FixOnClick: Phone scam to get into your PC!
I've just had the most amazing phone call from the "Maintenance Department of Windows", a polite fellow in an Indian call centre claiming to be from 'local' support team FixOnClick.
Do NOT trust FixOnClick and do NOT given them any information or follow their advice. Hang up on them right away.
The opener to the conversation was notification that my computer has "several error messages" and has been noted by the "Windows R and D team" as having become infested with malware. I was told to open the Windows Event Viewer (given step-by-step instructions) and asked whether any error or warning messages appeared under the Application log.
In common with most Windows installations, there is a spattering of error messages, most relating to an inability to download an update when my internet connection was down, or failure to run something relying on a service I had manually stopped -- certainly nothing to be alarmed about, and nothing to affect the day-to-day operation of my PC.
I told my friendly caller that there were about a dozen error and warning messages, and his response, "Oh My God, that's really not good" was obviously designed to put the frighteners on a technically incompetent user, which I had led him to believe that I am.
I was given a web address to visit -- fixonclick123 dot com -- and taken through the steps to download a piece of software that would give their "support technician" access to my PC.
I went so far as to download the application but, needless to say, did not run it. That's much further than I would advise anybody else to go, so heed the warning and don't be taken in by these charlatans!
Comments
Scammers
I receieved a phone call from these scammers today and went all the way to letting them control my PC. After a few minutes and getting sent to a senior supervisor on the phone he opened NotePad and was just letting me know what the prices were and what I would be getting if I did in fact purchase the product. They did not open anything except NotePad because I already had the Event Folder opened were he just went on to point out all the Errors and that is when I was sent to his senior supervisor. After looking at the prices and realizing it was most likely a scam, I told him I couldn't afford it, removed the program that they had me download so they could control my PC from the computer as my computers protection software had deemed it an unsafe program and it was flagged in the bottom right corner of my screen (by the clock) so all I had to do was click it and remove it. I restarted my computer right after I removed the program, I have changed my e-mail password and facebook password. I do not do any banking on this PC and I have yet to run into any problems as of yet. I also ran a full system virus scan and did not come up with any viruses. I can't believe I feel for this as I am quite computer savvy. I couldn't find any file or folder that was out of place nor could I find any programs that didn't belong. I believe that I am safe but am still slightly worried. Any information on what I should look out for on my PC in the future would be great. Thanks
Check for Spyware
Hi Colin, thanks for the post.
If the software you downloaded was a bona fide application like GoToMyPC, LogMeIn, TeamViewer, etc. then you should have no related problems once the software is removed. Also, you are generally required to 'ok' any connection from a remote computer but I would recommend uninstalling, as you have already done.
Anti-virus software won't always pick up programs that watch what you're up to, so I'd suggest also installing and running anti-spyware software, something like Super AntiSpyware (link: http://www.superantispyware.com/). Chances are you're ok after uninstalling whatever it was you downloaded, but worth taking the time to do an extra check.
If you really want to know everything that's running on your PC, open Task Manager (right-click the taskbar and open from there) and select the 'Processes' tab; there will be a lot going on here, including services that are necessary for your PC to run properly. Expect to see things like explorer.exe, lsass.exe, csrss.exe, spoolsv.exe, winlogon.exe, svchost.exe and other equally unfriendly names, but for any that you don't recognise, use a website like http://www.neuber.com/taskmanager/process/ to get information.
From what you've said, and especially since you watched what was happening when the scammer did connect to your PC, it sounds like you're ok, but I hope these tips are helpful.
