"computer error" Indian telephone scamer...

[Siliconous Skumins]

So I had a telephone call early this morning, at 08:55am - now this call came through on my VOIP number, and I can see caller ID, so I had a suspicion of what was about to occur. 

Sure enough it was the typical "Hello I'm calling about your Windows computer which is indicating there are errors and..." run-on sentence type of call. Well, I had plenty of time to kill, and I decided to have some fun - just how long will one of these scammers stay on hold...? 


<start of call, hello etc.>
Me: Uh, yeah great! I need this computer for my business, and it's been really slow and crashing all the time...
Scam: Yes we are have been receiving errors from your PC are you in front of your PC now sir?
Me: Uh...no, I'm talking on the phone....
scam: can you press"Start" then select...
Me: Uhm, you want me to switch on my PC?
Scam: ...Yes....and then press...
Me: OK, just gimme a minute I need to go through to the office - I'm self employed so I gotta shut up the shop first - two seconds............. Can I just put you on hold?
Scam: Are you going to your computer?
Me: yeah, I'll just be a sec, I'll just put you on hold while I transfer to the other office phone...
scam: Ok... I will <*click* as I cut them off mid sentance and play some cheesy musac to them on hold>

Me: <puts phone down, makes cup of tea...grabs a bite to eat...>

This is a VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) phone line they are calling, the number is a geographic number in the UK, but it's actually a number block reserved for things like VOIP. So they don't know it's not a real landline phone. This also allows me to play all sorts of mischief as I can twiddle with things, pace them on hold, transfer to other lines etc. The system runs on my computer, so I can also inject random sound effects over the phone. 

Scamer now on hold for  nearly 20 minutes.

Scam:........Sir are you at your PC?...........sir?....
Me: Yeah, sorry about that, I had to close the shop as I don't have any employees. Man! I'm glad you called, this computer thing has been driving me crazy, I really don't know the first thing about fixing them.... <take the bait!!>
Scam: <sounding more confident and smelling blood in the water> Ok sir is you PC on - you are running Windows operating system XP, Vista, or Windows 7 correct?
Me: Yeah...
Scam:......Are you running XP, Vista OR widows 7??
Me: Yeah that's right...
Scam: Sir I am asking if you are running version windows XP Vista or Severn!
Me: Yeah, it's Windows!
Scam:....Sir I need to if you are running windows XP, Vista or Severn!
Me: .....Yeah it's a Windows PC, Oh!, do you mean which version it is?? - It's Uhm....windows......um...Ecxp Home....! <I pronounce X P as "Ecxp"> 
Scam:...I.......Ok sir I need you to press the stat button and <drags on conversation>...


This goes on for several minutes, has me do the usual "fault finding" in Event Viewer etc... All the usual bullshit about downloading viruses and internet errors. Also tried to prove they could view these errors by showing me my computer ID as proof:
Scam: Ok sir give click to Start and do you now see the options to Run?
Me: ....ah...Yep

Scam Ok now giving single left click on run then sir you be finding a small box call open and near open there will be a white box with the black cursor is blinking...

Me: Uh..... yeah...
Scam: Ok sir I am going to be showing you the ID number of your computer that we have recording off your computer is correct or incorrect that I see on my screen? <I have no idea what this means!>

Me: Uh-huh....?
Scam: Ok sir now if you can put in the box the C M D of the keyboard and clinking the "OK"...

ME: .....OK.
Scam: Ok sir now you can see your computer name on the box is that correct name of you?

Me: Uh yeeahhh.... isn't this the old DOS operating system?
Scam: ......er... if you now seeing the cursor white flashing yes?

Me: Yeah...
Scam: now be typing the A S S O C keys of the keyboard into the box... and pressing the enter key. You are now be seeing the list of files correc?

Me: Ok...Yeah there is a long list of files whizzing past...
Scam: Ok sir when the files have stopped the loading procedure you will seeing the second last line of the list at the ed of the line it says "CLSID  888DCA60  FC0A  11CF  8F0F  00C04FD7D062" correct?

