New scam - They call you by phone! Options

[petef]

I'm in the computer service business and today I got a call from
one of my customers saying that a man with an Indian accent
called telling her that her computer was running slow, and trying
to scare her into buying "malware protection" for about $55.
When he started asking for her credit card number she got
suspicious and told him she had to call her computer tech first.
I am here computer tech.

The guy on the phone said his name was Max Dawson
gave her two phone numbers... 781-452-0714 and
347-289-3770.

I googled both phone numbers and the second number
resulted in people telling a similar story and how it's a scam.

My customer called me a second time and said the same
person called, he knew her name and he said he was from
Malwarebytes. I'm not 100% sure of this Malwarebytes
name used becasue my customer could not even
pronnounce it properly. I believe he used the name
"malware", but I'm not so sure he said Malwarebytes.

I did install the free version of Malwarebytes on her
computer several months ago.

Does Malwarebytes call people that have the free version
installed trying to sell them the pay version, or is this
thing a scam?

---pete---

[exile360]

Total scam. Malwarebytes' does not solicit sales by phone.

[petef]

Total scam. Malwarebytes' does not solicit sales by phone.

Thank you. I will relay that to my customer.

The really odd thing is this. She called me last night saying that her
PC would not shut down. I had her shut it usiing the power button
and it seemed to fix the problem. Then today she calls me with this
phone call issue. I told her it's just a coincidence and that's probably
all it was. I'm mentioning it here just in case the same exact thing
happens to someone else. If that happens it might be a clue that
some new kind of malware is harvesting phone numbers direclty
from the user's PC and then creates a bug to make the PC
malfiunction. That pretty far fetched, but you know that it is
technically possible, so we have to consider it.

---pete---

[John L. Galt]

I just spent 10 minutes on the phone trying to get to Max because "I have a problem only he can handle." The 'operator' said hold on, and went to go find him (basically telling his co workers then his supervisor that someone was calling for Max. Finally someone else got on and asked if he could help me - he had a rushed Indian accented English and slurred his words a lot, but thankfully I am Indian myself

So, I put him through the paces of sweating on the phone for 5 minutes trying to get me to tell him what my problem was, and finally I started getting evil - I asked when I could speak to Max, and he told me he'll be back later, try my call in the afternoon. So I asked when was that, and he said he should be in between 12 and 8, 12 PM and 8 PM. SO, then I asked when exactly that was, and he asked what time was it here? I replied, No, I asked you, I don't know the current time - so he then said call back in 6-8 hours. Since it is 1:30 AM, 6-8 hours my time would be roughly 9 AM - so if he is only 3 hours ahead of me he's either in Brazil or the middle to the damn ocean....

I then decide to play even meaner, and asked where he was calling from, and after refusing twice I complained about the excessive noise in the background (I could hear no less than 5 distinct voices on other phones talking to other people), but then he said I have reached the tech office - when I asked him to repeat himself, his pitch increase nearly a decade and he repeated the tech office, the central tech office. I then decide to elevate my decibel level and told him in no uncertain terms my real (Indian) name and that I was surprised that he did not want to answer my questions, since he was so interested in helping me out just a short while ago.

After about a 10 second pause, he said that since I wanted to speak with Max, and that I did not want him helping me, it would be better if I spoke with Max.

I have not laughed so hard in my life!!!! Thank goodness for free nights and weekends. Verizon rocks!

Anyone care to have me get the other tel# as well? I can even do a fake Indian accent and keep them rolling for 20 minutes or more....

Enjoy the carnage

[Sparsha]

its a scam from supportonclick com

They have MBAM listed on their site and also links to https://www.cleverbridge.com/342/?affiliate...;scope=checkout

/edit dint see John's post

John here is the entire list of ph no they have posted on the site:

781 452 0714 (USA)
347 289 3770(USA)
212 796 0581
16468849561 (USA) Newyork
647 722 8426(Canada)
01274 - 900 834(UK)
2801 475 93(Australia)

Domain Name: SUPPORTONCLICK.COM
Registrar: DIRECTI INTERNET SOLUTIONS PVT. LTD. D/B/A PUBLICDOMAINREGISTRY.COM

any surprise to see DIRECTI ????