Called me. Instantly I knew
Called me. Instantly I knew it was a scam so I thought I play the game. I did everything:
Opened Even Viewer
Went to the so called 'errors' and I said I had 60 of them which he replied "that is ver ybad" lol
So he asked me if I had internet and I said yes
He asked me how old I was and I said 18
He asked me if I had a credit card (plastic card! as he called it)
I said no
He hung up straight away lol
IT Solutions on line scam
Hi Chris
On Monday, 17th January 2012 I got a call from IT solutions to say there was something wrong with my computer and before I knew it they asked me to allow them in and showed me the virus that my computer was having. I asked them time and time again and they said they were from Microsoft even though the person on the other end was an Indian girl. Due to my weakness I paid £280 which converted was £301 which was usa dollars. I could not sleep that evening worried sick. However strange to believe my internet was working so much faster and the problems that I did have seemed to be resolved. I sent them a nasty email on Tuesday evening followed up my a few calls and with great relief I was refunded with the amount on Friday 20/01/2012. I am now left with the insecurity of wondering if these guys can now access my PC. I am getting an IT consultant to check it out on Saturday 21 January 2012 just to make sure but I never want to endure this again. Then again on Thursday of that week I got a call from Global PC Helpline and I just put the phone down. I just hoped that I had of been more careful the first time. I cannot believe how vulnerable I was by allowing them in. I have now brought this to the local papers to make everyone aware of this growing scam. Isabel
Hi Isabel, Thanks for sharing
Hi Isabel,
Thanks for sharing your story but as always I'm sorry to hear about somebody suffering at the hands of these thieving blighters.
I'd be very interested to know if your paper runs the story -- I've written to various media outlets including the BBC to try to bring this problem to a wider audience, as it is apparent that the majority of normal home PC users only find out about the scam when they are subject to one of these unexpected and intimidating phone calls.
The more people that learn about this before having to experience it, the better.
I hope incidentally that your IT man is able to reassure you that there's been nothing unpleasant left on your PC and that you're rid of this tribulation! Well done also on pursuing and obtaining a refund; maybe you should have a spot on Watchdog ;-)
Good luck!
Chris.
Chris I am from Northern
Chris
I am from Northern Ireland so the local Down Recorder wrote an article this week which was very good. I then got a call from the BBC who runs a programme called In Your Corner and he was pleased to talk with me. I provided him with your details as I knew you were interested in helping people like myself who has experienced these scams. I am just so glad to have been able to get a refund and I have taken the remote access from my computer which was still installed until my IT consultant told me which puts my mind at ease! Thanks Isabel
computer error phone call scam
I just got off the with the same guy! Hi name is "Edward", which was odd because his East Indian accent was so strong he had to spell it 3 times before I could recognize it. His number is 1-800-936-96239 from Canada, he claims he is one of my fellow country people. The funny thing is that he called me 2 weeks earlier and I pretended to follow his instructions and was waiting for my computer to " boot up" I made idle conversation consisting of telling him the world basically divides into 2 groups of people--One group that makes this world a nasty,bad place to live in and the other group that makes it a decent or an OK place to live in. I told him that he was clearly in the first group and asked how he felt about himself, what he thought of himself when he looked in the mirror etc. etc.he told me I had "shit on my brain" and I should "throw my computer in the garbage". I then asked him sarcastically "are you really from the windows support services"? He actually said yes and promised me that this was a legitimate phone call!
By that time I was bored and tired with playing with him and hung up. I can't wait until his cousin or whatever calls me again.
I think the same person just
I think the same person just contacted me..he gave me a name and a phone # ..but I am certain they are both bogus!Name given Mike Anderson
Ph# given 281 3171 272
Scammers Caught in the act
A similar computer scammer also gave me a call. Consult PC Experts (http://consultpcexperts.com) and Global PC Protection (http://www.globalpcprotection.com) is the same company.
I recorded the entire scam for others to learn from, you can see the videos and phone conversations here.
http://hackedgadgets.com/2011/10/27/hacked-gadgets-has-fun-with-computer-scammer-called-global-it/
http://hackedgadgets.com/2011/11/23/hacked-gadgets-corners-scammers-called-global-it-and-global-pc-protection-part-2/
Hello guys An Indian guy has
Hello guys
An Indian guy has written the inside story of these people. Each and every detail is there. Check it how they are operating such a big Scam and no one is doing anything about it.
indiancallcenterscam.blogspot.com
computer phone scam
I live in Western Canada and have also received phone calls from an Indian man claiming to be a Windows rep. He said he was calling to help me fix a number of problems with my internet connection and my hard drive. I am not technically savvy when it comes to computers but knew it was a scam because I don't have internet access from my home computer. For fun, I kept him on the phone for 10 or 15 minutes by asking inane computer questions and expressing deep concern about the state of my hard drive. When I finally revealed that I knew he was phishing, he hung up. Strangely, he (or someone working the scam with him) called me again about a week later. I played the waste-his-time-as-much-as-possible game with this caller too. He also hung up as soon as I admitted not having a home internet connection, and no one has called back to work this scam since then.
