Protecting consumers from fraud
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The 2010 Consumer Fraud Week was launched today by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce (ACFT). The theme of this year’s campaign is “Online Offensive: Fighting Fraud Online”. Microsoft Australia is proud to support this initiative. The campaign aims to raise awareness of online consumer fraud in Australasia through various member and partner activities and the distribution of educational materials by members and partners. |
Many people, consumers and businesses unfortunately fall victim to scams every day.
Whilst historically phishing has always been prevalent, a new scam has come to light recently that has been deceiving consumers. This scam operates under several names including Support on Click, ITEZY.com and System Recure. The fraudsters have been using Microsoft’s name to try to gain trust. They falsely claim to be a Microsoft partner on their website, and misuse our logo on many of their pages. Their spiel goes something like this:
· You get a call at home from a company claiming to be working for Microsoft or ‘your ISP’;
· The phone number will show up as Australian, but they are really calling from India or overseas;
· They will typically tell you that your computer has been running slowly and this is likely due to ‘infections’;
· They tell you they can help you with this and direct you to a website that then allows them to take remote control of your PC (in doing this they could download spyware to your machine);
· The ‘cold caller’ will then spend some time on your system trying to demonstrate where all your ‘problems’ are; and
· They will then try to sell you their ‘fixing’ service and take your credit card details.
In reality Support On Click, System Recure, and ITEZY.com are doing nothing to help your PC become any quicker or more secure, they are just trying to scam money out of you. Queensland police have also warned that fraudsters could even be downloading malicious software to your machine if allowed to take remote access.
At Microsoft we do not cold call customers, nor disclose personal information about our customers to be used in this way. If you receive an unsolicited call from someone offering assistance to fix your computer then we suggest you hang up, and not respond to any communications from these scammers.
Microsoft continues to work with law enforcement and relevant government agencies. Unfortunately this is not a problem we can solve via technology, or an update. This is just another high pressure sales technique similar to those property or stock “education seminars” where you have to provide a credit card or ten referrals to get out the door.
To learn more about scams or to report one visit www.scamwatch.gov.au
Stuart Strathdee
Chief Security Advisor, Microsoft Australia
Technorati Tags: fraud,ACCC,online,consumer
Comments
Anonymous
July 05, 2010
Yes, we got caught with this one. Hoping to reclaim our money back though. Will be more careful in the future.Anonymous
July 05, 2010
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July 10, 2010
I am very pleased with this company. My computer was very slow after I get call from srecurenow my pc performance was so good. its a miracleAnonymous
July 12, 2010
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July 12, 2010
These people will claim that your computer has sent information to Microsoft indicating a problem with security or performance. They will attempt to lead you to the event viewer to show you any errors that your computer has logged and even if errors are present, it doesn't necessary indicate any serious problems. Most PC's will have some log errors at some time. Do not trust them, they are thieves and it is a scam. If you suspect a problem, take your PC to your local repairman whom you can trust. Make sure you have an antivirus and anti-spyware programme installed. Microsoft Security Essentials is not perfect but a good place to start and it is free. Just Google or Bing "Microsoft Security Essentials", download and install it. Run a full scan.Anonymous
July 17, 2010
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July 19, 2010
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July 27, 2010
I got a call today from someone claiming to be from techisonline.com. Some people will try anything.Anonymous
August 06, 2010
I was called yesterday by Sun System Recure who described themselves as Microsoft's service group for Windows and went through the same proceedures that are described by others on this forum. They even gave me names, addresses and phone numbers in North Sydney so they are fairly convincing. So be aware of Sun System Recure.Anonymous
August 12, 2010
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August 15, 2010
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August 24, 2010
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September 02, 2010
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September 03, 2010
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September 08, 2010
i have had two calls today, and they nearly got me,be so careful and spread the word on these mongrelsAnonymous
September 12, 2010
The people who tried it with us,twice, called themselves World pc tech and claimed to be subsiadiarys of MicrosoftAnonymous
September 15, 2010
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September 17, 2010
I had a call from a person claiming to be from Microsoft and it would appear I have fallen for their scam. The company name in my case was SUN SYSTEMS RECURE. I paid with Paypal so I may be able to recover my money.Anonymous
September 21, 2010
So what happens to the money going into their account? Can't this be held or frozen? any answers would be appreciated.Anonymous
September 22, 2010
You should contact your bank to see what stage the processing of the funds transfer is up to, and whether they may intervene. Alternatively, you should contact the local Police. SassoonAnonymous
September 23, 2010
