Scam of the week

This came in on our local security network today.

A WARNING. A couple of weeks ago we received a demand from E.on Energy for a supposed bill from 2011! We have NEVER used E.on. Xxx called to ask them to produce contract. Today 13th November I received an official looking letter from an Avvocato Maurizio Cenci, sent on the 5th November demanding payment by the 6th!!! Envelope made to look like courier, but not, not even raccomandata. No back up documentation. So I look up this Avvocato...he doesn't exist and find a forum, (thank goodness for the internet) started by good hearted people with a social conscience. So if you receive similar, don't call and don't worry....bin it.

A very useful warning.  Thank you.

I was gob smacked that we had a call (Italy landline) the other day from the "Windows technical office"... The thing that got me was that they called us here in Italy, know my full name and spoke in English... Ok, I've met these guys before (this was Rosa a girl), but in the UK. Might have had 2-3 calls per year and assumed they went through the phone book, they still may, but this one called an Italian number and spoke English (perhaps a good guess with the name and all). Anyway, now I'm retired I love these people as I can play along with them for ages!  Unfortunately this one had a very poor line and had to ring off to call back - not that she did... Scam is to tell you your computer is giving out error messages and it's because you have been hacked and they are going to nicely fix it for you - they just need access to your PC please...   

Probably with a Indian accent. For sure a scam, as many are getting those in the UK. We just leave the phone here on the answer message. Its amazing how many of the Italian call centres that try to sell you new electricity contracts, telephone services, etc soon put the phone down as the answer message is only in English.

Geo you are a star... Only the other day I thought about using the answer phone... We brought over our Panasonic phones from the UK as it had 3 handsets and could pick up in the garden. That was a year ago or more and I had totally forgot it had an answer phone built in... Now I have a great use for it...as we get calls to change utils, buy shoes you name it.... Yes of course it was a lady from India, in a call centre with a kind of American accent...

Now this is one that will cause you all sorts of problems if it hits you, so beware... Ransom scam LINK

We, as a community (?) should indeed keep each other aware of any and every possible scam that we come across..............thanks a lot and well done for making me aware !

I have a general no nonsense approach to anybody who contacts me, if I don't know you, you will almost certainly get short shrift !

As an (ex) techie, DO NOT click on any email hyperlink that you are sent (even forwarded from friends) unless you are sure that it's ok !

So far for me, so good !

Keep safe !

V

And more importantly have a good antivirus package installed on your computer (Norton being one of the best definitely not McAfee) that will warn and quarantine suspicious mail/attachments.

Another scam, which I'm sure we've all already encountered.  However this is quite an interesting insight into how it actually works    

http://blog.malwarebytes.org/fraud-scam/2013/04/phone-scammers-call-the-wrong-guy-get-mad-and-trash-pc/

This is why I do not answer the phone unless I can identify the caller...
Very interesting insight!

ghiro wrote:Another scam, which I'm sure we've all already encountered.  However this is quite an interesting insight into how it actually works    http://blog.malwarebytes.org/fraud-scam/2013/04/phone-scammers-call-the-wrong-guy-get-mad-and-trash-pc/

Yes the very same scam, I've never went as far as that to find out how they get to access your PC. Have to say I'm amazed anyone gets that far to allow someone else to have access their PC remotely. You can switch off remote access on at least Windows 7 and above, Windows 7  is;
Windows Start>>Right click Computer>>Click Properties>>Remote Access
I've not looked, but am sure other versions will be similar. If these people were as good as they say they are, I'm sure they could get access other ways...

As for anti-virus software (s/w), I would normally say you only get what you pay for, however in this case there are a number of free anti-virus apps out there that are very good. Flip reckons Norton and not McAfee (perhaps the latter for other reasons...  ) . I would use neither, but it's horses for courses here and what's good today can be rubbish the next day.. Proof is in how much trouble you get over a period of time (say a year), how easy it is to use and does it slow you down. The first is not always easy to judge as you could be sitting there with maleware and not know it.

As for the above problem, it's not your anti-virus s/w that you need to be bothered about, it's your Firewall... Again there are many freebies out there which are very good and you may just want to buy their paid for version if you like the free version. But better still for me (and I would use both), physical access control is your main protection. If you have a router or similar device where you can set up MAC access, then take the trouble to find out about it and how to use it. I could expand on this, but unless anyone want specific information I'll not bore you even more!

