Computer scam hits Southend (From Echo)
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Computer scam hits Southend
4:43pm Wednesday 22nd February 2012 in Southend
A COMPUTER scam has taken in people from across Southend.
Southend Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership is warning people about the ruse which could allow fraudsters access to their personal information.
Several residents have received telephone calls from someone claiming to be working for Microsoft or Windows.
The cold‐caller says they have detected a virus on the user’s computer and can tell this by looking at the websites that they have visited.
They have been known to use scare tactics to try to get the recipient to comply with their requests.
Mick Holland, of Southend CDRP, said: “The standard advice for unsolicited calls of this nature is to terminate the call without giving any personal information. The call should then be reported to Consumer Direct on 08454 040506, providing them with as much information as you can.”
Comments(41)
Nebs
says...
4:57pm Wed 22 Feb 12
naughtyladyofshadylane
says...
5:00pm Wed 22 Feb 12
V_is_back
says...
5:03pm Wed 22 Feb 12
Really? Well sit on hold for 45 minutes, while you wait for me to tell you to F**K OFF.
Alekhine
says...
5:13pm Wed 22 Feb 12
.
"A problem with my computer?, well God does work in mysterious ways, have you heard the word of our lord Jehovah".......ding.
emcee
says...
5:18pm Wed 22 Feb 12
The Cater Wood Creeper
says...
5:45pm Wed 22 Feb 12
emcee wrote:crikey, computer literate donkeys.....
This scam has been going on for donkeys.
Max Impact
says...
5:55pm Wed 22 Feb 12
The first I acted like I had never touched a computer before asking where the "on button" was and what do I have to feed the mouse went on for half hour before he hung up...
The second quckly cut the line when I said he had called the MoD Electronic Warfare Department and that actions were underway to eliminate the threat... Funny thing is the F word is the same the world over!
essexlady
says...
6:04pm Wed 22 Feb 12
mindboggles
says...
6:13pm Wed 22 Feb 12
Max Impact wrote:"what do I have to feed the mouse" LOL!
Had a couple myself:
The first I acted like I had never touched a computer before asking where the "on button" was and what do I have to feed the mouse went on for half hour before he hung up...
The second quckly cut the line when I said he had called the MoD Electronic Warfare Department and that actions were underway to eliminate the threat... Funny thing is the F word is the same the world over!
naughtyladyofshadylane
says...
6:17pm Wed 22 Feb 12
VictoriaLS
says...
6:20pm Wed 22 Feb 12
Max Impact wrote:He he - Do you know - I actually love to have a laugh with these people too and wind them up acting like I'm really really thick and emotional "thank you sooooo much OM God I cannot believe you have found me - my computer and you're so clever that you know that my computer is poorly it's amazing" - I had such a long call with someone on the wind up - that I was promising to get the money to them - I asked if they took Amex (which I knew they wouldn't) then in the end they said I go to the local grocers and pick up a type of credit card that I could load there and then with money lol!!! And I was talking to them like I was really stupid and kinda felt like i got a bit of one over on them!!
Had a couple myself: The first I acted like I had never touched a computer before asking where the "on button" was and what do I have to feed the mouse went on for half hour before he hung up... The second quckly cut the line when I said he had called the MoD Electronic Warfare Department and that actions were underway to eliminate the threat... Funny thing is the F word is the same the world over!
Unfortunately - my dad who is really super intelligent - almost fell for this stupid scam and rung my husband to see what he thought about it - he was literally a gnats whisker from paying up to them!!!
LewisP
says...
6:44pm Wed 22 Feb 12
Max Impact
says...
7:30pm Wed 22 Feb 12
This is remarkable and well I am astonished but here we have a thread on the Echo website that has us all in total agreement and actually having a laugh with one another!
A friend had one of these calls but the strange thing was he did not have a computer!
southendshrimper
says...
7:57pm Wed 22 Feb 12
southendshrimper
says...
7:57pm Wed 22 Feb 12
katch22
says...
8:13pm Wed 22 Feb 12
Max Impact wrote:Err...ahem! LOL
STOP PRESS AND HOLD THE FRONT PAGE.
This is remarkable and well I am astonished but here we have a thread on the Echo website that has us all in total agreement and actually having a laugh with one another!
A friend had one of these calls but the strange thing was he did not have a computer!
naughtyladyofshadylane
says...
8:28pm Wed 22 Feb 12
katch22
says...
8:40pm Wed 22 Feb 12
d, are targeting Essex LOL
bigboy57
says...
