BS: Attempted AntiVirus software scam in UK

Subject: BS: Attempted AntiVirus software scam in UK
From: Arnie
Date: 23 Dec 11 - 06:51 AM

Yesterday my wife was online when the phone rang. The caller display showed an international call and the caller sounded like he was from the Indian sub-continent. He said that he was from Windows security and proved it by giving her full name and our home address. He then asked my wife if the computer was running slower than usual? She said that it was and he said this was due to infected AV software - however we use AVG which is updated regularly. He asked her to use the diagnostic program, telling her how to find it. At this point she was getting a bit suspicious and put the phone down on him whilst she consulted me. I read only last week that two women had fallen victim to a scam that sounded like this one and had had money stripped off their credit cards, in one case £285, for an unnecessary upgrade to their AVG anti-virus software. A few minutes later our persistent caller rang again. This time my wife told him that she was aware he was trying to scam her and put the phone down again - sure enough he hasn't bothered us again. However, my wife wondered how he'd obtained our phone no. and address. Now it can't be a coincidence that last week my wife renewed her car insurance online. She tried three companies for quotes and each one insisted on a home phone no. plus address before you could proceed to the next screen. The link with our would-be scammer seems somewhat obvious!! No point in telling the insurance companies that someone on their staff is selling personal details to scammers as I'm sure they would deny everything as per.

Subject: RE: BS: Attempted AntiVirus software scam in UK
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 23 Dec 11 - 09:11 AM

Full marks to you both for realising this was a scam. There must be less-savvy people out there who, given their correct name and address, decide to trust the caller. I'm afraid the motto is "Never trust anyone who calls you 'cold' and wants details or access to details." Sad world isn't it?

Subject: RE: BS: Attempted AntiVirus software scam in UK
From: GUEST,PeterC
Date: 23 Dec 11 - 09:33 AM

The frightening thing is that this scam has been running for a long time and has been well publicised but the news still hasn't really got out to the general public.

Subject: RE: BS: Attempted AntiVirus software scam in UK
From: GUEST,Little Robyn
Date: 23 Dec 11 - 03:14 PM

I've received this call 3 times now. There are various suggestions on how to deal with them - one is to put your preschooler on the phone and tell them it's Santa, one friend kept them going, pretending to be really ignorant when she actually works with computers and others have said they were referring the call to the police. You can have fun with them - but DON'T believe them!
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: Attempted AntiVirus software scam in UK
From: Bill D
Date: 23 Dec 11 - 03:36 PM

What a world when they can cheat & steal from a comfortable chair without ever seeing their victims.

Subject: RE: BS: Attempted AntiVirus software scam in UK
From: GUEST,PeterC
Date: 23 Dec 11 - 04:35 PM

I never answer calls shown as "international" or "withheld" on the caller display.

Subject: RE: BS: Attempted AntiVirus software scam in UK
From: Bert
Date: 23 Dec 11 - 06:55 PM

What a world when they can cheat & steal from a comfortable chair without ever seeing their victims.

You are right Bill, but it is only a matter of time before somebody posts defending the poor criminal and blaming the victim.

Subject: RE: BS: Attempted AntiVirus software scam in UK
From: scouse
Date: 24 Dec 11 - 04:39 AM

I've had them on the phone three times now, last time I let the fella go on for quiet a while, then politely told him that I found it very difficult understand these remarkable problems he had found as I had a Mac.The phone went dead very quickly!!!!.

As Aye,

Phil.

Subject: RE: BS: Attempted AntiVirus software scam in UK
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 24 Dec 11 - 02:48 PM

My dear old late friend Fernley, who was very elderly, had a good strategy for any cold callers. She was Broad Norfolk, and used to shout "Dew yew PISS ORF!" They usually hung up.