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Author Topic: Aaaaagh Parents!  (Read 8416 times)
Batch
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« on: Tuesday, March 27, 2012, 11:27:28 »

My mum just fell for the Microsoft phone scam.

I have no idea what the fuck she has let them do or not do to the PC. As far as I can tell she didn't hand over credit card details, but may well have let them have remote access.

Safest thing is to reinstall Windows and start again. But guess what, no backup image/disk.

Alternative is to let malwarebytes/virus scan/security sweeper to do their thing and hope for the best.

Opinions?

She has a Windows 7 key, but my second question is - is this tied to the specific OEM install of windows? Or is this key generic so getting any clean version of the OS will reinstall.
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RJack

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« Reply #1 on: Tuesday, March 27, 2012, 11:32:24 »

I lost my original copy of windows 7 Home Edition but managed to get a copy of it and my product key worked.

I think as long as edition is the same the key will work ie if you bought Win 7 Home Edition the key will work on Home Edtion only etc
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Samdy Gray
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« Reply #2 on: Tuesday, March 27, 2012, 11:34:36 »

My understanding of the scam is that they just use something like Teamviewer to remote into the PC and then try and tell you that you have a virus and try and flog you some useless software. I suppose the could install a trojan or similar, but malwarebytes should pick up anything like that.

Although the OEM key may be accepted by W7 during setup, I don't think it will pass validation.
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Rustle
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« Reply #3 on: Tuesday, March 27, 2012, 11:43:27 »

Batch dont worry it will be fine it happened to a friend of mine aswell,They let them have remote access and all they do is like samdy says.They show you errors which is supposed to make you panic and then in turn they offer you to buy a program that will resolve the error problem.

So as long as your mum did't give them credit card details everything should be fine.

But just run a malware scan/anti virus scan to be sure,but tell her not to worry.
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Loobug

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« Reply #4 on: Tuesday, March 27, 2012, 11:48:44 »

Yeah, I fell for the same thing and let them onto my PC. They didnt' install anything that I could see afterwards (I work in IT and think I would know) but they simply wanted £75 to 'fix' my errors in the event viewer and do housekeeping PC - which you can easily figure out how to do yourself.
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Batch
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« Reply #5 on: Tuesday, March 27, 2012, 12:02:01 »

There are definitely two scams - the "delete the temp folder and get you to pay £175 for the privalidge" and the "install malware" scam.

I'm not sure how to tell whether she has left the remote access up and accessible. Hopefully any malware will be detected.  Gaaaah.
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Batch
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« Reply #6 on: Tuesday, March 27, 2012, 12:02:42 »

Yeah, I fell for the same thing a... I work in IT and think I would know

 Hmmm

 Cheesy

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Loobug

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« Reply #7 on: Tuesday, March 27, 2012, 12:10:39 »

I was curious to see what they would do, didn't really think about the consequences at the time Smiley
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Sippo
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« Reply #8 on: Tuesday, March 27, 2012, 12:14:40 »

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If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're gonna see some serious shit...
thedarkprince

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« Reply #9 on: Sunday, April 15, 2012, 07:48:02 »

Yeah, I fell for the same thing and let them onto my PC. They didnt' install anything that I could see afterwards (I work in IT and think I would know).

Are you the tea boy for the techies or do you just open their post?  Because if you were a techie why the fuck would you let anyone on your pc, much less someone who has cold-called you?
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Only Me

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« Reply #10 on: Sunday, April 15, 2012, 08:09:29 »

My mum just fell for the Microsoft phone scam.

I have no idea what the fuck she has let them do or not do to the PC. As far as I can tell she didn't hand over credit card details, but may well have let them have remote access.

Safest thing is to reinstall Windows and start again. But guess what, no backup image/disk.

Alternative is to let malwarebytes/virus scan/security sweeper to do their thing and hope for the best.

Opinions?

She has a Windows 7 key, but my second question is - is this tied to the specific OEM install of windows? Or is this key generic so getting any clean version of the OS will reinstall.

The key is generic
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tans
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« Reply #11 on: Sunday, April 15, 2012, 08:58:39 »

I just tell them to fuck off when they ring me
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ronnie21

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« Reply #12 on: Sunday, April 15, 2012, 09:27:05 »

I just tell them to fuck off when they ring me
But you tell everyone to fuck off when they ring you Tans!!!! Cheesy Cheesy
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ron dodgers

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« Reply #13 on: Sunday, April 15, 2012, 09:35:04 »

I was curious to see what they would do, didn't really think about the consequences at the time Smiley
FFS don't tell anybody at work - you'd never be trusted again!
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ronnie21

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« Reply #14 on: Sunday, April 15, 2012, 10:02:07 »

Had one ring me the other morning, don't know if it was the Microsoft scam or not.  She asked to speak to my son - who moved out five years ago - I asked her if she was Indian, she said no, so I asked if she was calling from India, she said from an off-shore call centre, I asked her again if she was calling from India, exasperated she replied that she is only allowed to say an off shore call centre!!  So I told her then that I assumed she was calling from India, and to do me a favour by sticking a bomb up her ass, going out and finding a radical islamist preacher, embracing him and detonating the bomb, that way they would both be out of my life!!  Rather rudely she rung off.
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