9:13pm Wed 22 Feb 12
naughtyladyofshadylane
says...
9:58pm Wed 22 Feb 12
APR
says...
10:52pm Wed 22 Feb 12
emcee wrote:Yes it certainly has. Been going on for a long time.
This scam has been going on for donkeys.
I just play them along and waste their time.
Plenty of good videos on Youtube about it
JP1982
says...
9:10am Thu 23 Feb 12
Mudlark1
says...
9:20am Thu 23 Feb 12
**
Here is what to do when they call you next time round.
**
Act as though you are really upset about having this virus on your computer and that you really are glad they called to help you. really lay it on thick.. Now let them know that your phone is about to die on you, but you just cannot wait for them to fix you PC so now advise them you have an internet phone and ask them to call you straight back on the following number 08454 040506, hopefully Consumer direct will be happy to take their call..
Mudlark1
says...
9:22am Thu 23 Feb 12
Pravrajaka Hadeeb
says...
10:19am Thu 23 Feb 12
I have been talking to my colleague Mr Bill Gates at the Microsofts Company PLCLTD and it is with many sadness to inform at all of you that your computer machine has an infection. Both myself and Mr Gates are terribly worried for the sickness of your wonderful colour computer machine.
Please do not frown at the situation, we are helpful and fixing for this problem and have a tablet to fix.
It is great urgent that you all put your bank details on this forum so I can disappear small money from your account and send you this tablet by internet wires and magic your illness well again.
If you do not reply, Microsofts PLCLTD cannot stop your computer exploding.
Very kindest regards
Pravrajaka Hadeeb
Microsofts PLCLTD
US of America
naughtyladyofshadylane
says...
10:41am Thu 23 Feb 12
andyh
says...
11:14am Thu 23 Feb 12
John the resonator
says...
12:36pm Thu 23 Feb 12
Alekhine wrote:Yes I often find starting the conversation with "but first I must tell you how my life has changed since I found the Lord." Does it every time.
I prefer the JW method of dealing with this.
.
"A problem with my computer?, well God does work in mysterious ways, have you heard the word of our lord Jehovah".......ding.
For religious door-steppers I normally just say I'm gay. They don't hang around longer than it takes to tell me they'll pray for me.
RoccoWestcliff
says...
12:54pm Thu 23 Feb 12
ft. If someone said to me i'm calling from Windows, i'd think little people were in my computer!
Ake30li
says...
1:26pm Thu 23 Feb 12
andyh wrote:Free in fact.
I am so sorry to discover that your computer was installed with the viral software called "Windows" and other items from the same manufacturer. I recommend that you replace it with "Ubuntu" and "Libre Office" which not only get targetted with less malware, but also cost considerably less.
Why do people buy Windows and MS Office when Ubuntu and Libre Office (or Open Office) are completely free and as good, or even better?
Ake30li
says...
1:28pm Thu 23 Feb 12
RoccoWestcliff wrote:..or someone selling double glazing!
Windows is an operating system anyway, why would someone call from Windows, they would call from the company that makes Windows......Microso
ft. If someone said to me i'm calling from Windows, i'd think little people were in my computer!
maxell
says...
1:30pm Thu 23 Feb 12
google search "what is my ip Address" and click enter this will display your ip address "make a note of it" keep it to hand should you receive such a call ask them to quote your ip address if they can,t then they are suspicous and delt with accordingly.
Roy_Baty
says...
1:48pm Thu 23 Feb 12
Ake30li wrote:Because most computers are sold with Windoze as standard, and people don't know there are free, and better, alternatives.
andyh wrote:Free in fact.
I am so sorry to discover that your computer was installed with the viral software called "Windows" and other items from the same manufacturer. I recommend that you replace it with "Ubuntu" and "Libre Office" which not only get targetted with less malware, but also cost considerably less.
Why do people buy Windows and MS Office when Ubuntu and Libre Office (or Open Office) are completely free and as good, or even better?
smiffy22
says...
2:25pm Thu 23 Feb 12
maxell wrote:Nice idea, but remember that for most people the IP address is not fixed, it may be alter on different occasions, so you may need to note this at the time of the call.
there is one very simple methord of detecting if this is a bogus call or not,
google search "what is my ip Address" and click enter this will display your ip address "make a note of it" keep it to hand should you receive such a call ask them to quote your ip address if they can,t then they are suspicous and delt with accordingly.
Regards,
Smiffy22
emcee
says...
