PC errors scam

[andyoxon]

Anyone had the eventvwr scam recently?

Had the usual, with the callcentre caller (01207 number) saying he was from my service provider and they had been monitoring errors on my network connection.  Decided to play along, and they got me to access the eventvwr, and then he wanted me to run a tinyurl/ISP.  I aked him to verify he was from service provider (knowing he wasn't), he gave me my name & address correctly (which I didn't 'confirm').  I said I would phone back if he gave me a number.  Of course the 0345 number he gave me is associated with the scam.

A bit scary he had my address details though...  My f-i-L has been scammed & parted with money before.   

[De Sisti]

Why did you access the eventvwr for them? By doing so they probably got access to
your name and ip address.

[ian]

Tbh, there's really no value playing along with these scams – it's already been done (it's an old scam now) and documented many times, even by security researchers. It's not especially sophisticated, it's simple social engineering. You're just wasting your time, better to simply tell them you'll report it to the police and promptly hang up. Or do what I do, if there's an auto-dialler pause, hang up immediately, I've got no interest in whatever spam they're about to try to deliver.

[andyoxon]

Why did you access the eventvwr for them? By doing so they probably got access to
your name and ip address.

They already had my name & address, how would they get my IP address over the phone?  For me this was informative, as I had no idea that these scammers could potentially have my address.

[andyoxon]

Tbh, there's really no value playing along with these scams – it's already been done (it's an old scam now) and documented many times, even by security researchers. It's not especially sophisticated, it's simple social engineering. You're just wasting your time, better to simply tell them you'll report it to the police and promptly hang up. Or do what I do, if there's an auto-dialler pause, hang up immediately, I've got no interest in whatever spam they're about to try to deliver.

It's slightly scary to think that they could potentially use your address maliciously if they had the will to do so...  May report it to the ISP.

[fuaran]

Probably just dialling numbers from the phone book.
Just opening eventvwr won't do much. But if you visited their website, they could get your IP address from that.

[DaveReading]

Tbh, there's really no value playing along with these scams

That depends how altruistic you are. 

Keep them on the line for an hour and that's an hour when they haven't been able to scam anyone more vulnerable/gullible than you are.

[Phil W]

I still like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzedMdx6QG4

[andyoxon]

I still like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzedMdx6QG4

 

In this one the person apparently deletes software on all the scammers PCs, remotely via VM.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWyMH6z5s9s

[andyoxon]

Probably just dialling numbers from the phone book.
Just opening eventvwr won't do much. But if you visited their website, they could get your IP address from that.

We're ex-directory!  No didn't visit their anonymous URL.

[fuaran]

Are you using TalkTalk? They seem to have a habit of losing customer data. So they are now a target for these scams.

[ian]

I assume that's how someone got a hold of my Netflix account – old password from TalkTalk days, I assume they just run matching usernames/account detail for combos that work and then sell them on. That said, I wonder how many hacks that go unnoticed or simply get covered up. Or quite simply, someone sells the details – it's easy money if you work in one of the many outsourced support centres that businesses rely on – security for personal data is lax and rarely understood by management. I think the minority of ways people get your data is through the publicised hacks. I should have (and mostly did) change passwords. Now I've let a Peruvian called Henry watch The Boss Baby.

[Jaded]

No number is ex-directory if they dial a numbered sequence, or random numbers.

If you have time play with them, it keeps them busy...

You get gems such as

"You, Sir, are a stupid man!"
"What? Do you know Bill Gates?"

One of my favourites was
"Can you open Windows please"
"Oh no, I can't do that, it's raining and it is also very cold."

Almost all of the scams are social engineering. Fight back!

[Kim]

The community-spirited thing to do is try to keep them on the line as long as possible, as that way they're not talking to someone more gullible.

Presumably the most convincing way to do this is to pretend that you've got a really slow computer that keeps rebooting and such, but bonus points for creativity when you post the call recording on the interwebs.

(Personally, I've yet to have such a call, the autodiallers don't get past the Turing test.)

[Joe.B]

We get these calls on a daily basis, always saying that they are from bt, aways calling from india.  When i can be bothered ill keep the call going for as long as possible. Sometimes though, and especially if im in a bad mood, ill insult them relentlessly until they hang up, which can take a while sometimes. A neighbour who is over from India for a couple of years has supplied me with the most offensive insults.