Scams

[Mike Null]

As old as I am, I should know better but I allowed myself to get drawn into the Windows Defender scam. Before I was into it very long I suspected foul play but I had let them into my computer. Fortunately, I became quite contentious and I think, they might have been a little scared. In any event they didn't get any money so far.

But I have closed my business bank account and cancelled my credit cards. It cost me $75 for new business checks and several hours of inconvenience and I suspect it will cost another $75 for my computer guy to clean up the new pc.

In any event I'd thought I'd share this as a reminder to be vigilant with your computers, cell phones etc. Good luck.

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

Good for you for listening to your gut feeling. That's great you have someone to clean up your computer for you. Even if you became contentious, they still had access to your computer and will continue to try to extract whatever data they can. They may try to continue to call and pester you for weeks to come.

A dear friend of mine became a victim to that same scam. She knew better due to all the years of me being a former computer tech to be cautious, but they worded things in a way that she believed them. She even kept telling them she wanted to conference me in the call and they knew the right things to say to trick her. By the time she became really wary and hung up with them and called me, they had already triggered a LARGE transfer from her bank account. Thankfully the bank flagged it as suspicious. I cleaned out a lot of intrusive software from her laptop and she continued to receive calls & emails for months.

My LOML and I set up my 80 year old mother-in-law with an ipad since all she does is surf the internet and use email. She still receives random "Windows alerts" while surfing on her ipad, but when she calls us to say she has another virus alert, we can tell her that she does not have Windows and she can close that alert.

[Rob Damon]

This is why decades ago I started using Visa giftcards with just enough loaded on the card for one months payment only. if it ends up being a scam they don't get access to any of my accounts. If it is legit but ends being not something worth it, I don't have to worry about cancelling it.

[Ronald Blue]

So for everyone's benefit what took place? I'm not familiar with this scam and I'm probably not alone. Did it come in a phishing email? Sorry this happened to you Mike.

[Jim Koepke]

The way things are now, every phone solicitor or email from Microsoft or Apple is not only suspect, it is treated as a scam.

There isn't anyone at Microsoft monitoring your computer. Same for Apple, no one monitoring your iPhone, iPad or iPod either.

If there is a software update, it is easy enough to go to the web site of the appropriate company and download it from there.

jtk

[Jim Becker]

Mike, make sure you change all your passwords, etc., including with your email and saved website information. They had access to that stuff, too. Bummer about the situation, but "this too shall pass"...

[Dave Zellers]

Mike, make sure you change all your passwords, etc.

Yes- sooner rather than later. Today it's really important to never use the same password for more than one account. I type about 20 characters of gibberish and keep them all in a db. Yes it means I have to look up my password every time but it also means peace of mind.

[Myk Rian]

I gave one guy the numbers from an Autozone card. It had a couple bucks on it. :D

[Tim Janssen]

What's a db?
Thanks,

Tim

[Bill Dufour]

My wife's phone just caught a virus and was unusable. Constantly downloading porn etc so no way to use it since it was too busy to answer keyboard commands. I guess they get paid per click fro mthos esites.
Bill D

[Tom Stenzel]

What's a db?
Thanks,

Tim

I would think a database.

I keep my passwords in plain text files on two thumb drives. The info isn't kept on an online machine.

-Tom

[Dave Zellers]

I would think a database.

Yes, thanks. And sorry for being cryptic.

Just makes it easier to zoom in.

[Chuck Wintle]

As old as I am, I should know better but I allowed myself to get drawn into the Windows Defender scam. Before I was into it very long I suspected foul play but I had let them into my computer. Fortunately, I became quite contentious and I think, they might have been a little scared. In any event they didn't get any money so far.

But I have closed my business bank account and cancelled my credit cards. It cost me $75 for new business checks and several hours of inconvenience and I suspect it will cost another $75 for my computer guy to clean up the new pc.

In any event I'd thought I'd share this as a reminder to be vigilant with your computers, cell phones etc. Good luck.

So how does the Defender scam initiate itself? Is it a download?

[Mike Null]

It is a quite official looking email.

