Was this a computer hustle?

[Stoner4Life]

The problem that I see w/the replies in this thread is that it is ALL good information, very valid stuff. So I'll add mine opine on the subject, if the OP is 100% sure that he was in touch with Microsoft then he should be 100% safe in allowing the 'remote access' help.

Great that he rebuked their offer for McAfee, but considering that he got free help w/other issues you'd have to figure that they (Microsoft) are looking to make a buck somewhere/somehow, they're probably getting the best deal on McAfee now.

btw gals/guys, what AV software comes installed w/windows these days? it used to be Norton's, but as mentioned above there were difficulties w/it (slowed my pc down to a crawl) and so I also had to remove it.

my local provider recommends AVG & SUPERAntiSpyware, both of them are the free versions & they work great. AVG takes about 20 minutes to run, and SAS takes between 3 & 15 minutes to run depending on which scan I select, partial or whole computer.

I like that they're both free, if I paid for either of those then they'd run constantly in 'the background' slowing my pc down, I run then regularly enough.......

 

[Bud Green]

I would never, ever give anyone remote access to my computer....

 

[JRace]

So I'll add mine opine on the subject, if the OP is 100% sure that he was in touch with Microsoft then he should be 100% safe in allowing the 'remote access' help.

There is NO WAY he was in touch with MS. This is a well known scam (browser hijack) and in no way connected to microsoft.

Great that he rebuked their offer for McAfee, but considering that he got free help w/other issues you'd have to figure that they (Microsoft) are looking to make a buck somewhere/somehow, they're probably getting the best deal on McAfee now.

Microsoft is not selling McAfee. Not now, not ever.
They have there ownn built in (MS Defender).
And for most people that is all you need.

btw gals/guys, what AV software comes installed w/windows these days? it used to be Norton's, but as mentioned above there were difficulties w/it (slowed my pc down to a crawl) and so I also had to remove it.

Any AV that copmes preloaded is from the PC manufacture (ASUS, Acer, Gateway, etc) and not Microsoft.

my local provider recommends AVG & SUPERAntiSpyware, both of them are the free versions & they work great. AVG takes about 20 minutes to run, and SAS takes between 3 & 15 minutes to run depending on which scan I select, partial or whole computer.
[/quote[
AVG while it works has far too many nag screens, offers, and is hard to fully uninstall.

If you must use an AV Avast free is one of the least intrusive.

to the OP: the scam usually ends with you giving them money.
In some cases they may have left stuff behind. Contact a reputable company to clean your PC if your worried.

I have been a computer repair tech for many years, and have lots of security related experience.

to everyone:

No one will ever call you because your computer is broken. There is no way for anyone to ever know. If they call you hang up.
If your PC does what the op did (Browser hijack)
ctrl-alt-delete
then choose reboot....if you cannot handle that then pull the power cord.

 

[Floridian]

.Yea I will get it checked out if I have problems.This guy wanted about 100 more dollars than the computer cost!Jrace they didn't call I called them when I could not remove the video and loud ass audio telling me I was fucked if I didn't call.My computer and phone seems fine though,if there was going to be problems they should have been pretty immediate right?I hope I am right anyway.I didn't know about control alt delete when it happened but I know now.Actually I almost did pull the cord

 

[JRace]

.Yea I will get it checked out if I have problems.This guy wanted about 100 more dollars than the computer cost!Jrace they didn't call I called them when I could not remove the video and loud ass audio telling me I was fucked if I didn't call.My computer and phone seems fine though,if there was going to be problems they should have been pretty immediate right?I hope I am right anyway.I didn't know about control alt delete when it happened but I know now.Actually I almost did pull the cord

Often someone will call you "From Microsoft...we see your computer has issues" - that is the scam I was refering too above.

Yours was the browser hijack scam.

What they could do is install software that allows them to dial back in any time and do stuff with your PC.
Or they could install a keylogger that records every key stroke (and then sends that to them).

There is other stuff they could leave behind which may just slow you down.

One thing you can do us open up control panel,
click on Unistall Programs
List the programs by date, and see if anything was installed the day of the incident.

This will only show you some stuff, not everything that could have been downloaded and installed.

 

[Floridian]

Thanks man I think when I get a chance I will just bring it in to have it cleaned.If they record every keystroke they will be bored as growing and dumb jokes is probably 99%

 

[Pinball Wizard]

If my computer suffers any sign of an attack?..I unplug it and take it to my computer doctor.

Overhaul, power wash, install Avast, check the oil. $75...runs great!

 

[brown_thumb]

I posted earlier that my PC was running sluggishly. I uninstalled about four applications that I didn't recognize and seemed to hint about communication one way or the other. Two or three of those were labeled as a MS product... not sure they were though. After I restarted the computer the sluggishness is completely gone.

 

[angelgoob]

get a usb drive.

download unetbootin.

use that shit to get linux.

put that shit in your usb slot and go into the bios when the computer starts up. Press DEL or f2 or f10.

mek the usb drive the boot drive.

maybe your computer will automatically boot from it though?

 

[Floridian]

Surprisingly I haven't had any problems since the incident.I hope it stays that way.

