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I've been repeatedly called with 'Support Scam' where they trick you into installing sw that lets them monitor and control your computer. I don't remember this

I've been repeatedly called with 'Support Scam' where they trick you into installing sw that lets them monitor and control your computer. I don't remember this being as prevalent as before. Clearly it is profitable and they are finding enough targets to warrant operations.

zaphar 10y ago
It's a lot easier to pull this off when you have customer records to do it with. That raises the chances that you can convince them you are legitimate.
- ben_jones 10y ago
  It could go even further then that. If the TalkTalk data included normal company data you would have the names of previous support members, and from there social media accounts and so forth.
chiph 10y ago
My father fell for this scam. As you get older, you lose patience with computers, so he developed a tendency to click on anything to get browser popups to just go away. One of them was a "Your computer is infected and we have the cure" scam. His info was passed to their "customer care desk" which took him for $300 to supposedly clean his PC. They would regularly call back for subscription renewals (more $$$). I didn't find out until it had been going on for a few years, because dad didn't want to bother me with his computer problems. Make sure you inform your parents about this - they're easy marks for these assholes.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- desireco42 10y ago
  Sorry to hear for your dad. Definitely majority of population is not capable to handle all the details modern tech is requiring. I do blame modern tech for that.
  - chiph 10y ago
    Thanks - I do miss him. I think if someone were to come up and knock on their front door, most older people wouldn't hesitate to send them away (exceptions for Girl Scout cookies, of course). But when a fraudster arrives via computer screen, they don't recognize the same threat. They believe what they see on a computer screen because well, it's a computer and everyone knows they don't make mistakes.

zaphar 10y ago

It's a lot easier to pull this off when you have customer records to do it with. That raises the chances that you can convince them you are legitimate.

ben_jones 10y ago
It could go even further then that. If the TalkTalk data included normal company data you would have the names of previous support members, and from there social media accounts and so forth.

chiph 10y ago

My father fell for this scam. As you get older, you lose patience with computers, so he developed a tendency to click on anything to get browser popups to just go away. One of them was a "Your computer is infected and we have the cure" scam. His info was passed to their "customer care desk" which took him for $300 to supposedly clean his PC. They would regularly call back for subscription renewals (more $$$). I didn't find out until it had been going on for a few years, because dad didn't want to bother me with his computer problems. Make sure you inform your parents about this - they're easy marks for these assholes.

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
desireco42 10y ago
Sorry to hear for your dad. Definitely majority of population is not capable to handle all the details modern tech is requiring. I do blame modern tech for that.
- chiph 10y ago
  Thanks - I do miss him. I think if someone were to come up and knock on their front door, most older people wouldn't hesitate to send them away (exceptions for Girl Scout cookies, of course). But when a fraudster arrives via computer screen, they don't recognize the same threat. They believe what they see on a computer screen because well, it's a computer and everyone knows they don't make mistakes.