A final word of warning for anyone running Windows XP, in case you were not aware, support for this stops April 2014....   

They must be targeting Italy at the moment, we have just had a call from an Indian gentleman, saying he was from Windows Technical and that our computers had been hack and certain files must be removed. Firstly he harassed my daughter as I was in the garden, and said that she MUST connect up the computer and follow his instructions NOW!! Luckily my computer has Fingerprint Recognition and only I can open it up, so she called me and explained what he wanted and gave me the phone. Needless to say I knew what was happening and launched into a tirade of expletives questioning his parentage and and threatening to insert a large implement into his backside if he ever rang again. The phone went dead.....
So if you're called by an Indian Chap/Chapess asking for access to your files on your computer, feel free to De-stress yourself and practice some keen insults...

Good man Flip !!!!

Well done, Flip! These people deserve no respect. Could you also give their phone number to the Police? In case you were able to identify it...

Flip wrote:Needless to say I knew what was happening and launched into a tirade of expletives questioning his parentage and and threatening to insert a large implement into his backside if he ever rang again.

Absolutely the right response Flip!

I don't suppose you're prepared to tell us exactly what you said - just so that we can learn from your experience, you understand!  

Flip,

I can imagine that it was the sort of conversation whereby it would have been a great delight to see the other person's face !! What shape was the large implement ?!!

Love it !

V

Flip I think  you will now get more calls than ever! Once they get over the excitement I think they will tell all their colleagues and they will all want to hear you...     Can I give them your number as well!

Vicino wrote:What shape was the large implement ?!!

V

Which reminds me of a friend who wanted to buy a cucumber at Fortnum and Mason's.

'That will be £5 sir'

'£5 for a cucumber?  £5!  Well you know where you can stick that!'

'I would sir' replied the salesman 'but I'm afraid I'm already fully accommodated with a £7.50 cauliflower'!

The implement in question was a ''barb wire covered, splintered, fence post'' and without the benefit of lubrication.
I must admit I did loose it with th eguy , and rightfully so in my book, as he was a criminal and should be treated with the utmost disdain and contempt.
Boy it felt good after as well......  

The real worrying thing to me is the fact I had these calls at least 5 years back and that they are still going - implying some poor people have been duped by them... Wonder if we would be sympathetic towards these call centre people if a few hundred were killed in one of these sweatshop fires... Odd thing is that I guess we would be!

Don't be awful! The people awho work at those call centres are victims. The real culprits are those who are behind. Just as in the case of theslave workshops. By the way, the ones killed at Prato wereenduring infrahuman conditions.

stevegwmonkseaton wrote:The real worrying thing to me is the fact I had these calls at least 5 years back and that they are still going - implying some poor people have been duped by them... Wonder if we would be sympathetic towards these call centre people if a few hundred were killed in one of these sweatshop fires... Odd thing is that I guess we would be!

I'm with GP here.

Like the poor people who work in fashion sweat shops I'm sure the equally poor people who work for the computer scam have no real option.  It's not them who we should condemn but their 'bosses'.  Which is not to say that a good dose of abuse doesn't go amiss.

Thanks, ghiro. Abusing the caller will make us feel better, but I doubt that it would bring positive results. The people behind these scams should be prosecuted. They are the real criminals.

This looks like it will grow, so keep on your guard BBC LINK

Another is an email scam that came today supposedly from FEDX. A delivery item they could not deliver because of missing information, but they had the email address of course. This time of year, if like us, you have many deliveries, then you may be tempted to click the link - DON'T. No I'm afraid I didn't either... It came to an email address we would never use for orders and to be fair Gmail actually put it correctly in spam despite it looking ok to me...

Sorry Gala/Ghiro, but I feel no sympathy whatsoever with these people, whether exploited or not, it's their choice, and don't say they have none because to do this kind of offence one needs to be a wee bit intelligent and literate.
They are knowingly engaging in a criminal/fraudulent acts, designed to extort money from innocent people, not making up naff clothing (which may be a crime against fashion nothing more), and deserve everything they get, end of....
They are fully cognisant of that fact and should be prepared to except any consequences. If some one stole from you would you simply right it off an act of a desperate person and condone it?