If I get another call from the "Network Monitoring Center" I may scream

[BobA]

I keep getting calls from some english speaking but with a heavy accented people that say they are monitoring my computer and it has problems.  An obvious scam but I wish I knew where they get my telephone number from or maybe it is just random.   Anyone else getting these idiotic calls?

Here is how the scam goes.

You are contacted by phone or email by someone claiming to be Microsoft technical support of some kind. This person claims that your computer has sent them an error report of significant proportions and that they can fix for you.

They may go so far as to ask you to confirm your computer's malfunction by checking its event log, which, almost certainly will report the detection of errors. (Convincing, eh?)

Finally, they will offer to connect to your computer remotely and “fix” the problem for you.

If you allow this, you will be billed for them to do either nothing of any significance at all (the best case scenario) or for them to install malicious files or gather personal information/passwords.

 

Here's what you need to know:

1.    Microsoft has no way of knowing who you are or what is going on with your computer. Even if you have sent an error report to Microsoft, there is NO identifying information included in that report that they could use to track you down.

Anyone who tells you differently is lying.

2.     It is NORMAL for your computer's event log to report errors  - the majority of these are of no concern.

3.    Do not allow this person to remotely connect with your computer.

[Well Fed Games]

Good reminder, my mom got called by those folks last week, she didn't fall for it, but I was still pretty livid.

[chopps]

Ive been contacted a few times by these people.  I ususally just tell them I dont have a computer.  Normally they just say thank you for your time and hangup, but I did have one guy argue with me about it not being possible to live without a computer...   

[BobA]

SCREAM SCREAM
Jeeez  since I posted this I got called again.   I listened quite politely for 4 or 5 minutes and then when he asked me to allow them to connect to my computer I told him to FO.

[CheffoJeffo]

I did have one guy argue with me about it not being possible to live without a computer...   

Must have been Chadtower.

 

[Samstag]

I highly recommend these guys.  I've been hearing about botnets for years but never could figure out how to join one.  But with one helpful call from the network monitoring center I was up and running in minutes!




_{Posted from my botnet.}

[drventure]

Give them a 192.168.1.xxx IP number

Then ask them for their address so you can send them a check for their great service.

[hypernova]

I'm still awaiting my call.  I hope I get chosen next! 

[SavannahLion]

Give them a 192.168.1.xxx IP number

Then ask them for their address so you can send them a check for their great service.

That's a good one. I was going to tell them that my screen says Ubuntu and that the mouse doesn't work.
 
I still have no clue why I leave my mouse on that one. 

[ark_ader]

I'm still awaiting my call.  I hope I get chosen next! 

My Mom, bless her, gets these calls all the time.  She has found a way around for them not to call her again.

She gives them my mobile number instead. 

[newmanfamilyvlogs]

Almost makes me want to set up some kind of honeypot VM for requested remote desktop session with things like gore wallpaper and browser history full of unsavory things. just to try and ruin someone's day.

[eds1275]

My friends do what they call "reverse prank calling" and when they get unwanted phone calls they play along and ---fudgesicle--- with them. Last time I was over they had this type of call and just kept pressing buttons on the microwave and said that they've unplugged all the cords so they could start from the top. It's funny but I personally just get angry immediately.

[Hoopz]

If it's a number you don't recognize, just don't answer it.  Heck, I do that all the time on my phone and it's a work cell.  People that don't leave messages don't get called back.  

I only have a cell and not a land line.  I get an occasional telemarketing call on the cell but not often.

[abispac]

I wish I knew where they get my telephone number from or maybe it is just random.  

Ill tell you how they get your number:
Mett ACS http://www.acs-inc.com/
A company that handles costumer service for many, many, corporations ,such as at&t,7eleven,blue cross and blue shield of florida, suntrust bank, devry university,and many more.One of theyr bigger clients its sprint, therefore they manage nextel and boost mobile departments. Acs has one business place in Juarez Mexico, they hire alot of billingual personel to handle theyr clients needs, most of this persons are folks that where illegals in the us, or criminals that where deported over to mexico, stuck in Juarez with the hope to return to the USA they get a well paid job and somehow they start making a living from that job. Good, but alot of them have found that getting private information such as telefone numbers,credit card numbers , social security numbers , full adress ,D.O.B. , detiailed security numbers from private accounts and lots and lots more of important information, its so easy to get once you are inside working, and if you are outside, all you have to do its just hang around and ask someone for a particular piece of information for a couple of dollars with no problem.I tried to warn people in the past about this matter but most persond dont seem to care. Thanks God you dont fall for this type of scams, but think about all of the persons that will fall, as is easy to get a list of 1000 or more names with detailed accounts information. if you can get 200 out of 1000 thats like good money for a scam. ACS has tried to fix thiss isu without any succes, as they give important  jobs that will monitor  workers for fraud, but those guys can easy be bougth too with just anought money. so next time you wonder how they get your number, just ask your customer service from any company, where  are they located, they may answer you that they are located in the USA but be aures that most of them would be  lying to you.