EPRO Solutions
Now targeting IRELAND - 3 calls in 2 weeks - no Caller Id; Got my Unlisted Private number - which is very worrying. Best to spread the word about this scam.They will ask to walk you through a series of instructions on your computers.... etc
Best to spread the word among friends to cut them off.
Thanks.
There is a low-tech solution
There is a low-tech solution that worked for me. Your caller ID will show up a non-existent number such as 0091777. They kept calling me even when I hung up the first few times.A friend told me what to do. Get a referee's whistle and keep it beside the phone. When they call, part-cover the mouthpiece with your hand and keep saying to them that the line is bad and that you have difficulty hearing them. They, hopefully will think it is and strain to hear you. Pretend to go along with them and then take the whistle, uncover the phone AND BLOW WITH FULL FORCE This will send an ear-piercing screech down the line and give some a few days' pain!! This solution worked for me. Best of luck!!
Happened to me this Saturday
Happened to me this Saturday 21/8/11. An Indian guy called from 'windowssolutions.com' suggesting I could have been infected with a virus as there was suspicious internet activity relating to my XP computer. I have Norton Internet Security 2011 which would have flagged things like this I said. Undeterred, he then said there were software licensing issues that need resolving, and pointed me to event viewer. The rest you know. Anyways, I downloaded software he suggested and a guy called Adam Smith (in the chat box on screen) starts meddling. He tries to defrag my hard drive, which starts ringing alarm bells with me. What the hell has that got to do with viruses? I hang up and power off the router which ends his session. Didn't have a clue what he'd done so I immediately restored the hard drive from a full image backup from 2 weeks before (recommend Paragon System Backup) which cleared all traces of his activity. Then changed Windows logon passwords on my PC, and reset password on e-mail accounts, router setup, and bank accounts. I know he got my e-mail address and name, but I'm checking other things regularly to make sure that's all he got.
Just hang up if this guy calls you.
Microsft Technical Department "scam" calls
Looks like they've moved on to North Scotland. I've had 3 calls from them today - was bloody annoyed to be woken early whilst on holiday
What really annoys me is that when I tell them I don't have a pc (I have 4 in the house along with 2 laptops and iPad & 2 iPhones along with my own degree in Computing!) there's a click and the flaming people hang up
I really, really want to be removed from their list!
I just received a call from
I just received a call from an east indian, whom informed me that he worked for a company called bcare. which he told me, moniters our computers worldwide for windows. They found that yesterday they were notified that i had been online and picked up a virus. I told him I was having problems understanding him. He kept referring to me as mamm. I took up his time by asking again and again what he said, then ask to speak to someone from the states, as, if they were going to help me, then i needed to understand what they were saying. He put his supervisor on, who then informed me that i had picked up some infected files yesterday. so i was instructed to press certain keys and go into my computers system then type in ventvwr. to check my files that may have error or triangles beside them. i told him i wasn't doing anything today, and he then told me what to do and when i did this i would then need to contact him personally so he can help me further. i did ask, why my internet security didn't pick this up, he told me my internet security program was to stop hackers. i then explained to him what my internet security does do. I knew this to be a scam from the start, but I like to screw with them for awhile.
e-prosolutions.com and logmein123.com
I spent about 20minutes chatting to the nice lady who was happy to wait once she understood my landline was downstairs and the computer was upstairs, so I had to write all the commands down before going upstairs.
Did this a few times and really enjoy chatting to her and her supervisor, who helpfully suggested I needed a cordless phone.
The sites were logmein123.com and e-prosolutions.com
After about 20minutes, things got a bit terse when I let slip I was using an Apple laptop, speculated if this was why her commands were not working and would it help if I bought the laptop downstairs.
But I see others have gone beyond the hour so wonder if there is a leaderboard online?
