Windows Service Centre call
in [UK Mac]
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From: Jim on 29 Jun 2010 08:21 On 2010-06-29, Pd <peterd.news(a)gmail.invalid> wrote: > I've just had a phone call from "Mike" (in Bangalore from the sound of > his accent and rubbish line quality) of the "Windows Service Centre", > saying that their system has detected that my computer has downloaded > some malware. Now, free of charge, he would help me diagnose and remove > this malware. > > I've seen this kind of social engineering on websites, but never thought > they'd have the sheer cheek to try it live on a phone call. I led him on > for a while as he tried to get me to do a search using the Windows key > on my keyboard, until eventually I told him I was using a Mac. He hung > up. Tsk. You mean he didn't try the old "ah, it must be in a VM then!" trick? Jim -- Twitter:@GreyAreaUK "If you have enough book space, I don't want to talk to you." Terry Pratchett
From: Duncan Kennedy on 29 Jun 2010 08:34 Pd <peterd.news(a)gmail.invalid> wrote: > I've just had a phone call from "Mike" (in Bangalore from the sound of > his accent and rubbish line quality) of the "Windows Service Centre", > saying that their system has detected that my computer has downloaded > some malware. Now, free of charge, he would help me diagnose and remove > this malware. > > I've seen this kind of social engineering on websites, but never thought > they'd have the sheer cheek to try it live on a phone call. I led him on > for a while as he tried to get me to do a search using the Windows key > on my keyboard, until eventually I told him I was using a Mac. He hung > up. The one I had didn't understand what a Mac was. Thea first time I had a little chat which baffled him but the 9 or 10 times since my wife and I have just hung up - like just 5 minutes ago. -- duncank
From: Pd on 29 Jun 2010 08:59 Duncan Kennedy <nospam(a)nospamottersonbg.couk> wrote: > Thea first time I had a little chat which baffled him but the 9 or 10 > times since my wife and I have just hung up - like just 5 minutes ago. I wonder if there's anything special about your phone number or location that makes it more of a target for this stuff. Apparently it's been going at least a couple of years, but this is the first time I've been the lucky recipient. If the line quality was better I'd record it just for fun, but it's so hard to understand what he's saying that there's no pleasure to be had from it. I'd still be interested to hear what it is they're trying to engineer. One report I read said they get you to use TeamViewer so they can take over your screen. But is it for installing malware, or identity theft, or a simple fraud, getting you to pay for useless anti-virus software? -- Pd
From: Woody on 29 Jun 2010 09:12 Pd <peterd.news(a)gmail.invalid> wrote: > Duncan Kennedy <nospam(a)nospamottersonbg.couk> wrote: > >> Thea first time I had a little chat which baffled him but the 9 or 10 >> times since my wife and I have just hung up - like just 5 minutes > > ago. > > I wonder if there's anything special about your phone number or > location > that makes it more of a target for this stuff. Apparently it's been > going at least a couple of years, but this is the first time I've been > the lucky recipient. If the line quality was better I'd record it just > for fun, but it's so hard to understand what he's saying that there's > no > pleasure to be had from it. I'd still be interested to hear what it is > they're trying to engineer. One report I read said they get you to use > TeamViewer so they can take over your screen. > Well, I would let them try it on a sacrificial pc to see what they wanted to do! -- Woody
From: Duncan Kennedy on 29 Jun 2010 17:07
Woody <usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk> wrote: > Pd <peterd.news(a)gmail.invalid> wrote: > > Duncan Kennedy <nospam(a)nospamottersonbg.couk> wrote: > > > >> Thea first time I had a little chat which baffled him but the 9 or 10 > >> times since my wife and I have just hung up - like just 5 minutes > > > ago. > > > > I wonder if there's anything special about your phone number or > > location > > that makes it more of a target for this stuff. Apparently it's been > > going at least a couple of years, but this is the first time I've been > > the lucky recipient. If the line quality was better I'd record it just > > for fun, but it's so hard to understand what he's saying that there's > > no > > pleasure to be had from it. I'd still be interested to hear what it is > > they're trying to engineer. One report I read said they get you to use > > TeamViewer so they can take over your screen. > > > Well, I would let them try it on a sacrificial pc to see what they > wanted to do! I doubt I would understand what thet were saying - and I was born in India and my mother waqs a bit upset that my forst words were in Hindustani - possibly swear words. I did read that this sort of thing was becoming more common and there was a story in one of the magazines about a large office block being taken over by Russian organised crime and using hired graduates who were never told the whole story of what they were doing but were involved in this sort of thing, each doing a different part of the job. It seems the operation was closed down but was reported to have moved to India. That operation was aimed at setting up botnets. -- duncank |