[Apollo]

Ive had quite a few calls like that. Last time it happened I followed their instructions to do various things to my PC, open up different directories and folders etc. I kept them on the phone for about 20 minutes as they got more and more convinced they had me and then advised I had got a pop up box on my screen. The person on the phone told me that I shouldn't have a pop up box and that I must have done something wrong, I repeated that I did indeed have a pop up box and asked if they would like me to read them what it said, when they said yes I told them the pop up box said "---fudgesicle--- off and stop calling my you lying, thieving sack of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---".

They haven't called back.

[ChadTower]

I did have one guy argue with me about it not being possible to live without a computer...   

Must have been Chadtower.

[ahofle]

Give them a 192.168.1.xxx IP number

Then ask them for their address so you can send them a check for their great service.

Here's an even better idea.  Next time they call and ask for your IP address, go to a command prompt and 'ping fbi.gov', then read them the IP that comes back. 

[shmokes]

Whenever I get a marketing call I immediately say, in my normal American accent, "Oh, sorry, I don't speak English." I've done this dozens upon dozens of times and it always ends in one of two ways. The person on the other end hangs up immediately or hilarity ensues. I actually brighten up a bit when caller ID indicates a probable telemarketer.

I hate, though, when it gets my hopes up and when I pick up I'm greeted with a recorded message.

[SavannahLion]

Whenever I get a marketing call I immediately say, in my normal American accent, "Oh, sorry, I don't speak English." I

Reminds me of an episode of Family Guy.

[shmokes]

Now what did you have to go and say that for? Now I wanna stop doing it. 

[J_K_M_A_N]

A girl I work with...her mother in law got a call from them this weekend. She gave them access to her computer and her debit card number. The bank called her husband while she was on the phone with the guy saying that there was a fraudulent charge on their card. She told the guy she was talking to so he could fix it and get her money! She didn't believe that he was a bad guy. Then she goes to wal mart and they deny her debit card and she is mad at the bank because they embarrassed her....at wal mart!

Unfortunately it does work on people like that. I think she is still convinced that he was trying to help her make her computer faster. She even said he had fairly poor English and kept saying USA like he was asking her where she was.

J_K_M_A_N

[fallacy]

A girl I work with...her mother in law got a call from them this weekend. She gave them access to her computer and her debit card number. The bank called her husband while she was on the phone with the guy saying that there was a fraudulent charge on their card. She told the guy she was talking to so he could fix it and get her money! She didn't believe that he was a bad guy. Then she goes to wal mart and they deny her debit card and she is mad at the bank because they embarrassed her....at wal mart!

Unfortunately it does work on people like that. I think she is still convinced that he was trying to help her make her computer faster. She even said he had fairly poor English and kept saying USA like he was asking her where she was.

Ya mouth breathers like her are plentiful in the US to make a scam like this pay off for third world county people. They don’t even have to worry about being caught or prosecuted.

For me I don’t know if I ever got a scam call since I don’t answer my phone innless it’s a number from my contact list. If its legit they will obviously leave a voice mail.

[fallacy]

Whenever I get a marketing call I immediately say, in my normal American accent, "Oh, sorry, I don't speak English." I've done this dozens upon dozens of times and it always ends in one of two ways. The person on the other end hangs up immediately or hilarity ensues. I actually brighten up a bit when caller ID indicates a probable telemarketer.

I hate, though, when it gets my hopes up and when I pick up I'm greeted with a recorded message.

You should start recording those calls and then post it on youtube " Haveing Fun with Telemarketers"

[SNAAKE]

I keep getting calls from some english speaking but with a heavy accented people that say they are monitoring my computer and it has problems.  

 

you should troll them..hard

[kahlid74]

The best hacks/viruses/malware are useless without proper social engineering.  Children should be taught about social engineering and not how to write haiku's.

[drventure]

I've gotten called by these people twice now. First time, I hung up, second time, I played with him for about 10 minutes. Asked for things like the company he with, his phone number in case we got disconnected. How was the weather? Where's he located. Told him I was in Hawaii, and it's perfect here, blah blah.

Then I said I just wanted to verify who he was so I needed his social security number.

He paused and said sure, and gave me some bogus number, so I said could you please hang on while I verify this, and just sat the phone down, made lunch and watched a show.

[BobA]

Drventure nice work