 

[Floridian]

Man I really cant believe this crap.Seconds after my last post I went to close the page and it will not close.Everything else is working fine I was able to go back to a page I used earlier that I needed again.What a shitty coincidence.Any suggestions?

 

[Snook]

If my computer suffers any sign of an attack?..I unplug it and take it to my computer doctor.

Overhaul, power wash, install Avast, check the oil. $75...runs great!

a friend uses AVAST... I thought about it.. its made in Czechoslovakia... dono.. malwarebytes has served me just fine for about 10 years..

 

[Cannavore]

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tech-support-hacking-scam-pop-up-on-computer/


"In the past two years, Microsoft has heard from over 175,000 customers complaining about tech support scams. The con artists often demand payment to “fix” the computers they’ve hacked."

“At that point, they got your credit card, they got your expiration date, they got your home address and they got your first and last name and they got the ‘cc’ code on your card,” Nigam said.

"There are some ways to protect yourself, experts say. Never call a phone number on a pop-up or give a stranger access to your computer. Also, make sure to keep your anti-virus programs and operating system software up-to-date at all times."







you likely just gave hackers access to your computer and/or personal info and probably have some sort of malware/spyware now. i'd stop posting on cannabis websites asap and fix your compromised system before potentially compromising others.

 

[brown_thumb]

^^^ I knew better than to call the number on the pop-up web page. So I located the genuine MS tech support phone number and dialed MS directly. They confirmed the number on that web page was bogus and transferred me to a technician WHO TREATED ME PRECISELY THE SAME WAY AS THOSE BOGUS TECHNICIANS ARE DOING... lying, cheating and abusive. It was a horrible experience from A CERTIFIED MS TECHNICIAN. I was able to save a copy of the text from the online chat but only after wrestling with the tech who tried desperately to delete my notepad page and shut me down. Armed with the name of the tech and the saved text from our chat, I called MS Customer Service who hung up on me after 20 seconds of me (nicely/calmly) explaining what happened. So... IMHO, MICROSOFT IS A SHIT COMPANY.

 

[Floridian]

Well I rebooted and everything is fine.It took me awhile and a call to my niece to be able to turn the fucker on.I thought I was losing it I couldn't find the damn computer!On my last computer you just hit the power button on the computer itself to reboot.With this new HP there is no frickin computer just an almost invisible button above the numbers.I guess its all built in to the keyboard who would have thunk it.I miss my windows 7 and my mouse to be honest I guess I'm old school.Real old.

 

[JRace]

^^^ I knew better than to call the number on the pop-up web page. So I located the genuine MS tech support phone number and dialed MS directly. They confirmed the number on that web page was bogus and transferred me to a technician WHO TREATED ME PRECISELY THE SAME WAY AS THOSE BOGUS TECHNICIANS ARE DOING... lying, cheating and abusive. It was a horrible experience from A CERTIFIED MS TECHNICIAN. I was able to save a copy of the text from the online chat but only after wrestling with the tech who tried desperately to delete my notepad page and shut me down. Armed with the name of the tech and the saved text from our chat, I called MS Customer Service who hung up on me after 20 seconds of me (nicely/calmly) explaining what happened. So... IMHO, MICROSOFT IS A SHIT COMPANY.

What ## did you call?

MS does not offer customer support for windows (MS will give support for hardware purchased through the MS store).

Possibly you just called another scammer, who would of told you the original number was a scam to gain your trust.

Well I rebooted and everything is fine.It took me awhile and a call to my niece to be able to turn the fucker on.I thought I was losing it I couldn't find the damn computer!On my last computer you just hit the power button on the computer itself to reboot.With this new HP there is no frickin computer just an almost invisible button above the numbers.I guess its all built in to the keyboard who would have thunk it.I miss my windows 7 and my mouse to be honest I guess I'm old school.Real old.

Do you have a laptop now?

If so you can still buy a mouse and plug it into the USB port.
Wired or wireless.

 

[brown_thumb]

What ## did you call?

MS does not offer customer support for windows (MS will give support for hardware purchased through the MS store).

Possibly you just called another scammer, who would of told you the original number was a scam to gain your trust.

If I recall correctly, my initial contact with MS was via chat on their website. To be honest, I can't remember if I called initially. At any rate, I was transferred to the tech I complained about. The phone number(s) is/are no longer in my call history because the event occurred early October last year. It was through the MS website that I got to the tech.

 

[angelgoob]

I hate computer problems. Especially because it's either a virus (some fucker created it) or user error (someone downloaded a game with spyware).

It's like one of those two problems.

 

[Floridian]

JRace thanks for straightening out this dinosaur,I have never used a laptop before,at least not consciously.It seems I have been using one for months without realizing it lol.I am starting to get used to being mouseless.Its funny when you are used to something and then its obsolete.Its really better just using a finger its just relatively new to me.

 

[Snook]

JRace thanks for straightening out this dinosaur,I have never used a laptop before,at least not consciously.It seems I have been using one for months without realizing it lol.I am starting to get used to being mouseless.Its funny when you are used to something and then its obsolete.Its really better just using a finger its just relatively new to me.

I prefer a mouse... can use a touch pad but makes me realize how spaztic I can be sometimes..