Scammers

[ps_bond]

...how I despise them.

I've just had a phone call from a foreign-sounding call centre claiming to be "24/7 PC Care" informing me that according to their weblink I am experiencing problems with my PC.

For those who aren't familiar how this script goes, the next step is to persuade the victim to download a trojan to "fix" all these problems for you. There's a few different examples around, but they've got a variety of behaviours - keyloggers to grab passwords, botnet clients to use to attack other systems, advertising fake virus removal sw, that kind of stuff. Not really something you want on your system and possibly worse in that they get you to do it yourself.

The script didn't get that far on this occasion and they may be a little deafer than they started the day. I could have strung them along, but I wasn't in the mood.

This has been a public service announcement for all those who don't read security bulletins for fun & profit

[Dennis]

Well here's something different: yesterday I got a text saying that the weather is set to worsen at the week end, so if I have an accident, be sure to phone....
Dennis.

[abyjem]

I hate them too and wish there was some way to catch the blighters and lock them up. A friend of ours got caught with the PC one - and he's an ex copper! He's not very savvy where computers are concerned so had no idea it was a scam. Thankfully he told me that day and I made him phone his bank and cc company to alert them. He had to has his PC completely re-configured but at least he only lost £75 - could have been a lot worse.

[caroleallen]

I'm inundated with those sort of calls and also people asking me to advertise in their publication or online. I did get caught out once when I stupidly signed up to advertise with an online thing, which was free for a month and then I could cancel it. I intended to cancel it but of course forgot and got done for £400. That was a very hard lesson learned and I wouldn't fall for it again.

[teatowell]

If you haven't already done it, register your numbers (landline and mobiles) with the telephone preference service. This may help to cut nuisance calls but takes about a month to get put in place.

[ps_bond]

I'm glad you qualified that with "may"... Ex-directory and registered with TPS and it has made no difference. Paying heed to the TPS list is unfortunately not obligatory, so it's a bit of a paper tiger.

[lesley]

TPS hasn't eradicated these calls for us, but they do seem spooked when you tell them you're registered........and don't call again.

[susieq]

We registered with TPS a while back and it has certainly helped as far as calls offering double glazing, kitchens, bathrooms, etc. However, the latest calls are from companies offering to get compensation for mis-sold payment protection schemes - we get these at least once an evening, although they don't seem to work on weekends. yet. On Friday's call, when I said we were with TPS and he shouldnt be cold calling, he said it wasn't a cold call. So I asked him what payment protection policies I had which justified his call and he hung up on me. The cheek!

Susie

[teatowell]

If you can be bothered or remember to, always ask if the call is being recorded, ask where they got your number from and always ask they they remove your number from their calling lists. That also "may" help to reduce nuisance calls.

[Patstone]

I changed providers a while back and for some reason they deleted the number I had originally, so I was given another number. Apart from the fact that it is easier to remember than the first one, I get two or three calls a day from people asking for the original owners of the number, I keep on asking them to remove my number from their list and have registered with the TPC but I still get them and its more than a nuisance now. I have two other phones and my home number from my provider and its getting me down especially as hubby works strange hours and is often asleep during the day. All I can say is if you are thinking about having a home phone from a type of "fruit" DON'T. Not advertising !!!!!!!