Lee47
TMF Regular
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2013
- Messages
- 166
- Points
- 0
This is a notification for fellow members so that you can prevent yourself falling into the trap that I, through my own foolishness, fell into. Here's the story. Be aware, it makes me look like a complete and utter idiot, which I guess I was, for about 5 minutes... but not as big an idiot as I could have been...
I was trying to solve a minor problem on my laptop computer, so I searched Bing for Microsoft's tech support number. Lo and behold, there was an 800 number for Support for Microsoft. I called it.
Guess what? The person on the other end of the phone was NOT a Microsoft tech support advisor. He was a hacker. When I looked back, after my adventures were over, I saw that the phone number listing was in the Advertisement section at the top of the page, NOT the search results. By then it was too late for my laptop.
Following the directions of the "tech support advisor", I typed in a web address to my browser that put me into his chat link. This allowed him to "examine" my computer remotely; and when I say examine, I mean "download internet viruses, worms, and malware up the wazoo." He then brought up a display screen showing me the hundreds of worms, viruses, and malware that were on my system. Not surprisingly, I realized soon after, since he had put them there himself.
He then tried to sell me a "Microsoft cleanup utility" for only $399.99 with a 3-year warranty. I balked at this point, since I bought my laptop off-lease at a local shop and it only cost me $400 to start with. Now came the hard-sell; for only $199.99 I could get a 1-year service. I hung up. Then I tried to turn on my Microsoft anti-virus, which had worked just fine the night before. It had been disabled, as had my malware and Windows Defender. I shut down and called my local shop. When I described my experience, Bob (the owner) told me regretfully that I had been hacked; but since I hadn't sent any money, I was ahead of the game.
I spent the next 6 hours (of my day off!!!) changing all the passwords on all the websites I could think of, including this one, from my bedroom computer, on the off-chance that this gang was after any personal information as opposed to just getting suckers to send them money. I also called a charming young lady at the FBI's Detroit office who requested that I file a complete report once I know the total dollar loss for getting my laptop repaired.
But the dollar loss is nothing compared to the stress and shame of having been a victim of my own momentary stupidity, combined with the hacker's taking advantage of Microsoft Corporation's reluctance to have a tech support phone number right out in the open- as I told them when I finally got in touch with the actual Microsoft tech support, a good many hours later. The ONLY reason I called the hacker in the first place is that Microsoft themselves hide their phone number behind about 9 layers of web pages; and I'm dead certain that hundreds of people like me fall victim to this scam or others like it, simply because they are looking for a live person to talk to, as opposed to filling out email contact forms and hoping someone will respond. So, anyone who bills themselves as "Microsoft Support" has a pool of victims ready-made to throw themselves at them. It's like lions owning a watering hole. Or rather, hyenas. (And, yes, I know that "cowardly hyenas" is a stereotype which has been disproved by science, but it's still useful anyway.)
So please, whatever you do, DON'T CALL ANY COMPANY BILLING THEMSELVES AS "MICROSOFT SUPPORT" (or ANY company tech support) unless you get the number from the ACTUAL corporation website. Whether you send them money or not, it will cost you.
And once again, I look like a moron in front of the Forum. :iamwithstupid: But if it helped someone else, I don't mind.
I was trying to solve a minor problem on my laptop computer, so I searched Bing for Microsoft's tech support number. Lo and behold, there was an 800 number for Support for Microsoft. I called it.
Guess what? The person on the other end of the phone was NOT a Microsoft tech support advisor. He was a hacker. When I looked back, after my adventures were over, I saw that the phone number listing was in the Advertisement section at the top of the page, NOT the search results. By then it was too late for my laptop.
Following the directions of the "tech support advisor", I typed in a web address to my browser that put me into his chat link. This allowed him to "examine" my computer remotely; and when I say examine, I mean "download internet viruses, worms, and malware up the wazoo." He then brought up a display screen showing me the hundreds of worms, viruses, and malware that were on my system. Not surprisingly, I realized soon after, since he had put them there himself.
He then tried to sell me a "Microsoft cleanup utility" for only $399.99 with a 3-year warranty. I balked at this point, since I bought my laptop off-lease at a local shop and it only cost me $400 to start with. Now came the hard-sell; for only $199.99 I could get a 1-year service. I hung up. Then I tried to turn on my Microsoft anti-virus, which had worked just fine the night before. It had been disabled, as had my malware and Windows Defender. I shut down and called my local shop. When I described my experience, Bob (the owner) told me regretfully that I had been hacked; but since I hadn't sent any money, I was ahead of the game.
I spent the next 6 hours (of my day off!!!) changing all the passwords on all the websites I could think of, including this one, from my bedroom computer, on the off-chance that this gang was after any personal information as opposed to just getting suckers to send them money. I also called a charming young lady at the FBI's Detroit office who requested that I file a complete report once I know the total dollar loss for getting my laptop repaired.
But the dollar loss is nothing compared to the stress and shame of having been a victim of my own momentary stupidity, combined with the hacker's taking advantage of Microsoft Corporation's reluctance to have a tech support phone number right out in the open- as I told them when I finally got in touch with the actual Microsoft tech support, a good many hours later. The ONLY reason I called the hacker in the first place is that Microsoft themselves hide their phone number behind about 9 layers of web pages; and I'm dead certain that hundreds of people like me fall victim to this scam or others like it, simply because they are looking for a live person to talk to, as opposed to filling out email contact forms and hoping someone will respond. So, anyone who bills themselves as "Microsoft Support" has a pool of victims ready-made to throw themselves at them. It's like lions owning a watering hole. Or rather, hyenas. (And, yes, I know that "cowardly hyenas" is a stereotype which has been disproved by science, but it's still useful anyway.)
So please, whatever you do, DON'T CALL ANY COMPANY BILLING THEMSELVES AS "MICROSOFT SUPPORT" (or ANY company tech support) unless you get the number from the ACTUAL corporation website. Whether you send them money or not, it will cost you.
And once again, I look like a moron in front of the Forum. :iamwithstupid: But if it helped someone else, I don't mind.
