Warning - Telemarketers and your PC

Sightaridis

So I got a call from a foreign fella from a clearly foreign number. It appeared to be one of those telemarketers but it was strange so I went along with it for a while.

He told me, almost robotically, that 98% of Windows machines were infected with something that an anti virus would not detect. Before this he asks if you're experiencing slow internet of programs crashing.

He then said he would be phoning everyone in the area to warn them, what a gentleman. But then it began to get worrying, he wanted me to boot up my PC and follow his instructions to check if I was already infected... Not feeling to comfortable with this, I told him my laptop was in my girlfriend's house and I had no other PC.
NEXT, he wanted me to give him my girlfriend's number so he could call her, tell her to boot up the laptop and do what he told her, I told him I would not be giving him her number, he chuckled. In the process of leaving his number and me writing it down on an imaginary bit of paper with an imaginary pen, the line went dead. He tried calling back but I'd had enough of him.

So yeah, it should go without saying that if you get a call from this fella or one of his crew, don't go on your computer and follow his instructions. A part of me is curious, but I imagine he'd lead you to some website and tell you to accept things which would lead to an infection or something equally as nasty. Either that or tell you you're infected when you're not and try to sell you something to fix this.

His name was Gabriel btw.

Edit: If he ever calls back, I will go along with it and see what he has me do. I'm decent enough with computers so I am very interested as to what he'd instruct.

Cookie_Monster

Scam, just tell them to **** right off!

EDIT: or better yet that you don't have a computer and want to speak to his supervisor

Sightaridis

Scam, just tell them to **** right off!

I usually do so, but this guy was putting a lot of effort in. :P

M.J.M.C

This is what anyone should do,

After he has said his thing you say

"Ok that sounds fine to me, can I just put you on hold for a minute till I get my computer started up"

Then just press the privacy button on your phone or mute if you have one, and leave him there for as long as he's stupid enough to wait for while you watch the world cup.

Cookie_Monster

or put the phone up to the Tv so he can listen to your Vuvuzela waiting music

Sightaridis

..and tell him that noise is coming from your PC.

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

blossom180

it is a scam,warning in the paper about it.he will tell you that you have a virus and for 169 euro he will remove it.you are then asked for your credit card details. got a call on saturday and had great craic talkin to him,he hung up in the end :D:D

ian_m

They called my home phone and also knew my name. I let the call go to voice mail after I googled the number. It’s a scam.

Read more here siliconrepublic article

Tabnabs

They rang us and the inlaws, they must have heard how affluent Ireland is in this Celtic Tiger era

Sightaridis

ian_m wrote: »

They called my home phone and also knew my name. I let the call go to voice mail after I googled the number. It’s a scam.

Read more here siliconrepublic article

Interesting read. I do wonder how they got the numbers and names.

sweet-rasmus

it was on rte radio today. not sure if it was morning ireland or drive time, but it was at somepoint today (wednesday 30th). sounds horrible for people who don't realise what's going on

blackbelt

Got a call from the cnuts on Monday.My phone shows up the numbers.He proceeded to keep calling me by my name Mr xxxx 3 times in a row.

I pretended to be on my laptop going through everything then just abruptly hung up on the cnut.He rang back again but I answered and hung up.He never rang back again.

maddymcmaddser

I got a call from one of these lads and his name was Rex, he was going to help me if I'd just turn on my pc and he would talk me through the steps. I asked him why and he explained about the virus that other programs wouldn't detect, I then told him I work in IT and he said, ok so you know all about this and I just said yeah I know all about it, everything in fact and he just laughed and said ok bye and hung up and hasn't phoned us since!

ian_m

blackbelt wrote: »

Got a call from the cnuts on Monday.My phone shows up the numbers.He proceeded to keep calling me by my name Mr xxxx 3 times in a row.

Whom may I ask is your telephone service provider? I have never given my number to anyone and I don't take any calls at home.

I am wondering if customers details have been leaked somewhere.

youcancallmeal

Big thread about it here over on the Computers & Technology forum. Unfortunately it seems some people have fallen for this. Anecdotal evidence suggests they are getting the names and numbers from online directories like Eircom.