09 pm

That's happened to me twice now.

In the most recent one, the lady in question explained that they would get the technician into my system to repair it.
Me: No way! You sound like hackers!
Her: Sir, that's not how hackers work, they wouldn't work like this.
Me: Oh really? Does every burglar use the window? A lot of the time they come in via the front door!
<Phone down>

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:13 am

3 times for me,

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:54 am

I wish I got calls like this. Is there a number I can call to bait them? Very Happy

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 1:54 am

I've gotten a pop up on my screen that told me I had a virus and if I clicked on the link, they would fix for me -- at a cost of about $50.

I took computer immediately to the Computer Doctor. He said he has had clients pay up to about $400 in total for these clowns to "fix" and something else crops up for another $50-100 - that they $50 and $100 you to death and fix nothing.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

^^^

Sweet Jesus. Please download THIS and never worry about that shit again. Burn it to a CD and run it live (they will show you how). You can test drive it without making any changes to your computer. If you have any questions, PM me.

*** BANNED *** Joined: 18 Jul 2004 Posts: 2049

Vampiremerchant wrote:

Came across this . . .

Hey these are the same douches that call me every week or so. If I am not doing anything important, which is most of the time, and the wive is out of ear shot (she doesn't believe in abusing poor third world scammers), I unleash my abuse modality. It's fun - try it.

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:43 pm

^^Pastor, PM sent. Smile

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:56 pm

The first time it happened, I had a call from two strongly accented individuals who tried to tell me that they had confirmed information that my computer had been infected with viruses and malware.

I told the first one (a man) that I'd been receiving no error messages or virus warnings, and after a while he must have had enough of hearing my denials and handed me over to a second one (a woman) who told me they had fifteen or more error messages logged from my computer.

I asked for details of when and what, and she went away. Not long after the line went dead.

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 2:18 pm

There was a thread in help and tips recently about this, but rather than have it necro'd you can carry on here.

I get these scum every other day. When I have time I dick them around by asking 'which PC is it?' and generally acting stupid. I then ask them to wait while I 'switch the PC on', and leave them listening to the soundtrack of a Japanese pr0n film or something.... When I come back 20 minutes later they are gone.

Otherwise I say very bad things to them and put the phone down, much to the surprise of my inlaws that were staying last week.....

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 2:52 pm

Pastor Frank wrote:

Sweet Jesus. Please download THIS

I wonder what they would say if they tell you your Windows is running slow because of malicious software and you tell them you're running Ubuntu Smile

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 4:28 pm

I received a similar call a little before Thanksgiving last year. We just moved into a new place, had no internet connection, no computers and the phone was just installed. I was installing a dead bolt into a garage door when I answered the phone. I don't bait telemarketers because generally they are simply doing their job but this was really a scam.

Thinking about it now I should have said that the noise of the hole saw was the computer starting up. I kept agreeing with the guy and kept telling him it would be a just a little more time before my version of Windows 7 loaded up Office 10, Flight Simulator and Photoshop. I did say that something was wrong with the power button when I was cutting in the mortised lock strike. My little girl must have heard the hammer on the chisel when she came over. She heard me when I was lining up the door and the jam and I told the scammer that the green cursor was blinking.

She came by 30 minutes later when I was finishing up and gave me a "Are you still doing this look?". By this time I had changed out the lockset and installed the deadbolt and was doing the engineer's dance. I told the scammer that everything was working perfectly, thanked him for his help and hung up the phone on him. I looked at my handset and saw that I had talked to him for 43 minutes.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

@wokabo

I'm running Mint 8, Ubuntu is fine, but the recent changes drive me nuts. I know that Mint is up to v.10, but 8 is wonderful, if it aint broke, don't fix it.

@all

The great thing about Linux is that you can change versions and flavors of Linux and reload all of your settings with a few clicks.

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 5:04 pm

Oh Connie... Laughing

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 6:17 pm

@ PF Thanks for the info. The Computer Doc has me all fixed up that nightmare will not happen again.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

^^ You are running Windows, and he gave that guarantee? Fair enough, hopefully he will fix any future problems for free.

Don't get me wrong, I started with Windows 3.11 back in the day (all the way up to XP) and had my fair share of problems. Once I converted to Linux I have not had one problem with that type of stuff. Try a live CD and see how it works,

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 7:04 pm

^^ It has been 2 yrs and no problems thus far. Of course he will fix for FREE if that happens again. That was the only problem like that I have ever had with any of my computers (desktop or laptop). Maybe I am living under my lucky star Wink

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

^^ Your computer tech must be your SO.

I quit doing Windows support for my friends. They hate me, as does most of the world, but they keep making the same mistakes. "I just clicked on this funny link my friend sent me, and now my computer is all fucked up".

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 7:19 pm

^What exactly are those "funny links", PF?

ETA: I was just thinking how I posted a link to a friend earlier today. He said he would kill someone. Shocked

I hope his computer is okay. Confused

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 8:32 pm

@ Pastor Frank Nope, the "Computer Doctor" is a local business. I only take my computers in when I get a new computer and need files transferred and for that muck-up of a mess I spoke of above.

Many years ago when I had an IBM PS2 a friend came over to fix something. He had been a member of our local computer group. Idiot managed to erase my hard drive! Evil or Very Mad

I took to a local computer repair and they fixed so that HD could not be erased again. Needless to say friendship ended on the spot!

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

N.O.R.A wrote:

^What exactly are those "funny links", PF?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 10:21 pm

^I can't see that one. Confused

At least my computer still works. Smile

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

^^ Good. It may ruin your life.

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 8:01 am

Pastor Frank wrote:

N.O.R.A wrote:

^What exactly are those "funny links", PF?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Crap - I accidentally clicked that link - I have to reformat my hard disk now (if it still works at all)

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