Fake microsoft "your computer is infected" call

[Ken Springer]

FWIW, there have been a couple big busts in the last year or two of the "account
services" type of scammers.

http://www.networkworld.com/communi...-robocall-campaign-–-takes-out-5-mass-callers

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20...es-rachel-cardholder-services-enemy-number-1-

files-complaints-against-five-scammy-robocollers.shtml

"Rachel" appears to be back. :-(


--
Ken

Mac OS X 10.8.5
Firefox 24.0
Thunderbird 17.0.8
LibreOffice 4.1.2.3

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Gordon Burditt:

Smartphones have an app (well, there's lots of apps that do this,
from many different companies and for lots of different platforms)
that let you block individual numbers. Either the call is answered
and hung up on, or it's forwarded to voice mail. Many let you
easily block the previous call. And as near as I can

I am remiss.

I actually have such an app on my cell phone - and haven't gotten a robo
or solicitor call since installing it almost a year ago.... so I wasn't
even thinking about it when I wrote my post.

In part, it crowdsources the identification of telemarketers. There's
more, but I can't spell it out off the top of my head.

The app is named "CallContnrol" and once configured is pretty much
invisible - i.e. there's nothing to do except let it do it's thing.

One might ask "Is it blocking legitimate calls?".

I don't know - Nobody's complained, and I'm just trusting it.

 

[micky]

Just say " Hold the line , please " and put it down for 1/2 hour . They
soon give up .

Or give a reason for them to hold the line, and come back 5 minutes
later.

Then give another reason, and come back 10 minutes later.

15

20

I'lll bet you can teach them to hold on for at least 20 minutes.

At the end you can say No. or you can say, I thought this was *Bobby*
Johnnson and you were going to return my toaster.

I'm getting repeated calls now from one of those Alerts you wear
around your neck, so if you've fallen and can't get up, you can appear
on tv.

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

from Mike Sandman...Chicago's Telecom Expert
The Telemarketer Stopper!? Makes
Telemarketers & Bill Collectors Think
Your Phone Line Doesn't Exist!
Within a week, you'll be able to sit down and eat dinner, without
being disturbed by Telemarketers!

Click here to hear a SIT tone. (45K)
<http://www.sandman.com/sounds/sit.wav>

use this tone as your answering machine tone, autodialers will delete
you; friends will hang on the line 'til you answer.\

I've had it on my phone machine for years. I've gotten the "account services"
call twice in 2 days. Not working so well here.
[/QUOTE]
I guess it's like email spammers and the applications that'll bounce the
email in a manner that looks as if your email address is invalid; though
I still do it (as it's only Ctrl-Alt-J in my email software), I am very
aware that it's mostly pointless, as the spammer is unlikely to modify
the list they're using (probably mostly posting from throwaway - or
stolen - accounts so won't even get the bounce), and certainly any other
spammer who has bought the same list won't know. I suspect much the same
applies to these diallers: either they're just using bought lists, or
just working through every number in a zone (probably with
randomisation), so being unobtainable/disconnected won't help. (I'd not
stop doing it though!)

 

[micky]

I guess it's like email spammers and the applications that'll bounce the
email in a manner that looks as if your email address is invalid; though
I still do it (as it's only Ctrl-Alt-J in my email software), I am very

What software is that?

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per micky:

At the end you can say No. or you can say, I thought this was *Bobby*
Johnnson and you were going to return my toaster.

I'm getting repeated calls now from one of those Alerts you wear
around your neck, so if you've fallen and can't get up, you can appear
on tv.

I once heard a standup comedian say something like:

"When telephone solicitors call me, I tell them that I've lost my job,
the bank is foreclosing on the house, my wife has left me, I've just be
diagnosed with herpes, the dog died, my 13-year old daughter is
pregnant, my son is on drugs...."

"And *they* hang up on *me*"...

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

What software is that?

[]
Turnpike.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent upon it, can
still ripen a bunch of grapes as it if had nothing else in the universe to do.
-Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer (1564-1642)

 

[micky]

What software is that?

[]
Turnpike.

I had not heeard of that. I'll look into it. Thanks.

 

[micky]

Per micky:

I once heard a standup comedian say something like:

"When telephone solicitors call me, I tell them that I've lost my job,
the bank is foreclosing on the house, my wife has left me, I've just be
diagnosed with herpes, the dog died, my 13-year old daughter is
pregnant, my son is on drugs...."

"And *they* hang up on *me*"...

The way I heard it, the charity calls on the phone and the guy says.
"My father in law need a kidney transplant, my brother needs rehab
from a car crash, my 20 year-old son needs rehab from drugs, and my
parents' house is being foreclosed on. I don't give them any money.
Why should I give you?

Just this past week, I got another call from someone selling Medic
Alert necklaces. I told him I was 28 years old and I didn't think I
needed one. He said, Everyone can use one. I said, How old are you?
He said 23. I asked, Do you use one? He said, Should I put you on
our do not call list?

I said yes, but I don't think that will have any effect.

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

On Fri, 15 Nov 2013 07:46:36 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"



I guess it's like email spammers and the applications that'll bounce the
email in a manner that looks as if your email address is invalid; though
I still do it (as it's only Ctrl-Alt-J in my email software), I am very

What software is that?

[]
Turnpike.

I had not heeard of that. I'll look into it. Thanks.

I fear you'll find it is no longer available, and doesn't work on 64-bit
operating systems (except via virtualisation).

 

[micky]

In message <[email protected]>, micky
On Fri, 15 Nov 2013 07:46:36 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"



I guess it's like email spammers and the applications that'll bounce the
email in a manner that looks as if your email address is invalid; though
I still do it (as it's only Ctrl-Alt-J in my email software), I am very

What software is that?
[]
Turnpike.

I had not heeard of that. I'll look into it. Thanks.

I fear you'll find it is no longer available, and doesn't work on 64-bit
operating systems (except via virtualisation).

I think I'll give up then. I'm still pretty happy with Eudora

But FTR, I once bought a computer speakerphone/microphone that had
instructions that said there was software at the address it listed.

I went there and the page was gone. I thought the software was
essential, so I tried the Wayback machine, and not only was the page
there, but when I clicked on Download, it downloaded the file!
(Which turned out not to be essential, but was nice nonetheless)