Victim Location 44117
Type of a scam Tech Support
After purchasing a laptop on 14 April 2018, I went home to set-up the computer. I was not able to install Microsoft Office 365 on the laptop using the key card I purchased.
When Office would not load, help desk numbers for the US, UK and Australia popped up on my screen, I called the US number (1-844-777-7886) and the phone was answered by a man who spoke with a Indian/Pakastani accent and he told me his name was "Robert Brown" and how could he assist. I told him the key card I bought to load Microsoft Office was not allowing me to load office. He then asked if he could shadow my computer. Once he did this, a box reading "Robert Brown" and the 1-844 number popped up on my screen.
He asked me how long I had the computer, I told him I just bought it within the last 2 hours. He asked me to type in the Microsoft key code again, and the key code did not work. He kept asking me how long had I owed the computer and if it had security software set-up on it.
He then kept badgering me about how long I had the computer and that I was not able to load office because I had no security/virus protection on my computer. He then was able to access my wi-fi and told me that my wi-fi had been assessed by multiple threats. He asked me how many devices run on my wi-fi, I told him my old laptop, which has not been used in over a month, not logged on and not plugged in. I have a Kindle, but I didn’t tell him, it runs on my wi-fi, as well.
He asked me if I use my laptop to pay bills, do banking, etc. and I told him ‘sometimes" but not within the last month. He showed me a screen where numbers were decreasing on one side of the screen field and increasing on the other. He told me that this is the count of threats that have been received from my wi-fi. And that the number of threats was so high, that is why I wasn’t able to load Office on the laptop.
I told him that I didn’t understand what he was doing and I was uncomfortable with him continuing to have remote access from my computer. He told me that I didn’t have to "be rude" and that he was trying to help me. I told him that this is a new computer, and I have set-up computers before, and have not been spoken to rudely by customer service reps, I didn’t think that what he was doing was correct, I told him that I wanted to end the call, he laughed and told me that he "was from Al Queda."
The next time I turned on my computer to try to complete the set-up process, my security settings had been changed and I was leery about typing in any information, because I wasn’t sure if he had put malware or other remote spyware on my computer. I will follow up with AT&T regarding the security of my wi-fi and ask them to remotely check my computer.
This 1-844-777-7886 number is used by many software, electronic and computer manufacturers as a third-party customer service provider. I ‘googled’ the number, and it is used by Netflix, Avast, Microsoft, Trend Micro, Quikbooks, etc. to name a few.
I would recommend to consumers if they are experiencing any issues with electronics, computers, online services, streaming services, etc. to call their provider directly and not use 1-844-777-7886.
Victim Location 83712
Type of a scam Fake Check/Money Order
I have been selling furniture on Craigslist in preparation for a move. I have had several text responses from several different people offering to purchase my furniture and send a check to me for over the amount I asked for so that the buyer could arrange for a shipper and that extra money would be used to pay the shipper. I did actually receive a check from one person in the amount of $1,950.00 to pay for a used bed I was selling for $300.00. I did not cash the check as I figured out that this was most likely a scam of some sort. I don’t know what would have happened if I cashed the check – but each time I had one of these offers, they told me to cash the check, and that it would take 1 to 2 days for it to clear and then I was to take the cash and pay the shipper. I have a copy of the check and the envelope they used to mail it to me. Isn’t this mail fraud? What does the scammer gain if I cash the check?