2:54pm Thu 23 Feb 12
Ake30li wrote:They certainly are not as good or better. They may be the best on offer to Linux users but for real power MS Office really is the best on offer, albeit at quite a price. If you want "free" then you are correct, you cannot do better. However if you want the best productivity requirements then I am afraid you have to pay for it.
andyh wrote:Free in fact.
I am so sorry to discover that your computer was installed with the viral software called "Windows" and other items from the same manufacturer. I recommend that you replace it with "Ubuntu" and "Libre Office" which not only get targetted with less malware, but also cost considerably less.
Why do people buy Windows and MS Office when Ubuntu and Libre Office (or Open Office) are completely free and as good, or even better?
andyh
says...
4:48pm Thu 23 Feb 12
emcee wrote:You are both right and wrong! Open Office used to be a resource pig, but Libre Office seems to run well. MS Office has some features that are vital in certain specialised fields such as some of the technical aspects of legal practice, but for the normal home or small business user Libre Office is as capable as they need and very easy to use.
Ake30li wrote:They certainly are not as good or better. They may be the best on offer to Linux users but for real power MS Office really is the best on offer, albeit at quite a price. If you want "free" then you are correct, you cannot do better. However if you want the best productivity requirements then I am afraid you have to pay for it.
andyh wrote:Free in fact.
I am so sorry to discover that your computer was installed with the viral software called "Windows" and other items from the same manufacturer. I recommend that you replace it with "Ubuntu" and "Libre Office" which not only get targetted with less malware, but also cost considerably less.
Why do people buy Windows and MS Office when Ubuntu and Libre Office (or Open Office) are completely free and as good, or even better?
Now I am (partly) one of the exceptions: I haven't yet found a "free"* mail program that has convinced me to move from Outlook. So I am running Windows in a virtual machine under VirtualBox essentially for the sole purpose of running Outlook. This does have the secondary benefit of providing effectively a second "firewall" against malware.
* "free" can be either "as in beer" or "as in speech"; though in practice anything in the second category is likely to be effectively in the first also.
Roy_Baty
says...
5:45pm Thu 23 Feb 12
emcee
says...
8:18pm Thu 23 Feb 12
andyh wrote:Outlook (not to be confused with Outlook Express) has to be the absolutely best PIM anywhere, on any platform. I could not be without it. I also use MS Access quite a bit and I have yet to come across an equivalent that is as powerful and straightforward to use. I think that the integration, transition between formats, import and export capabilities of MS Office is far superior all round and in this day and age of conflicting requirements this has to be a good thing.
emcee wrote:You are both right and wrong! Open Office used to be a resource pig, but Libre Office seems to run well. MS Office has some features that are vital in certain specialised fields such as some of the technical aspects of legal practice, but for the normal home or small business user Libre Office is as capable as they need and very easy to use.
Ake30li wrote:They certainly are not as good or better. They may be the best on offer to Linux users but for real power MS Office really is the best on offer, albeit at quite a price. If you want "free" then you are correct, you cannot do better. However if you want the best productivity requirements then I am afraid you have to pay for it.
andyh wrote:Free in fact.
I am so sorry to discover that your computer was installed with the viral software called "Windows" and other items from the same manufacturer. I recommend that you replace it with "Ubuntu" and "Libre Office" which not only get targetted with less malware, but also cost considerably less.
Why do people buy Windows and MS Office when Ubuntu and Libre Office (or Open Office) are completely free and as good, or even better?
Now I am (partly) one of the exceptions: I haven't yet found a "free"* mail program that has convinced me to move from Outlook. So I am running Windows in a virtual machine under VirtualBox essentially for the sole purpose of running Outlook. This does have the secondary benefit of providing effectively a second "firewall" against malware.
* "free" can be either "as in beer" or "as in speech"; though in practice anything in the second category is likely to be effectively in the first also.
Sarah L H
says...
9:43am Fri 24 Feb 12
Otherwise I play along until the point where I mention I'm using a Commodore PET that runs off of 5.25" floppy disks and doesn't have a hard drive and how do I connect it to this "world interweb thing" people keep talking about.
It's quite fun to pretend you can't hear them and go "hello? hello? Dad, is that you? You have to take your hand off the mute button ... that's better. No you're breaking up ... are you still there? Dad? Do you want me to pop over?" before hanging up. I had great fun with that one - scammer used every swear word he could think off before hanging up.
Or just quietly put the phone on the table and go and make a cup of tea. They've usually hung up by the time you get back.
maxell
says...
1:43pm Mon 27 Feb 12
leighbloke says...
4:52pm Wed 22 Feb 12
Would anyone really pass on personal info to a cold caller??