Computer Scam

[michael-piziak]

My Aunt fell for this, and she uses Ubuntu Linux.

It infuriates me. I just received the same call.

Caller says, "Hello this is Alex from the ________ technical department, and your computer has viruses."

My reply,

"I use Linux, not ____________________, so quit trying to scam people!!!!!!"


He hung up on me.


Moderator, if this violates forum rules please remove it immediately.

[Shaun_Dixon]

It is unfortunate there is a lot of these kind of scams going around at the moment. It is usually the vulnerable they manage to catch out, which is so wrong. One of my friends played along with them for a while (he had ubuntu installed) and the scammer tried for a good 30 minutes to access his computer. Thinking about it, for those 30 minutes the scammer was not calling other people who may fall the scam, which is only a good thing.

[1clue]

My parents got that call. They not only don't have a computer, they also don't have anything else with a cpu, except a wireless phone and possibly a microwave. They have a flat screen tv but not a smart tv. I guess the cable tv box has a cpu.

Would love to have been a bug on the wall for that discussion.

[speedwell68]

I know loads of people that have had these calls and I am so waiting for one. I have Windows XP setup in Virtualbox just for this. Yet they never call, I feel unloved and unwanted.

[portalhavoc]

My family has gotten those calls before. and we say "We use Linux" most of the time. and those calls are just random people in India who claim to work for Microsoft or some other company who want to destroy your computer.

My great uncle got one of those calls once. and he was panicking when they tried to access his bank account! :o (True story.)

[Y^2om&#7sgP]

Yeah, I got one of these. I said 'Oh thank you, my PC has been really bad for a while now, please take a look, but just wait a minute until I switch it on', and put the phone down on the table. 15 minutes later picked the phone up and the line was dead, hung up. 10 minutes later.....the same thing, so phone down while they wait for my PC to boot, got back to them 15 minutes later....phone dead, hung up. 10 minutes later.....another call, by this time I'm beginning to enjoy myself. After saying again that my PC was reeeeaaaaaallllllyyyy slow, the 'lady' at the other end said 'are you trying to waste my time?' my response was 'Yep, and I think I'm doing a pretty good job' I was then told to fornicate off and the phone went dead. I just fell off of my chair in hysterical laughter \\:D/

[Shaun_Dixon]

Yeah, I got one of these. I said 'Oh thank you, my PC has been really bad for a while now, please take a look, but just wait a minute until I switch it on', and put the phone down on the table. 15 minutes later picked the phone up and the line was dead, hung up. 10 minutes later.....the same thing, so phone down while they wait for my PC to boot, got back to them 15 minutes later....phone dead, hung up. 10 minutes later.....another call, by this time I'm beginning to enjoy myself. After saying again that my PC was reeeeaaaaaallllllyyyy slow, the 'lady' at the other end said 'are you trying to waste my time?' my response was 'Yep, and I think I'm doing a pretty good job' I was then told to fornicate off and the phone went dead. I just fell off of my chair in hysterical laughter \\:D/

haha that is a great way to deal with them! I must remember that in case I actually receive on these calls. You are doing a great service to the community antagonising and frustrating these sick individuals who prey on the weak and vulnerable.

[Kpenguin]

I would love to write a program on Linux that will ruin their computer when they try to connect to mine! Haha

[poorguy]

I receive one of these calls at least once a month.

The callers have been male and female from somewhere in India.

Need to figure away to hook them up with an email address that will load their computers with viruses and malware and they could call themselves for an infected computer.

[deadflowr]

Rinse and Repeat, I guess,
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1753968

[lisati]

Some of the people who make those calls aren't particularly smart. I read somewhere once of a MS employee receiving such a call while at work. The caller was asked for things like their extension number..... :D

[KnownSyntax]

I've seen many people fall for this scam sadly, and it's even worse when they then try to correct themselves and the people still fall into their trap. Only thing to do is to report the number and/or block it and hang up so they can't harass you at all.

[PJs Ronin]

I like to keep them talking. For every second they are with me they're not scamming someone who doesn't know what they're up to.

[monkeybrain20122]

Funny that something like that happened just to someone I sort of know. He is a shady character himself and has recently acquired a Mac through dubious means. He said yesterday there was a popup out of the blue saying that his computer has been infected with a virus and that he should called some number. He was worrying maybe iCloud has tracked him down or something but he called anyway and then he just swore to the guy at the other end for 5 minutes and made a bunch of threats. The guy said, "easy dude, we made a mistake" and hanged up. :)

[yetimon_64]

Yeah, I got one of these. I said 'Oh thank you, my PC has been really bad for a while now, please take a look, but just wait a minute until I switch it on', and put the phone down on the table. 15 minutes later picked the phone up and the line was dead, hung up. 10 minutes later.....the same thing, so phone down while they wait for my PC to boot, got back to them 15 minutes later....phone dead, hung up. 10 minutes later.....another call, by this time I'm beginning to enjoy myself. After saying again that my PC was reeeeaaaaaallllllyyyy slow, the 'lady' at the other end said 'are you trying to waste my time?' my response was 'Yep, and I think I'm doing a pretty good job' I was then told to fornicate off and the phone went dead. I just fell off of my chair in hysterical laughter \\:D/
Thanks for the tips, I am going to have to steal that method and use it when I finally get my call. :D


Rinse and Repeat, I guess,
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1753968
Yep ... and I've been waiting for my call from when Paddy posted that thread. I posted there at number 117 (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1753968&p=11692248#post11692248) but was following it from the beginning. Still waiting patiently ;)

[QIII]

I read a great article about this several years ago. The author suggested that if everyone who knew it was a scam could play the scammer for 15 minutes, phone scamming would be reduced substantially. Not only would that particular scammer be out of the action for 15 minutes, but the constant distraction would make scamming so unprofitable that many just would not do it any longer.

[sammiev]

When my son was 2 years old, I would just give him the phone. He could talk for ever... :P

[Shane_Mundee]

YES!! This is complete BS

Then they'll try to remote into your computer. They'll tell you that you have a virus and it costs $$$ to remove it.

Those idiots almost had my wife until i walked in and heard her trying to fix our "virus"

BEWARE PEOPLE!!