We've had 2 phone calls in 1 week from a company called LiveHelp4pc. They claim to be working for Microsoft. The second time they rang, I decided to string the guy along and get as much information as possible from him (the ACCC advise this is NOT a good idea, but needless to say, I had a good chuckle after the phone call). I questioned him as to why they were getting our error messages and not Microsoft/Windows, he told me that Microsoft don't have a customer care centre (because they're such a large company) and so they outsource to people like them! Bahahahaha! I managed to get the guy's name, return phone number, website etc and promptly rang the ACCC to report it. We only found out it was a scam after the first phone call because we fobbed the guy off and rang Windows the next day to verify his story.Anonymous
September 23, 2010
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September 26, 2010
Some more information concerning scammers www.microsoft.com/.../Microsoft-issues-warning-on-phone-scam, SassoonAnonymous
September 29, 2010
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October 03, 2010
Trying this scam in Perth tonight. Say they are acting on behalf of Microsoft Windows and that the computer is sending error reports to the Windows Service Providers. They get you to log into event viewer / Aplication and see all of the red alerts. Then try and get you to give permission for the technicians to get online and fix it. Then comes the $$$ This lot need to be stopped. They rang my recently widowed Mum who is totally confused and is ready to get rid of her computer because of this mobs harassment. She ghot angry at Mum wen she didn't know what to do when the woman was giving her instructions. Woman gave her name as Mia, System Secure, Sydney 0280147449 but displayed 012535617911 on the screen the first time she rang. Number was blocked the next time she rang.Anonymous
October 05, 2010
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October 06, 2010
Let them get remote access to my computer however luckily when it came to the credit card details I wisened up. I feel really silly for letting them get access to my computer thoughAnonymous
October 06, 2010
Had these scammers call for the second time today, except this time they claimed to be calling from Qantas IT about my computer not being able to use the Qantas web site.Anonymous
October 11, 2010
Can you please confirm whether RichtekSupport is as they say on their website or are they a scam company. If they are a scam, how does one stop payment to them? How might we check whether they have implanted any spyware into the computer?Anonymous
October 13, 2010
They're still at it, a relative got attacked on 13 October 2010. I think they said they were from "bcsecure" and were asking for remote control of the computer. The phone number they gave was bogus.Anonymous
October 17, 2010
same people in Bairnsdale area ,have been rung twice in 1 week,finally they hang up,when I wont do anything they want me to,only they said it was World Busy Tec,today,Lets put this to a stop,try and get as much info from them,then report thisAnonymous
October 21, 2010
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October 27, 2010
I am so mad that I fell for this scam. Livehelp4pc, paid them $223 via paypal, tried to get my money back from them, will now try paypal. This happened to me in Hobart on 26/10/10.Anonymous
October 28, 2010
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November 08, 2010
yes this sun system recure is totally a fraud.....plz dnt fall for them.Anonymous
November 08, 2010
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November 09, 2010
One possible explanation as to how these scammers get your phone number is they purchase it from some "legitimate" source that we all inadvertently give out our number to, without reading "terms and conditions" I am not exaggerating in stating we have received over 20 of these similar calls in the last 5 months and no matter who you request for help there is a lull then it recommences. They DON"T go away so eventually it seems the only way to gain peace is to change to a silent number- at your expense!Anonymous
November 14, 2010
They're still at it (Nov 15th) I worked it out after they started pointing at a "security package" with my cursor and downloading a payment site. SHut everything down, now running a full security scan.Anonymous
November 14, 2010
Is PC supportcare one of the companies to be wary of? They acted in the way you described in your article about fraudulent companies though they claim to be legit.Anonymous
November 15, 2010
For concerns contact 132058 and go through to technical support, tell them it is a security issue. SassoonAnonymous
November 16, 2010
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November 18, 2010
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November 19, 2010
Different group, same scam. Tell you to run eventviewer, find information, warning and error messages and tell you the computer is about to stop and you need a new one. When questioned on who they are your pointed to Microsoft partners page & a company called Pyramid Technology Solutions,Inc then they ask for money, tell you their email is down, point you to a website www.mytechsolutions to pay them. It looks good but its a scamAnonymous
December 01, 2010
I have been contacted by people who say they're with windows and have received a lot of error messages suggesting that my firewall has been breached. They have given me an Australian phone number 02 800 612 38 and a web-site www.livehelp4pc.net. They have downloaded a program called TeamView on one of my computers. Do you think this is a scam?Anonymous
December 12, 2010
I'm in Darwin. The scammers tried it on me on Friday night. I knew straight away that it was a scam. When I told them that I don't have Windows installed on my PC and use Linux instead (a lie), they responded "Does anyone else in your house have a Windows PC?". They're persistent! :-)Anonymous
December 12, 2010
Just had my second call from these idiots. They also called my mother in law aged 89, who doesn't even have a computer. The safest thing is never to buy anything that anyone is selling by telephone. After all, if you want something, you can just go to the shop and buy it, or research and buy onlineAnonymous
December 13, 2010
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January 06, 2011
