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Thread: We have detected a virus on your computer

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    Seriously casual gamer KeyboardDemon's Avatar
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    We have detected a virus on your computer

    We have detected a virus on your computer and if you follow these simple instructions I can help you....
    That's what the indian sounding lady on the phone said to me when she called yesterday.

    I know that this has come up on here many times and that these scams are being run all of the time. What I don't know is if there is a number I could call immediately after getting a scam phone to report the incident and if there is what sort of actions might be taken once the call has been reported. The thing I am most concerned about is that many people won't recognise this as a scam and I would like to help protect the vulnerable if I can, especially if all it takes is a phone call, after all the phone would be in my hand already at that point.

    Can anyone enlighten me?

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    Banhammer in peace PeterB kalniel's Avatar
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    Re: We have detected a virus on your computer

    If they're from outside the UK then you can't. If within, ICO.

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    Re: We have detected a virus on your computer

    What Kal said. At least in theory. In practice, the chances of it resulting in anything happening are so small I'd regard chasing around after it as a waste of my time.

    Hang up, move on, forget it, IMHO.

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    Seriously casual gamer KeyboardDemon's Avatar
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    Re: We have detected a virus on your computer

    Nice one thanks, I found it.

    ICO - Information Commissioner's Office

    The complaints line is on 0303 123 1113

    But alas, I suspect that it was made from a number outside of the UK though but I will give them a call to see what happens.

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    Bah Humbug. Dooms's Avatar
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    Re: We have detected a virus on your computer

    Yeah its crappy. My Dad would (prob has ) fall for that.

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    Re: We have detected a virus on your computer

    Well I spoke to the ICO today and they were saying that there's nothing that can be done on a case by case basis, they log every complaint and then based on the number of complaints a particular company or issue has been getting they make decisions to proceed further with pursuing the offenders. Essentially each complaint is just adding numbers to a database as far as I can tell so these 'Microsoft' call centers have an almost free license to continue at the moment.

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    Re: We have detected a virus on your computer

    Best thing to do is just post this number and inform people on the web.

    Sometimes forums and social networking sites provide most useful; information will fly around.
    "If at first you don't succeed; call it version 1.0" ||| "I'm not interrupting you, I'm putting our conversation in full-duplex mode" ||| "The problem with UDP joke: I don't get half of them"
    "I’d tell you the one about the CIDR block, but you’re too classy" ||| "There’s no place like 127.0.0.1" ||| "I made an NTP joke once. The timing was perfect."
    "In high society, TCP is more welcome than UDP. At least it knows a proper handshake."

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    Gav
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    Re: We have detected a virus on your computer

    I remembered this news article about a guy who set up a premium rate number so he wouldn't get calls like this. He says that now he actively tries to keep them on the line whenever he gets a cold call

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23869462

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    Re: We have detected a virus on your computer

    Quote Originally Posted by Gav View Post
    I remembered this news article about a guy who set up a premium rate number so he wouldn't get calls like this. He says that now he actively tries to keep them on the line whenever he gets a cold call

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23869462
    Nice

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    Re: We have detected a virus on your computer

    Quote Originally Posted by KeyboardDemon View Post
    Nice
    Yes, it is, and I love the slightly lateral thinking involved.

    But .... be sure to read the "warning" section at the bottom of that BBC article in the link. The potential risks are not trivial ..... unfortunately, in this particular case.

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    Re: We have detected a virus on your computer

    Quote Originally Posted by Saracen View Post
    Yes, it is, and I love the slightly lateral thinking involved.

    But .... be sure to read the "warning" section at the bottom of that BBC article in the link. The potential risks are not trivial ..... unfortunately, in this particular case.
    I read that, and then read the guidelines. The whole PhonepayPlus thing is geared at protecting consumers, as in members of the public rather than businesses, from reckless business line operators, not the other way around.

    Of course, it would be a whole lot easier if you could just tell the cost from the dialling code, rather than having many different charges for the same code.

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    Quote Originally Posted by KeyboardDemon View Post
    That's what the indian sounding lady on the phone said to me when she called yesterday.