Me Yeah!... <OMG How could they possibly know - It must be true!.......NOT>
Scam: Yes this is the computer ID I see on my screen with errors and this is being your computer.

For those who do not know, the CLSID number is the same on ALL installations of XP, everyone has the same number!:
CLSID\{888DCA60-FC0A-11CF-8F0F-00C04FD7D062}   (go ahead, check it out on your computer!     )
A simple trick that would convince most people who know little about how computers really work... 
Now that "proof" of the 'correct error riddled computer' being mine has been given, A new tangent begins - the fix!


Scam: Sir Now in you internet explorer bar type in the address wwwXXXXXXXXXXXXX .net ....
Me:...OK...was that . N E T, yes?...

A .net address - how cheap! A .net address which is also a redirect to logmein123<dot>com, which is a bit of remote access software that allows the scammer to use my computer like they are sitting at the actual keyboard (actually it allows GREATER control than that..). Google throws up a whole load of results related to these phone scams using this address...

So anyhow, I have no intention of taking this any further and start making my excuses (slow internet etc.), and finally it's a "slow install" because my computer is "a bit buggy, hence their call...". At this point I've wasted about 15 to 20 minutes of their time, So I trigger some sound effects on my computer that can be heard over the phone - somebody delivering a package, someone entering the 'shop' because I forgot to lock up again, and finally a telephone call on the other line (computer is supposedly about 50% way through install at this point, so they are not keen to give up just yet!!). I tell them I have to put them on hold, which I do and then promptly get back to them that I need to urgently take this call, and would they mind if I put them on hold until I finish - and they agree!    They smell the blood and are circling the water!... Heheh! 

So I leave them on Hold, and basically ignore the call until they give up. This takes over an HOUR before they give up, BUT THEY CALL RIGHT BACK!!  At which point I apologise, say the call was hung up on their side when I went back to them, and they are naturally happy enough to continue to help me (aww how nice of them....). I then do the same thing again, phone call > hold > ignore call... They waited another 45 Minutes before hanging up. 


I'm just waiting for them to call back - and I *KNOW* they will, if not today, then sometime in the next few days. And guess what I plan to do..... yup - HOLD! 

SS

[von Corax]

I must admit I really admire people who have the patience to scambait like this.

[Professor Phineas Brownsm]

haha brilliant

[Augustus Longeye]

These type of calls make me incredibly angry
I must applaud you for this, think of it as a public service! Every minute they're trying to get you to install their virus, they can't be trying the same trick on someone who doesn't know better. You're doing good work
~Longeye~

[bicyclebuilder]

Being a noob with computers, but not a complete idiot:
After the first introduction of "Hello I'm calling about your Windows computer which is indicating there are errors and..." I would say:"where did you get this number?" My phonenumber isn't linked to my computer, is it?
The question:"Are you running XP, Vista OR widows 7??".... Hey, you're calling me, right? There's something supposudly wrong with my pc, you should know what version I use.
I think the first simple questions are to filter the noobs from the complete idiots. Ofcourse, there is the element of surprise what throws people off guard, I guess. When being scammed in any way, you never know how you would react. It might sound logical, but when you think about it afterwards, you see what happens.

[Siliconous Skumins]

What makes these types of scam work, is the simple fact that in general people will listen and follow directions of ANYONE who sounds like they are confident / know what they are doing. If you *sound* authoritative that is usually enough for people to do what you ask. I've practiced "social engineering" a few times, and it's amazing what you can get people to do without question - as long as you sound like *what they expect to hear*, they will obey.
It's the same trick with wearing a high visibility jacket, work boots and a clipboard and wandering around places your not supposed to be in - Look like you supposed to be there and no one will question it.

It's pretty much the Milgram experiment in action...