Phone scammers.
I got hung up on when I told them my OS was Windows 3.1
Fixonclick123.com The house of scam
I found this site during a search. I have just been phoned by an Indian sounding gentleman called Alex Carter from fixonclick123.com sounding scam from the domain itself. He claimed that Microsoft had asked his company to contact me as my computer had a virus and they wanted me to sit in front of the computer and do as they said. I pretended the phone wouldn't reach and asked for an e-mail of the problem and a phone number to call back on. They gave +44-208-099-0390 and promised an e-mail.
No e-mail yet, I'll post details I ever get an address.
The guy on the phone probably believes he's helping and the scam could be operated by one or a few people.
Mr kaushal Kr Jha has been associated with the company.
I suggest you involve the UK police,Microsoft and TPS as they are claiming to be directed by Microsoft(certainly untrue!) and TPS will be very interested in putting a stop to this and possibly helping recover stolen funds.`
Scam
I typed logmein in suspicion but the page and company seemed legit,there should be more warning to people.I had to type logmein scam before i got what i suspected.
Clever choice of name!
Hi Jason, apologies for the late reply... the trouble is these people trade on names they know are likely to be trusted and, as you found, logmein is in itself not a problem -- it's what remote access software ends up getting used for.
Likewise, they say they work "for Windows"... makes no sense to you or me perhaps, but there will be many people for whom this doesn't immediately ring alarm bells.
What do I do now???
Hi,
My wife got called today but she cannot remember the name of the company who called..... she didn't actually pay any money but they went through the same steps more or less and now the desktop looks different and i'm a bit worried they maybe put something on my PC or made a copy of private files.
Is this the sort of thing you can fix and how much would it cost?
I live near Doncaster.
Thanks!
Worth getting help
Hi Dudley
Sorry to hear of your problem -- I do think it's worth getting your PC checked out, but it would make more sense (and I'm assuming this is your home PC, not business) to find a local computer support company who could come and take a look.
On the bright side, having rearranged or different desktop icons isn't necessarily an indication that something is seriously amiss; I've heard of PC technicians actually making changes like this to give the impression that more has taken place than actually has!
However, it is quite possible, I'm afraid to say, that both the scenarios you mention could have taken place. Depending on how long your PC was switched on (and connected to the internet) after the software was installed, files may or may not have been taken, and it is also possible that 'malware' of some sort could have been installed.
The first and most important step, I would say, is to take the machine offline -- you could disconnect it from the internet (just unplug the network cable or USB cable connecting it to your broadband box) but better still just leave it switched off until somebody has had a look at it, as it may be easier to ascertain what has happened if you do not use it in the meantime.
I don't know Doncaster at all so I'm sorry I'm not in a position to recommend anybody, but a Google search for "Doncaster PC support" brings up a feast of choices, some with a drop-off and collect service, others that will visit you at your home.
I'm also not going to suggest how much you're going to have to pay, but it will be worth getting a couple of quotes and asking whether you will be billed by the hour or one-off -- perhaps even on a no-fix, no-fee basis.
Sorry not to have more practical and immediate advice, but I hope this is useful.
Good luck!
I was afraid you would say
I was afraid you would say that!!
Thanks anyway, I'll call somebody in the morning. I have a laptop as well (thats how I'm talking to you now) but just a bit worried about what they might have got their hands on????
By the way my wife says the computer was only on for about half an hour before I got home so hopefully not too much damage.
Thanks for your time
Dud
PS. Why do I have to post my comment twice?!?
Fixonclick
Same scenario a day or so ago, although with a pleasant sounding Indian lady calling.
She told me I had a number of errors on my windows computer that indicated that my computer may have been infected with a windows virus.
Interesting, I replied, as I didn't use windows, only Linux so I didn't know what scam they were running but I wanted no part of it.
Second call of the type in about a month so, take care out there as it is becoming a jungle.
same!
Same happened to me. I run Linux but that didn't seem to worry the person who called me, in fact I don't think they even understood that until they'd spent ten minutes trying to tell me how to open the event viewer!
Next time I'll string them along a bit, could be fun ;)
Very busy people!
