ChatterBank20 mins ago
Fraud Alert
17 Answers
Thought someone may benefit from this.
Had a call from a friend last night who had had a call from someone calling themselves something like microsoftsupportline.com
They told them that they had virus alerts from their computer and where there to help. They tricked him into letting them control their computer and it seemed to have a lot of viruses - they then asked for money.
He hung up - I investigated and found the rebsite was registerred - no surprise - in Africa
Scam is a bit like this
http://www.digitaltoa...ick-systemrecure-scam
Thing is coming up to Christmas if they can get a trojan onto lots of computers they will harvest lots of credit card details
IF YOU GET UNSOLICITED TECH SUPPORT CALLS HANG UP
Had a call from a friend last night who had had a call from someone calling themselves something like microsoftsupportline.com
They told them that they had virus alerts from their computer and where there to help. They tricked him into letting them control their computer and it seemed to have a lot of viruses - they then asked for money.
He hung up - I investigated and found the rebsite was registerred - no surprise - in Africa
Scam is a bit like this
http://www.digitaltoa...ick-systemrecure-scam
Thing is coming up to Christmas if they can get a trojan onto lots of computers they will harvest lots of credit card details
IF YOU GET UNSOLICITED TECH SUPPORT CALLS HANG UP
Answers
Best Answer
No best answer has yet been selected by jake-the-peg. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.This is becoming more and more common and has been reported on a number of forums.
I have had 3 calls like this myself.
Note if they had control of his computer they may well have stolen personal information as they will have had access to his hard disk. In fact they may still HAVE control of his computer.
NEVER let anybody take control of your computer, no matter who they say they are.
Dont give them ANY information, just tell them to f**k off and put the phone down.
I have had 3 calls like this myself.
Note if they had control of his computer they may well have stolen personal information as they will have had access to his hard disk. In fact they may still HAVE control of his computer.
NEVER let anybody take control of your computer, no matter who they say they are.
Dont give them ANY information, just tell them to f**k off and put the phone down.
My friend got this and they told him to follow certain steps and they were leading him to tell them his computer's IP Address. After a few minutes they said "Now open that window and read me what it says. Having not followed any of instructions he said its says "Mac OSX 10.6 Snow Leopard" . The fraudster was not amused
Macs are definately not immune from security vulnerabilities Grommit!
http://www.technewswo.../must-read/50287.html
Mac users are particularly vulnerble because they have tendency to sit back and smugly think they're immune
http://www.technewswo.../must-read/50287.html
Mac users are particularly vulnerble because they have tendency to sit back and smugly think they're immune
There are no viruses in the we for OSX. That is why if someone phoned and said they had detected a Virus on their computer, and they were running a Mac, they would instantly know it was a con. In my friends case, he strung along the the fraudster , who said there was a virus, but went through the processors for navigating to his IP number in Windoze. He kept him on the phone for ten minutes before revealing he was using a Mac.
As for Mac users being more vulnerable, that is pure tosh, the numbers speak for themselves.
As for Mac users being more vulnerable, that is pure tosh, the numbers speak for themselves.
ChuckFickens
That should have read,
"There are no viruses in the wild for OSX. (there are theoretical ones in the lab, but non have been distributed and got into the Mac using community.)"
If you dispute that, I hope you can supply a reference to a Mac OSX virus that has taken hold (and please don't try and shift to malware or other vunerabilities).
That should have read,
"There are no viruses in the wild for OSX. (there are theoretical ones in the lab, but non have been distributed and got into the Mac using community.)"
If you dispute that, I hope you can supply a reference to a Mac OSX virus that has taken hold (and please don't try and shift to malware or other vunerabilities).
also, given that the latest update for OSx had patches for well over 100 security vulnerabilities I think it's a little narrow minded to say macs do not get viruses, sure they are not targeted anywhere near as much as windows based computers, but the vulnerabilities are there and as there have been at least 2 reported mac viruses in the last few years I don't think giving the impression that macs are invulnerable to viruses is a good idea.
Incidentally, I use Linux at home on all my computers and I don't think Linux is impervious to viruses either, just like OSx, it's a lot lot more secure than windows, but you still have to be careful.
Incidentally, I use Linux at home on all my computers and I don't think Linux is impervious to viruses either, just like OSx, it's a lot lot more secure than windows, but you still have to be careful.
Gromit viruses are a form of malware - they are generall in decline compared to the flood of trojans out there.
Vulnerabilities are often used to install password and credit card stealing torjans so to exclude them is misleading
Safari has had a wealth of vulnerabilities
http://threatpost.com...erability-list-110909
Firefox was top with 44% followed by Safari on 35% in last years stats.
things like this
http://www.zdnet.com/...-backdoor-tool/251586
This is the Mac fake-alert
http://www.zdnet.com....us-tool-339285176.htm
I wasn't the target of this attack - I don't believe my friend was ex-directory but I've since heard of people being called who were.
But then victims details are often bought and sold
Vulnerabilities are often used to install password and credit card stealing torjans so to exclude them is misleading
Safari has had a wealth of vulnerabilities
http://threatpost.com...erability-list-110909
Firefox was top with 44% followed by Safari on 35% in last years stats.
things like this
http://www.zdnet.com/...-backdoor-tool/251586
This is the Mac fake-alert
http://www.zdnet.com....us-tool-339285176.htm
I wasn't the target of this attack - I don't believe my friend was ex-directory but I've since heard of people being called who were.
But then victims details are often bought and sold
Always the same. Say there are no Mac viruses and you get people saying there are dozens, then go on about trojans and malware which are totally different.
ChuckFickens
I said "There are no viruses in the wild for OSX. (there are theoretical ones in the lab, but non have been distributed and got into the Mac using community.)"
You reply with one built in a lab as a demo which has not got into the wild. From your own link: Inqtana.A is a Java based proof of concept bluetooth worm. It has not been met in the wild.
ChuckFickens
I said "There are no viruses in the wild for OSX. (there are theoretical ones in the lab, but non have been distributed and got into the Mac using community.)"
You reply with one built in a lab as a demo which has not got into the wild. From your own link: Inqtana.A is a Java based proof of concept bluetooth worm. It has not been met in the wild.