Beware: Windows Scam

Beware Windows Scam Image Copyright © 2014 Joan Y. Edwards

“Beware: Windows Scam” by Joan Y. Edwards

On November 5, 2014 a scammer posing as a person in customer service for windows computers called me. He said, “I am from Windows computers. Your computer has been sending error messages to windows. Your computer could be giving personal information to hackers.”

He called from a cell phone number. This was a clue that he wasn’t necessarily from a company. If a phone call is from a major company, its name would probably show up in my caller ID.

I asked him, “What is my name?”

He didn’t answer that. He only had the name our phone was listed, my husband’s. He said, “Is _____ your husband? Let me talk with him. When will he be home?”

I told him, “My husband doesn’t own the computer.”

I asked him, “What kind of computer do I have?”

The scammer answered, “All brands of Windows computers have this software on them that send Windows messages when it receives malicious software. You have gone to different websites and downloaded malicious items from them.”

I said, “I have software to keep malicious things off of my computer.”

Then I hung up.


If you have an answering machine and caller ID, it’s a good idea to let people from unknown numbers, leave a message.  Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don’t.  Scammers, I think, want to speak directly to a real person. They are not likely to leave a message, but they might.

If I had fallen for his scam, the man would have charged me a fee with my credit card to download software for him to take remote control of my computer. He would tell me, “I’m going to remove all the malicious software off of it.”

Probably, what the scamming man would really do is get all personal information from my computer…bank accounts, social security, passwords, etc.

Scammers may pretend to be from phone companies who handle the internet for customers, too. These companies do not have enough time to call all their customers about possible viruses or other malicious software on the customer’s computers. They have enough problems keeping the internet and phone service going.

Here are links that explain this scam more:

  1. If you’re not having any kind of problem with your computer, don’t let them invent one for you. I went to a You-Tube video and watched an actual recording of one of the Windows scammers. The language got rough at the end. So I’m not putting the link to it. However, in it, I learned that the scammers may direct you to look at an area of your computer where your computer log is kept and show you warning messages there. They will lead you to believe that these warnings are about a virus infecting your computer, but they probably aren’t.  It could be a warning about the clock being off. These warnings and errors are usually not the kind of thing to worry about according to Leo A. Notenboom. He explains further in an online article about the event viewer in a computer’s log: http://ask-leo.com/what_is_the_event_viewer_and_should_i_care.html
    Leo says, “Go ahead and browse around in the Event Viewer. Don’t panic when you see lots of warnings or errors. As I said, even a functioning computer will have those. In fact, if you look while your system is functioning normally, you’ll get a sense of what “normal” looks like in your Event Log. Then, later when you see items that seem suspicious, out of place, or seem to be related to the problems you’re seeing, that’s information worth paying attention to.”
  2. Scammers use legitimate remote control software from AMMYY (Remote Control from Any Place) – This software is free however, scammers may try to charge you for it.  http://www.welivesecurity.com/2012/08/24/ammyy-warning-against-tech-support-scams/
  3. Spammers say they falsely tell you they know your computer ID. They take you to a part of your computer with the CLSID: 888DCA60. This is not the distinct ID unique number that is different on each computer. This ID is the class number signifying that it is a certain class of computers. This number is the same on almost all of the computers made during the last five years or so: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r28048626-Scam-Call-qYour-computer-is-infectedq-scam

Four Main Points to Remember about Scams such as this::

  1. Microsoft or other companies, telephone or computer companies do not call you. There is no company called Windows.  Microsoft, Windstream, or other companies will not call to tell you that a virus is infecting your computer.
  2. There is no software on every windows computer that sends messages back to Microsoft.
  3. If a company calls you and tells you that your computer is infected with a virus or malicious things, and you have not called this company, hang up.
  4. Note the number they called from, the name of the company they represent, and the person’s name who called you: and report it to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission)  https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/ 

Keep yourself and others safe. Spread the word so that others are informed. Knowledge is power.

 

Celebrate you.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards

Copyright © 2014 Joan Y. Edwards

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22 thoughts on “Beware: Windows Scam”

        1. Dear Holly,
          I love it. Glad you are on top of this so that you do not get scammed!!!
          No fooling, Holly Jahangiri! No sir, she’s too smart for those scammers. Yippee!

          Never Give Up
          Joan

              1. Dear Holly,
                Thanks for writing and sending me these links. From reading these links, I see that other big computer companies like Hewlett Packard have trouble with people impersonating their customer service departments.

                We really have to be alert and aware.

                Thanks again, Holly.

                Never Give Up
                Joan

    1. Dear Linda,
      Thanks for writing. Thank you for the compliment about my posts informing you about possible scams. Thanks for being happy that I outsmarted the bad guys. God is good to me. He helped me be alert and aware.

      Celebrate you.
      Never Give Up
      Joan

    1. Dear Widdershins,
      Thank you for writing! It is funny how they don’t like leaving messages, isn’t it? All those recordings of possible scam conversations. They wouldn’t want that. I hope you are doing well. I am asking God to bless you.

      Celebrate you
      Never Give Up
      Joan

    1. Dear Kathleen,
      Thanks for writing. Thanks for being sorry about the scammers trying this on me. When things like that happen, I spread the word through my blog when I believe others might have the same or similar things happen to them.

      Thanks for being a loyal reader of my blog and a loyal commenter, too.

      Celebrate you.
      Never Give Up
      Joan

  1. Dear Carol,
    Thank you for writing and for being happy that I hung up on the scammer. You are very welcome for the information. I hope it helps you and those you love.

    Never Give Up
    Joan

  2. I have received these calls. The speaker has a foreign accent. l I hang up.

    I wish the attorney general could catch theseguys!

    Janis

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