Anyone heard of iYogi extortion?

[Dari]

I have a client who, off the record, began complaining about his wife's computer having issues. He said it would not give her access unless she entered a startup password. This happened after someone from "Microsoft Windows" contacted her asking for money or her online subscriptions would be cancelled. She said they had Indian accents. He also mentioned that she had a remote help service called iYogi. He mentioned that, although she already had Windows 8 and Microsoft Office 2013, they've sold her the same products. They're both very old and his NY apartment is not too far from where I live. Also, his secretary handles his emails since he doesn't know how to use it. I looked into it, went over to their place, and there was nothing I could do to access that computer. We finally had to physically take the HDD out of the AIO, back it up, wipe it with killdisk, and reinstall Windows 8. All this took about 3 hours.

Now, this iYogi company seems legit. But having complete remote access to a computer and still selling products (that turned out to be counterfeit) that they should know the client has, it wouldn't take a huge leap to suspect that someone from that company tried to extort money from her (she's an art historian and she handles all his personal emails but they have their own computers). Could it be a few bad apples within the company or is it just their culture?

 

[drebo]

iYogi probably aren't the people doing the actual stuff. Those people are just using iYogi as their remote control service. They could do the same thing with logmein rescue, etc.

Just file a chargeback and let the CC company take care of it.

 

[Soundmanred]

Is this off the record?

Edit: Oh, I see you covered that already. Thank God.

 

[Dari]

iYogi probably aren't the people doing the actual stuff. Those people are just using iYogi as their remote control service. They could do the same thing with logmein rescue, etc.

Just file a chargeback and let the CC company take care of it.

What do you mean? Wouldn't iYogi be the only people with access to iYogi infrastructure?

 

[Soundmanred]

I don't see anything (anything legitimate) that iYogi is a good idea at all. They are legit as far as being a real company, but in the end they are nothing more than scammers. Any good press (even the Wikipedia page) seems to be driven by the company itself.

 

[PliotronX]

One of my coworkers had a call from someone who identifies them self as someone from Microsoft asking for their key for windows. Luckily she already knew about the scam but it does happen. You can reset password for local accounts with physical access to the machine using Ophcrack but its probably bestto have toasted the iinstall like you did.

 

[Sinsear]

lulz

 

[Dari]

I don't see anything (anything legitimate) that iYogi is a good idea at all. They are legit as far as being a real company, but in the end they are nothing more than scammers. Any good press (even the Wikipedia page) seems to be driven by the company itself.

At my advice, she contacted her lawyer and the NYPD but they wouldn't do anything. This is a foreign company but something has to be done to stop them from scamming old people since they are seen as legit.

 

[Malodrik]

Look up Comantra, same basic idea

 

[PhoKingGuy]

This can be easily solved by taking a black range rover and plowing it through the offending companies headquarters.

 

[lxskllr]

This is a foreign company but something has to be done to stop them from scamming old people since they are seen as legit.

I installed Ubuntu on my mother's computer. That won't be happening to her.

 

[alkemyst]

I installed Ubuntu on my mother's computer. That won't be happening to her.

sadly, except having to dust her new doorstop time to time.

 

[Perknose]

sadly, except having to dust her new doorstop time to time.

Wha? That's the absolute best protection from Microscams and common viruses for elderly novice users.