So far I've had no call back from the scammers, but I expect they will call again soon enough.    I wonder if I could start social engineering THEM into doing what *I* want..... 
Maybe get them to "test the earth continuity" of the power socket under their desk....with a metal object such as a key...  (OK that's maybe a bit too cruel......maybe)

SS

[Augustus Longeye]

Maybe the earthing the mains is a bit much... but then again......
Well, I read a blog a little while back where the "would be scammed one" reversed the whole thing, with a little work (and some slightly unethical applications of knowledge) managed to bring up their own systems and wiped EVERYTHING he found.
Maybe that too is a bit far, but what about a gentle "prod" of "stop it"-ness?
~Longeye~

[Captain Lyerly]

Considering that these scammers do exactly that to unsuspecting innocents every day and get paid for it, NO that wasn't too far.

It would not be too far to track down the specific address and name of the individual and turn that over to Interpol; physical violence against their person would be considered well within the bounds of reason by many who have been victims of these sub-humans.


Z

[Professor J. Cogsworthy]

Maybe the earthing the mains is a bit much... but then again......
Well, I read a blog a little while back where the "would be scammed one" reversed the whole thing, with a little work (and some slightly unethical applications of knowledge) managed to bring up their own systems and wiped EVERYTHING he found.
Maybe that too is a bit far, but what about a gentle "prod" of "stop it"-ness?
~Longeye~

\


Do you remember the link?... I think that reading that might be amusing....

[Augustus Longeye]

You know since writing that I've been looking for the blasted thing high and low! I thought it might be amusing to stick it up, but for the life of me I can't find it
If I do I'll be sure to put it here.
~Longeye~

[bassspine]

...and after about fifteen minutes, just after finally pretending to be running XP on an Apple, hearing the caller mutter 'loser' as he hung up was reward enough...

[Siliconous Skumins]

I'm still waiting for a call back. Hope they haven't blacklisted me... 

SS

[Maets]

We had been getting  6-10 calls a week from a credit card company looking to "save" us lots of money.  For years I would just hang up, but when called recently I tried another approach.  I selected 1 to get a person.  A man came on:

Caller:  Hello this is Bob, who am I talking to?
Me: (In my best old lady voice) Johnny is that you?  Why don't you call me more often?  Johnny, when are you coming over?
Caller: No, this is.
Me: Oh, Johnny you should call me more often.
Caller: mutters something then click.

They haven't called since.

[Mister P]

...and after about fifteen minutes, just after finally pretending to be running XP on an Apple, hearing the caller mutter 'loser' as he hung up was reward enough...

Or running 64Bit Linux and telling the muppet on the other end that he had crashed my browser with his remote access download. Spent the next 30 minutes or so with him guiding me through setting up some other half baked download - Kept giving him all the debug info from Wine each time it bombed which just screwed his piggy little brain. Eventually got bored, so I told him to go and learn about real computers and find a proper job.

[J. Wilhelm]

My last Email in these wee hours of the morning:



"BLACKBERRY CORPORATIONS"

Congratulations! your Email ID has won the sum of $500,000.00 USD in this years Blackberry Promo Award. Contact your claim agent in person, Mr. Cheng PORN via Email with your details which are listed below for your MTCN code....

Name:
Address:
Tell:

Mr. Cheng Porn
obscure Email address
Western Union Payment Officer
Western Union's URL

[Augustus Longeye]

I wonder if he's big in adult entertainment. With a name like that it would be too good an opportunity to miss.
~Longeye~

[J. Wilhelm]

I'm too lazy to follow up and scam the scammer, but I read this sometime ago and I could not stop laughing: How to deal with the African scammers.  The Story: "banker" Frank Udeze meets Paul Bunyan, Jessee James and Pacos Bill ("Pecos" is misspelled; all names come from American folklore)

http://www.scamorama.com/bunyan.html

[akumabito]

Found this on wimp.com today:

http://www.wimp.com/securityresearcher/