Scams

[northbayteky]

No, not here, but in general.

I know you've all heard of the caller claiming to be from Microsoft and informing you you're downloading viruses and offers to "fix" your computer. Well, I just took a call from a staff member I support and she got that call! She was aware it was a scam, took his name and number and HE GAVE IT TO HER!! (LOL)
So I called, played along just long enough to get the website he wanted me to go to and reported it to FCC. Probably nothing will come of it.

The number he called from is 206-456-0920, claims his name is Steve Wilson and the web site he directs you to is www.ammyy.com His caller ID is turned off, so it will come up as unknown number.

[Tekboy]

I love the ones who say they are from Internet Explorer!

[Webhead]

This topic reminds me of this: [url]http://www.howtogeek.com/180514/the-

EDIT:
This site is weird. Posts seem to break a lot as they are posted.

[northbayteky]

I love the ones who say they are from Internet Explorer!

hahaha

Yeah, I asked this guy about a dozen times (mostly because he had a thick accent) what the name of his company was.

[Webhead]

Oops, I just realized my link didn't post. Here: http://www.howtogeek.com/180514/the-...fun-with-them/

[slgrieb]

I've had 3 clients who've fallen for this scam in the last month or so. All Senior Citizens. But what I see far more often is people buying in to bogus sites like MyCleanPC, SpeedUpMyPC, or various bogus "remote support sites". All of these sites that I've ever seen use fake scans to sell their software, which is the best case scenario. Worst case is that they can be a rich source of malware.

But, there are a lot of other scams out there. Vipre Antivirus is a good case in point. The product is on something like it's 3rd owner. It is currently owned by a company called ThreatTrack Security. This is the Vipre home page.

Their home page says that Vipre offers "Award-winning VIPRE antivirus software protects you against more than 200,000 new web threats every day without slowing down your computer. Top-rated prevention, detection and removal technologies save you the headache, time and expense of cleaning an infected computer while ensuring optimum PC performance." However if you look at the list of their "awards" very carefully, you will notice that AV Comparatives gives them three 2 star ratings; hardly Top Rated performance. Also notice that their list of awards doesn't include links to these awards. They also state that PC Antivirus Reviews have given them an Editor's Choice Award four years running, for an unspecified time period. And who the Hell is PC Antivirus reviews?

Anyway, I've got a client in his early 80's who runs Vipre because his grandson suggested it, and when his license expired recently, he got online and bought a lifetime license for the product. He had to contact tech support because he couldn't get the license key to activate his subscription. Tech support resolved this issue and also suggested he might add additional protection with iolo System Mechanic Pro, for the low, low price of only $139.99. So he bought it. Of course, if you look at iolo's website, the product is available for $29.95.

Online security scams come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

[northbayteky]

...
Online security scams come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

Yes, but I want to REPORT them! I want those bastages put in JAIL!!!

;-)

[slgrieb]

Yes, but I want to REPORT them! I want those bastages put in JAIL!!!

;-)

You can report fraudulent sites and businesses to the FTC, but prosecution is problematical. Most of these operations are run overseas, and they often have brief lives and then are reborn like the phoenix with new names and new phone numbers, new URLs. These days, unless you run a scam that runs into huge figures, I think you are generally judged unworthy of the time and cost to prosecute. Even then, it can take a long time. Check out this story about Medicare fraud.