New Style Computer Scam via a Phone Call?

[Perry]

What Happened

At 2.26pm, Saturday 7 May 2011, I received an anonymous phone call.
The caller had an Indian accent and there was lots of background
(typical-call-centre-type) noise. He was not easy to hear.

He represented that he was from Windows Operating System technical
support and was responding to a computer problem that I had 'logged.'
I said I had not done such a thing and that I regarded his call as
suspicious and a likely scam.

He suggested that I turn my computer on so he could show me how to fix
the problem. At that point, I said that I was almost sure the call was
a fraud, said 'goodbye' and hung up.

Speculation

Perhaps I should've followed the instructions to a certain point, to
see what happened? I suspect that I would've been asked to download
a patch (or some similar expression), which I would have declined to do.

However, had I persisted for a little longer, I may've got a clearer
idea of the complete modus operandi, to pass on, in an effort to
forewarn others.

Or maybe I should've said I used Linux or had a Mac, to see what happened?

[spaceman]

I recommend toying with such callers...if you're bored and have a bit of spare time it can be great fun.

Cheers
Spaceman

[One]

What Happened
I suspect that I would've been asked to download
a patch (or some similar expression), which I would have declined to do.

Very likely told to visit a certain website and that would've been enough to trigger a download. I'd say you did the right thing in hanging up early!

[Dean@Massiveaction]

I would have started speaking in an Indian accent and asking him if he could come over for a curry :-) It's hard to imagine someone paying people to spread a virus. Far more likely that the download would be a keylogger or similar to get your passwords etc. to get into your bank or find your credit card number.

[Keys]

You are asked to goto a specific file and tell them what you see. It's a complicated file. They then tell you that there is a problem with it and that you need to allow them to shadow you. While they are shadowing you they install a virus to open up your computer to hacking.

[muppet]

Overseas phone scammers target Queenslanders with Microsoft con

• Daniel Knowles
• From: The Sunday Mail (Qld)
• May 08, 2011 12:00AM
• 5 comments

CRIMINAL call centres in India are bombarding Queenslanders in the latest scam to separate them from their money.

Fraud Squad Detective Superintendent Brian Hay said police did not yet know whether the scammers had set up their own call centres or simply hired existing, legitimate businesses to ring Queensland homes and follow a phishing script.
But thousands of Queenslanders are believed to have been targeted by the cold-calling cons, including one known as the "Microsoft scam".
Det-Supt Hay said phone scammers were growing more sophisticated, with the Microsoft ruse being run over two phone calls.
In the first, the criminals pretend to be conducting a survey, asking seemingly innocent questions including which bank the homeowner uses.
A few days later, a second call is made, saying there is a problem with the homeowner's computer and requiring personal information.
The information gleaned in the first call is used to reassure the homeowner the caller is legitimate, and many people let their guard down.
"We get a lot of calls saying 'we didn't fall for it' but thought you should know," Det-Supt Hay said.
"But when you start running into people in the flesh who have been targeted, you know it's massive.
"The money these people are making out of it, they could set up their own call centre.
"Or they could be engaging existing call centres to do a script. The advice is simply to hang up."
With international calls becoming cheaper thanks to the use of internet lines (VOIP), Det-Supt Hay said phone scams operated by foreign criminals would become more common.
Australia and particularly Queensland was a growing target for international scammers, Det-Supt Hay said.
He said examples included Malaysian shopping gangs using credit cards loaded with stolen account details in organised raids from Adelaide to Cairns.
There were also card-skimming operations taking advantage of Australia's reliance on outdated magnetic strip technology on ATMs, Det-Supt Hay said.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/sunday-mail/overseas-phone-scammers-target-queenslanders-with-cold-calling-cons/story-e6frep2f-1226051690070

[spaceman]

Go on .... you know you want to

http://www.419eater.com/

just the thing the while away a wet sunday arvo

Cheers
Spaceman

[Viking]

had one last week.Told them bluntly that he was a a--w---e and to get F------d.
Shouted at him in fact.

Made me feel good.

[Perry]

New?

It's an international problem.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/18/phone-scam-india-call-centres

http://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/25930.html

[Tan]

Yeah, I got that call. I have a very rarely used lap top at home. In hindsight I would have loved to take up his time trying to shadow me and download anything through dial up!

I just told him I didn't have a computer and I had heard of his scam. Boring I know, but I was watching American Idol and he interupted .

[drelly]

Just tell him that someone called back earlier and it's already fixed!

[PC]

Come on - think of poor suffering Telecom shareholders...
String the s.o.bs along on the phone for as long as possible.

[Perry]

Hah! It's likely to all be VOIP!
(Voice call over the Internet)

[mattinvestor]

woah. that was a weird encounter for you.
Good thing you hung up.
It's best not to believe everything you hear especially from self-proclaimed "experts"

[muppet]

I received a call a couple of days ago.
Asked the guy to send me a email.
Said if he did that he would be sending thousands out.
So told him to send me a letter and hung up.