An afternoon loosely pondering this bizarre call led my curiosity to get the better of me, and after a quick search, I found lots of sites and literally hundreds of posts discussing this and similar scams.
The modust operandi appears to be something along the same lines as my own experience, i.e.:
This is really quite a threat to innocent, non-technical, users of the internet. Though most are now net-savvy enough to understand the risks of downloads, and in any case will usually have anti-virus software, firewall and so on protecting from these more obvious problems, but when somebody uses social engineering to get you to give them unfettered access to your computer, you sidestep your own security and leave yourself at their mercy.
This information needs to be spread far and quickly. I've already learned of two individuals I know personally having been on the receiving end of the same scam, so for every geek that encounters what is obviously suspect, how many everyday users are being taken in?
Please tweet, repost this information or tell your own story here or on your blog site or Facebook.
*The company to whom the domain name is registered is called Directi Internet Solutions PVT and is located in India. It is associated with several other online scams and has traded under many other names, including Belator LLC.
Prozone Services
Well it's been a few weeks since the last call, but they're back, this time under the guise of "Prozone Services". Same spiel, same nonsense, but this time informing me that "we only give you a call once your computer is more than 70% infected" and we need to connect you to our technical department to upload "Windows Advanced Care" software.
The customary walk through the Event Viewer was a little more amusing than usual though because, apparently, if I had clicked on any of the entries, it would have "activated" it and could have made my computer (even more) unusable.
Being engaged in actual work, I could only string along the caller for fifteen minutes or so, and when asked to enter the secret code number at logmein123.com, told her I realised the whole thing was a rip-off. Fair play to her for her comeback: "You obviously do not understand sir, and your computer is full of junk files and errors."
Having wasted 15 minutes of her (and my) time, I put the phone down, hoping that's one or two less people she might otherwise distress.
Prozone
I had a call yesterday from Prozone Services but my kids were crying and I explained that I did not have time to speak to them. The guy carried on talking so I explained again now was not a good time and he said "I heard you first time you bitch!" then hung up. Wow! Got another call today so strung them along for a while but I couldn't be bothered wasting that much of my time.
RE: Prozone
Hi Sian,
Like you, I always try to remain polite on the phone - firm but not rude.
Hearing this though, and on the basis of anecdotal stories shared with me by friends and colleagues, I'm increasingly disinclined even to extend this courtesy.
It can be infuriating to have somebody phone, with no way of tracing the number (much less the person making the call), and to have them spout abuse before hanging up so, unless I really do have time and inclination to string them along, I don't even give a response before hanging up.
Your tale has really irked me, and I'm going to renew my efforts to bring this scam to a wider audience.
Thanks for sharing, and have a great (cold call-free) weekend!
Close call
Hi. NSW Australia here
The same thing happened to me earlier on this afternoon.
Again, very thick idian accent, very forward.
Told me to run event viewer and tell them how many errors there were and long story short i was very tired at the time, wasn't thinking straight and allowed access through logmein123.com. Now at the time i didn't know what was goin on cos all the guy said was my technician will help you blah blah etc and again i was that tired i didn't know wat logmein123 was and i didn't take notice of what i was allowing and the reason they had me convinced is that the pc i'm using is a mates pc that i'm using while the main one is fixed and that had me worried with all the pc damage talk from these wankers. Anyways i watched exactly what the "technician" was doin on my pc and they were saying i should renew my SSL and here's where i believe i was extremely lucky.
The page would not open. the guy kept asking was my internet working? to which i replied yeh. but the "technician" couldn't access a site and they asked me if i could open a random site to see if it was working which it wasn't. I was then asked to restart the pc and try again. At this point i restarted the modem and disabled the net manually through internet properties. After the pc had restarted i was telling the guy i was waiting for the modem to come online to which he asked again to check if the internet explorer was working in which it wasn't because i couldn't find the option to allow me to connect back to the net through internet properties lol at this point he was asking do i see an option that says enable connection which i couldn't cos i didn't remember where to go to do that, Mind you he was obviously very persistant in me finding the way to connect it again....after bout a minute or so the line went dead.
