BleepingComputer.com: XP service "cold call"

Dear All,

I had a strange experience this morning with a cold call "service call" from a SLC based company offering to reconfigure my XP Professional system with Service Pack 3 online to remove a system virus and charge me $119 for the service.

The woman, who spoke with a significant accent guided me through the following process:
single left click Start
double right click My Computer
single left click Manage
single left click Event Viewer
single left click System

She then asked me to read the log to her. At this point I asked her if this was a sales call and asked how she found my contact info. She insisted it wasn't a sales call and said that my data was gathered from Microsoft. She then put me on hold to speak with their System engineer. Also an Asian language speaker.

I related that I found three types of Errors, repeated roughly once daily for the last month since 5/9/11. Here's they are:

Error: Service Control Manager
Warning: Dhcp
Error: DCOM

He went on to set me up online to fix these, when he mentioned the one time $119.
I asked him why I would want to spend $119 on an outdated OS that originally cost $90. He asked me what I could afford. I told him that I have been moving away from Microsoft products due their attraction for virus writers, and said that I'd probably contact Unbuntu to replace XP with Linux.

At that point he thanked me and rang off.

Is there anyone in the community who has received such a cold call?

FYI, I run the free version of Avast! for virus detection and COMODO Safe Surf and mainly run Mozilla's Firefox and Thunderbird, as well as Sun's Open Office suite.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Happy Spring!

Tikaboo

I gather from your word choices that you're in the UK where such "cold calls" are apparently on the rise. They are similar, in character and intent, to the numerous rogue antivirus applications plaguing Windows, and now Mac, users.

Under no circumstances should you purchase anything from them, download any software they request, visit a website they suggest, disclose any personal information to them, or really do or think or say anything they suggest. They are scammers, nothing more or less.

They did not get your information from Microsoft nor do they represent Microsoft or any other legitimate company with whom you may have a business relationship (e.g. your ISP, your phone company, etc.) They likely got your information from the same places the telemarketers and debt collection agencies get it.

The "errors" you described can safely be ignored as they aren't true errors, happen all the time, and generally resolve themselves without user action.


Further reading: http://blog.eset.com/2010/08/01/support-scams-part-umpteen

It's a scam. The only thing someone wanted to do was separate you from your money and any personal information you may have on your system.

How would Microsoft know your system is infected?

The best thing to do is hang up as soon as it is clear what they are after.

These may be of interest to you:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/18/phone-scam-india-call-centres

http://www.jameswiseman.com/blog/2010/06/03/windows-support-telephone-scam-corrupt-files-and-many-viruses/

This post has been edited by Queen-Evie: 08 June 2011 - 06:22 PM

Dear Nightwatch Man, and Queen-Evie,

Thank you kindly. UK eh? Actually I'm a Yank, who has been overseas working in the developing world for most of the last 30 years.

Just one follow-up. I recognize my lagging edge desk-top powered by XP won't last forever, and then I will be forced to upgrade. I assume Linux is the best way to go. Does anyone have a recommendation for basic, no gaming, business machine for Open Office, and Mozilla?

I've been using the internet since 1975 when it was the DARPAnet, and wrote my thesis on the first portable PC, a Kay-Pro with WordStar. I can't say that I'm really that impressed with the progress of computers.

Thanks for helping out an old dinosaur.

Peace,

Tikaboo

Ubuntu is the de facto new-Linux-user distribution.

Its a scam and dont buy into it!

I get calls saying they are from AT&T and can reduce my long distance rates.
(anything outside of town is long distance here)

I have unlimited free long distance.
But we can reduce that rate by selling it to you for 10 cents a minute!
Are you an AT&T representative?
CLICK!

Ahh, WordStar!
I learned on that myself!

Copy and paste was a multiplicity of keystrokes.
I believe it involved ctl-k to mark text then ctl-c to copy or v to move.
WordPerfect was competing with WordStar with version 5.1 for the dominance at the time.

They both lost out!

Registering with the Telephone Preference Service (United Kingdom) has considerably reduced cold calls to me.

It doesn't stop everyone; some organisations will just ignore the lists and in the UK, certainly, registration
does not restrict cold calling for 'market research' purposes, so one or two will 'try it on' under this guise.