Microsoft Account


Invoice Id: WIN48974984-52942
Customer Id: 112598811
mn@

Thu, September 16th 2021

Invoice Details

Product
Microsoft Defender Protection
Description
1 Year Subscription

Amount
$399.00

User-Centric Accessibility
Your Subscription Of Microsoft defender is successful. It will help you protect your system from unwanted malicious application.

If this purchase is not done by you or you think some unauthorized person is using your account please contact our Customer care representative +1 (845) 212-2628.

If Purchase is not done by you amount will be refunded back to your account after customer care representative confirm your details. Please contact customer care representative within 48 hours.
thank you



© 2021 Copyright Reserved




I was unable to copy and paste the email but it is a professionally designed notice in color.

US Bank is trying to be helpful but they are annoying me in the process. I also have to unlock my info at the credit reporting companies which I locked several years back. That's temporary but annoying considering USB has all my business and I don't carry balances on my cc's.

I changed my banking pw's the same day and cancelled the cc's. where I am using cc's for subscriptions or purchases I will use a new pw and cc.

[Chuck Wintle]

It is a quite official looking email.

Microsoft Account


Invoice Id: WIN48974984-52942
Customer Id: 112598811
mn@

Thu, September 16th 2021

Invoice Details

Product
Microsoft Defender Protection
Description
1 Year Subscription

Amount
$399.00

User-Centric Accessibility
Your Subscription Of Microsoft defender is successful. It will help you protect your system from unwanted malicious application.

If this purchase is not done by you or you think some unauthorized person is using your account please contact our Customer care representative +1 (845) 212-2628.

If Purchase is not done by you amount will be refunded back to your account after customer care representative confirm your details. Please contact customer care representative within 48 hours.
thank you



© 2021 Copyright Reserved



Official perhaps but the grammar is very bad which should be the tip off for the user that it is not legit. :D

[Mike Null]

Chuck
You are correct but I was so infuriated when I read the thing that I responded. As I said, I should have known better.

[Richard Hart]

And Defender is free and part of Windows so a paid anything should've been a red flag.

[Jim Koepke]

© 2021 Copyright Reserved

A notice of a charge is Copyrighted?

My first step would have been to log on to my account to see if this charge had been made.

The very last thing, would have been to contact the people who sent this, like as in NEVER.

jtk

[Kev Williams]

It is a quite official looking email....I was unable to copy and paste the email but it is a professionally designed notice in color.


take screenshots of the email and post the pics--

[Mike Null]

Kev here it is in pieces.465090465091

Clearly, I should have been suspicious at the least. This was no fun to post but I thought it might nudge some unsuspecting soul to be alert.

[Doug Garson]

I think the reality is, in this day and age, the average 14 year old kid could produce something that looks professional designed, and if they passed English class, without the poor grammar.

[Jim Becker]

The real scam here is that Windows Defender is...free...

But even the language in that email is a clear indication it didn't come from a native English speaker. :)

[Derek Meyer]

The first thing I noticed was the sender's email address. Anything legit from Microsoft would never come from a gmail address.

[Myk Rian]

official perhaps but the grammar is very bad which should be the tip off for the user that it is not legit.
^^^^this^^^^

[Rich Engelhardt]

The first thing I noticed was the sender's email address. Anything legit from Microsoft would never come from a gmail address.

Yep. Always check the email source to see if it's from anywhere close to what you would expect.

[Mike Null]

Jaka

Welcome to SMC. The pictures were of a scam email that I opened and responded to. My bad.

You can join as a contributor for as little as $6.00 per year and that will provide some other benefits including posting and viewing pictures.

[Brian Deakin]

A scam email I regularly receive in the United Kingdom has the sender

Order confirmation

[Jim Koepke]

Howdy Jaka and welcome to the Creek.

jtk

[Bill Dufour]

Jaka welcome to the club and make sure to check the off topic string on "some levity. That will take your mind off scams.
Bill D

[Rollie Meyers]

I have received that email & it had me worried but checked my CC's, & bank accounts, and found nothing so just let it go as another scam attempt.