My caller was from 'Windows Service Centre' and gave me a North Sydney address and phone number although they were not listed in the phone book. No, I didn't sign up but I did waste about 45 minutes on the phone partly trying to understand the accent and partly believing him - he was very convincing. I rang Microsoft and they advised me to check your website. Thanks for the service.Anonymous
January 07, 2011
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January 07, 2011
My neighbor nearly got caught but thought he would check with me first. For interest the phone number they left for him was 08 7004 1022. Probably a relay phone number but still interesting.Anonymous
January 09, 2011
I received a phone call on Saturday and requested they ring me back as I wanted to check with my It guy before doing anything. They rang back today (Monday). I asked for the phone # given 0399996751, the company given World Busy Tec associated with microsoft. I was instructed to run eventvwr and said I would not do anything without checking again with my It guy and that I would ring them back (never did and do not intend to). My It guy advised me it was a sham. These people are very insistent and appear angry if you do not follow their instructions.Anonymous
January 10, 2011
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January 11, 2011
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January 12, 2011
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January 13, 2011
Received one of these calls this afternoon. Said they were from the "service centre for windows operating systems and were undertaking this work for Microsoft. Tried to direct me to site www.support.me after saying that my computer had sent error messages to Mircosoft that there was some malicious software on my computer which was causing it to run slow. Being suspicious I asked numerous questions and they had an answer for everyone - very plausible and I can fully understand how some people can be conned in to believing the scam- luckliy I was not one of themAnonymous
January 18, 2011
There seems to be a renewed effort by these scammers at the moment (mid Jan 2011). I've had 3 calls (and dodged some others) in the past 2 weeks, and numerous friends and family have reported the same. Perhaps there needs to be a new warning/ press release issued to put this information out there again?Anonymous
January 18, 2011
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January 18, 2011
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January 27, 2011
I have had 4 calls in the past three months, all similar to those detailed. I have got smart now, told the last caller I do not have a computer because I am too old :-) He was incredulous!Anonymous
February 14, 2011
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February 15, 2011
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February 21, 2011
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February 22, 2011
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March 02, 2011
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March 06, 2011
Just got same call he gave me details saying he was in adelaide and his ph: 0872001700 and his extension 819994 saying my computer was being hacked for my bank details when i dont even use internet banking.Anonymous
March 10, 2011
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March 11, 2011
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March 14, 2011
I've had at least 6 calls over the last two months. All calls are the same "hello Mr ***, I am calling from Microsoft about problems with your computer..." They hang up pretty quick when I tell them I am a Mac user and don't use Microsoft... I am sure the authorities in India could do something about this, even if they are making their calls through VoIP. Perhaps they can 'follow the money', and if they don't have the will then we need to regulate to make transactions (no matter how small) between Australia and India virtually impossible without substantial ID.Anonymous
March 22, 2011
i got called 5 times last night, strung them along. as long as you dont put the 6 digit pin into logmein123 .com its okay, i took all this information i gathered and rang logmein123 .com on 1-800-451-271, they were very interested and are currently working on suspending the accounts that they work through logmein123 .com is a legitimate company for software support and they are being used as a tool to deceive i also called the accc number provided above but they were not aware that the scam is still ongoing and werent interested in an email containing all the information i received. dissapointingAnonymous
March 25, 2011
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March 28, 2011
have had many such calls,last was swearing and abusive when told they were a scam will not get caught out but am fed up with them.Anonymous
April 05, 2011
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April 05, 2011
Had a typical call from"Microsoft" this evening. I am relatively inexperienced with IT but woke up that M'soft would not cold call. What does concern me, is that this call came after I have had ALOT of phone calls to my ISP over the last months - many problems with Wireless I'net modem disconnecting. My ISP has call centres in India etc where these calls all seem to originate from. Is there a connection here? This seems very co-incidental. Fortunately, I sussed this was not kosha and he invited ME to hang up. He knew I was awake to his scam, and was happy to get rid of me!!Anonymous
April 06, 2011
Just had a phone call from "Kevin" of the Microsoft Windows Care Dept.Sydney. He wanted $299 for new warranty when we asked for a phone number to check he rang off.Should I ring the police or do the W.A. police already know of this scam?Anonymous
April 11, 2011
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April 17, 2011
I did get caught in January and then tonight they tried to tell me they'd refund it. How can I be sure they don't still have access to my computer.Anonymous
April 18, 2011
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May 14, 2011
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July 10, 2011
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July 11, 2011
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