Scammers are learning

[Paratus]

I told the scammers that we were glad that he had called because we have noticed a virus on his machine and that he would need to give me his IP address and open a port for me to help him clean it.

He eventually gave me his IP address but I don't think it was real. I don't think IP addresses can contain 4 letter words. 🙁

 

[Schmide]

^ Dude you're getting a Dell

 

[11thHour]

My mom got one of those calls at 2am while half asleep and was talked into a one time fee and an annual subscription to malware bytes, for a total of $179.

The real kicker?...after I talked to her about it, she complained to them when they next called her back for more scamming, and they refunded her full amount.

 

[CPA]

Now imagine being in your 60's or 70's and getting that call.

Eventually, we'll all be in our 60's and 70's and maybe these calls die off.

 

[DrPizza]

"Click on My Computer."

-"Right click or left click?"

"Left click."

-"Nothing happened."

"Please try again. Maybe you need to double-click on it if it's the icon on your desktop."

-"Is double-click with the left and right buttons together?"

"Just the left button. Click it twice quickly."

-"Something came up, but I think I accidentally had the pointer over the icon below My Computer. Internet Explorer is starting now."

<Ten minutes later, Windows Explorer is finally open.>




.......actually, I think I won't continue this. It's too painfully familiar.
You'd hope that right-click and left-click would not need to be clarified several times in one conversation.




.

If the OP had the time, this is how he should have approached the phone call. Normal folks outnumber the scammers 10,000 to 1. If we all spent just 2 minutes messing with them, we'd be wasting so much of their time that scamming wouldn't be worth it.

 

[akugami]

Scammer: Blah blah eventvwr.msc, you got errors from malware.

Me: I would hope so, I'm researching malware on this computer.

Scammer: ...pause...hangs up...

 

[SunnyD]

"What are you wearing? Jake... from State Farm."

 

[HeXen]

I'm curious, if you do as they say, what exactly do they have you do? Open a port, click on a link or what? What's the end goal?...I assume to get money somehow?

 

[pcgeek11]

Not ALL of us old fucks are so computer illiterate...

Hell, I know way more about computers than most of the young people I've met in recent years.

This. And get off my lawn you little bastards!

🙂

 

[mpo]

I'm curious, if you do as they say, what exactly do they have you do? Open a port, click on a link or what? What's the end goal?...I assume to get money somehow?

Typically, they try to install ransomeware on your computer, scam your passwords to your computer and email, or they may mass delete files from your system.

I've set up VMs for them to mess around with them. Turns out is it is a waste of time. It just encourages them to call back.

 

[HeXen]

I had to fix someone's computer that had a ransomware antivirus on it...that thing was really, really tough to get rid of. Impressive actually, more stable than most Windows software lol.

 

[Charmonium]

This. And get off my lawn you little bastards!

🙂

And keep your fat, greasy, cheese puff fingers away from my servers!!!