Still worried i immediately contacted my friend who owns the pc who also happens to work in the IT business and as he was on his way over i also called another friend of mine who just happens to also work in the IT business and i told him what happened and he knew immediatley what was goin on and informed me about how many people go into his work with the same problem and also of how many people he knows that it has happened to.
These friends of mine have a had a look on the pc and to their kowledge everything seems to be fine but since i clicked on run throught the logmein123.com. Would the software still be on th pc that they may have installed? I've gone through uninstall prgrams and can't see anything new.
And yes these mother f****s rang again after about 20 mins from "Gary" (who the technicians name from logmein123.com was listed as) to which my mother told them no we're right we know people who are coming around to have a look. I wouldn't be surprised if they heard my old man in the background telling them to f**k off lol. So with that said i'm guessing since they called back it was a failed attempt on there part and much luck for mine. Do you think they still may have access to my pc at all? One those friends of mine seem to think it was because of the run prompts that the pc was running slow cos everything's running smoothe as of right now
Appreciate any help you can give. Cheers.
Re Close call
Hi,
A frustrating experience all round, from the sound of it, especially as you seem to have some savvy but were caught off-guard... and it's easy to think things are obvious in hindsight. I'm guessing your dad's approach will be the one you take from now on ;-)
It's difficult to say with any certainty whether these "technicians" will still have access to your PC without knowing what they did when they had access through logmein. Remember, logmein is not malware in itself, but with access to your PC with this software, it is possible to install more clandestine programs that could potentially allow discreet access later on, long after logmein has closed down.
I'm not suggesting this is the case here, and it's been difficult to find any pattern of activity that suggests the theft of data (it does seem to be a scam to get money for 'support'), but again I can't make that assertion for sure.
My personal advice would be to ask your IT friend to look over the PC for your peace of mind: it's likely that he'll know what to look for and how to help you protect it in future. One step will probably be to check your firewall's 'whitelist' (i.e. the list of programs it allows to access the Internet) to see whether there's anything in there you aren't expecting.
Good luck with this, and thanks for the interesting (if infuriating) story.
All the best,
Chris.
they just did it to me!
i just had this call, & they had our account name and everything!. They're now using a website called Logmein123.com as if that isn't suspicious enough, I asked for the technician's name & where he was calling from & he just froze, obviously that does not happen if they are legit!
Me too
Sydney Aus here, I have had about 10 phone calls from these people over the last month or so. The last one I just hung up on when they started.
First they told me that my ISP gave them my details, (which I doubted) but I let then go on a little bit before hanging up. I immediately contacted my ISP who said they didn't give out my details and that most ISPs know about this current scam. I suggest they might want to send out a email to their clients but nothing has happened.
The next time it happened I could hear someone in the background telling someone it would cost about 29.95 I assume US to download their software to get rid of the virus.
But the most fun I had was when they called me - started their speel. I waited then said:-
'I am sorry but this is the tenth call I had from your company. I have informed my Telephone company and the police. They stated they would be tracing the phone calls and contact the local police to take action...Expect a visit from your local police.'
all of a sudden they hung up - what a shame.
Yes they were Indian (the field I work in you develop an ear for the accents if you know what I mean).
They're normally more 'prepared'
I had another, very similar call a few days ago, and this time managed to record the conversation... I'll get it transcripted and posted onto YouTube -- I did ask where the guy was calling from: "Are you in India?" to which came the reply, "no sir, I am in South-East Asia." "Not India then?" "No sir, South-East Asia".
After wasting ten minutes of the caller's time, I was put onto his 'senior supervisor', whose name was "Mark". The original caller had been called "Matt". It's as likely that they were Matt and Mark as Laurel and Hardy!
Not the only one!
Looks like these jokers have been spotted at work more than once -- interesting article here: http://www.digitaltoast.co.uk/supportonclick-systemrecure-scam
phone call in Dublin, ireland
Had a phone call this morning from an Indian lady , asking me to turn on my computer as i had a Windows 'problem'.
She said she was calling from a company called E solutions . Normally i would have strung her along for a while but i was tired and irritable so i told her what she could do with her important information ...