    I know that this has come up on here many times and that these scams are being run all of the time. What I don't know is if there is a number I could call immediately after getting a scam phone to report the incident and if there is what sort of actions might be taken once the call has been reported. The thing I am most concerned about is that many people won't recognise this as a scam and I would like to help protect the vulnerable if I can, especially if all it takes is a phone call, after all the phone would be in my hand already at that point.

    Can anyone enlighten me?
    Thanks for taking the time to share this information. That was indeed a scam call you got. It's become prevalent recently and it looks like the calls are not stopping any time soon. If you wish to report the scam, go to the FTC website and file an online complaint. They would then investigate on the caller and shut the scam down.

    Quote Originally Posted by mikeo01 View Post
    Best thing to do is just post this number and inform people on the web.

    Sometimes forums and social networking sites provide most useful; information will fly around.
    I agree. It's why I never stop reporting suspicious calls to Callercenter and posting the phone number there. It really helps when we know whose phone call not to accept.

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    Re: We have detected a virus on your computer

    Quote Originally Posted by alexandrapierce View Post
    Thanks for taking the time to share this information. That was indeed a scam call you got. It's become prevalent recently and it looks like the calls are not stopping any time soon. If you wish to report the scam, go to the FTC website and file an online complaint. They would then investigate on the caller and shut the scam down.
    You do realise that this is primarily a UK forum, not a US one, I hope, and that the calls in question were in the UK. Calling the FTC about it is a bit daft, as they have no jurisdiction, and no doubt, no interest at all.

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    Re: We have detected a virus on your computer

    Quote Originally Posted by BobF64 View Post
    I read that, and then read the guidelines. The whole PhonepayPlus thing is geared at protecting consumers, as in members of the public rather than businesses, from reckless business line operators, not the other way around.

    Of course, it would be a whole lot easier if you could just tell the cost from the dialling code, rather than having many different charges for the same code.
    The PhonePayPlus service is indeed geared that way, because that's the way Premium Rate Services ususally work, and indeed, are intended to work.
    Which, presumanly, is why that article quotes them as saying what that enterprising guy is doing is not what those numbers are intended for.

    But the fact remains that if you set up a Premium Rate line, you are a service provider, and while wearing that hat, you are not a consumer, but a business offering a service .... albeit a rather vague one. And that means you're subject to PPP oversight, the Code of Conduct, the duties and obligations, quite possibly (though maybe not initially) the £135 annual registration fee, and to the potential penalties if you don't comply with the Code of Conduct.

    So, it'd be a sad day if someone went into this without their eyes open wide, and ended up getting fined for not registering, or not providing mandatory information, or not providing a complaint process.

    The guy referred to in that article seems pretty bright, and he may well have read all the guidelines, have registered, have paid (if needed) and be fully code-compliant. In which case, good luck to him. As I said, I love the principle of making companies pay me to pester me. Just as long as anyone doing it does it eyes wide open, and doesn't think it's as simple as setting up a number, giving it to loads of companies and telemarketers, and waiting for the calls, and cash, to come rolling in.

    For a start, what type of "service" are they going to offer? General advice? Tech support? "Adult" services? There are some 30 different categories of PRS, and the rules that apply to you (the generic 'you' setting up a Premium number, not you, Bob) differ depending on exactly what 'service' you offer.

    I did actually consider setting up such a number, quite genuinely, for a business service a few years back, but concluded that the hassle wasn't justified. Essentially, I did some consultancy and development work for one of my consultancy customers, and their sub-contractors figured that meant they had 24/7 access to me to answer systems questions .... like at 8pm on a Sunday night, or in one particularly ignorant numpty's case, at about 3am when he was on an overnight job. So I flirted with the idea of using a Premium Rate number for such calls. Getting woken at 3am is more palatable if a 15 minute session costs someone £1.50 a minute. In fact, they can chat on for an hour if they wish.

    But, ultimately, I decided it wasn't worth the trouble and told the company that, after that 3am call, to STOP every field engineer calling me whenever they felt like it, or I'd start billing the company at my usual (including overtime rates for antisocial hours) every time it happened. I'm guessing someone issued instructions, 'cos it stopped happening, and I suspect someone read that 3am idiot the riot act, because he trod very carefully around me for quite a while afterwards.

    Anyway, that gave me reason to look into these numbers quite carefully, but I decided that, for relatively low likely usage, it just wasn't worth the aggravation.

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