Boat Building Forum

Find advice on all aspects of building your own kayak, canoe or any lightweight boats

Off Topic: scam warning
By:ancient kayaker
Date: 7/19/2013, 3:15 pm

Internet scam warning -

A phone call starts with a guy with a heavy Indian accent who claims to be working on behalf of MicroSoft. He asks you to start your computer and press "R" and the MicroSoft key at the same time. He guides you to your error list and tries to convince you of a dreadful computer threat worse than a virus. Then he has you connect to showmypc.com (a reputable internet company) and download their computer interconnection application. The web site has a warning about this scam BTW, on another page. Following his directions will give him or a buddy access to your computer for obviously nefarious purposes, probably wants to sell you bogus virus protaction or perhaps steal personal data - I hung up at that point. He'll even give you a phone number where the same heavy Indian accent announces a bogus company name, presumably an untraceable throwaway phone. He is persistent and will try calling back several times.

He claims to be working for MicroSoft but MS doesn't call you like that.

Messages In This Thread

Off Topic: scam warning
ancient kayaker -- 7/19/2013, 3:15 pm
Re: Off Topic: scam warning
Mike Savage -- 7/19/2013, 7:10 pm
Re: Off Topic: scam warning
Nick Riccardi -- 7/20/2013, 5:05 pm
Re: Off Topic: scam warning
bromasi -- 7/20/2013, 5:30 pm
Re: Off Topic: scam warning
Mike Savage -- 7/21/2013, 6:45 am
Re: Off Topic: scam warning
Malcolm Schweizer -- 7/21/2013, 12:41 pm
Re: Off Topic: scam warning
Pete Notman -- 7/22/2013, 4:45 am
Re: Off Topic: scam warning
Etienne Muller -- 7/22/2013, 5:09 am
Re: Off Topic: scam warning
Pete Notman -- 7/22/2013, 5:10 pm