[petef]

I have not laughed so hard in my life!!!! Thank goodness for free nights and weekends. Verizon rocks!

That's great!
I was afraid to call anyof those numbers because caller ID might
put me on their call list and I'd get too many calls from them or
others like them.

I can relate to the fun you had with that phone call becasue I
sometimes play similar games with telemarketers that call
my business phone. We should record the calls and sell them
as entertainment/comedy CDs on eBay.

---pete---

[John L. Galt]

Yanno, I didn't even think about recording the call....

I called from m cell, so that may make the recording hard - but I'll figure out something....

[petef]

its a scam from supportonclick com

They have MBAM listed on their site......

any surprise to see DIRECTI ????

I just checked their site and it appears to be a legitimate pc tech support
site that is affiliated with Malwarebytes. Is it possible that they provide
legitmate tech support and sell you legitimate Malwarebytes software,
but they are using unethical marketing techniques? Or.. is this a total
scam and you get ripped off on anything you pay for from them?

Also, can you explain what is DIRECTI ?

---pete---

[John L. Galt]

Since this seems to have died a small death, let me add that Max has tried *desperately* to get in touch with me, but his number always comes up as unavailable.

I am through with tests for the week, so I am going to play some more tomorrow.

slightly {OT} - how can I easily record the conversation I have with Max on my cell phone?

[CharlesT]

That's great!
I was afraid to call anyof those numbers because caller ID might
put me on their call list and I'd get too many calls from them or
others like them.

I can relate to the fun you had with that phone call becasue I
sometimes play similar games with telemarketers that call
my business phone. We should record the calls and sell them
as entertainment/comedy CDs on eBay.

---pete---

Hello,

In the USA when calling from a cell phone and you dont want your number reveilved dial *67 before the number and it blocks your number from showing up in their caller ID , used it personally, proven and done actually it may work from any phone but cell phones for sure and as far as I know its free , I never have been charged but then I dont use *67 all that often.

[RubbeR DuckY]

I just read this forum post and I terribly apologize for not getting here quicker. Their affiliate account has been TERMINATED. Their personal information has been forwarded to my lawyer. I will be investigating which users were scammed into buying our product and will be giving FULL refunds to those who have and personal apologies.

We don't do business at Malwarebytes like this.

[exile360]

I knew you guys weren't cool with this type of behaviour and I'm glad you stepped in to clear this up and that you're taking the appropriate actions.

One more Byte taken out of the bad guys

[CharlesT]

I agree with thats good news Rubber Ducky , cool to hear that Malwarebytes takes this approach to those like that ,, and agree with exile360 could not have said it any better phrased!

[~BD~]

I just read this forum post and I terribly apologize for not getting here quicker. Their affiliate account has been TERMINATED. Their personal information has been forwarded to my lawyer. I will be investigating which users were scammed into buying our product and will be giving FULL refunds to those who have and personal apologies.

We don't do business at Malwarebytes like this.

Thanks for your post, Marcin.

As someone has referred to Cleverbridge earlier in this thread and it rang a bell, please can you explain why Malwarebytes charges VAT on product purchase at 19% when the current rate is only 15% here in the UK?

This link refers https://www.cleverbridge.com/342/?affiliate...;scope=checkout

The cost *is* shown in Pounds sterling (£)

Dave

[RubbeR DuckY]

Dave,

That is a question cleverbridge can only answer. It has something to do with their main headquarters being in Germany so they charge a higher VAT.

[MysteryFCM]

I've taken the liberty of adding them to hpHosts

http://hosts-file.net/?s=supportonclick.com

[YoKenny1]

I have submitted the site to McAfee SiteAdvisor:
http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/supportonclick.com

Maybe more comments there will awaken the slumbering Giant from its after dinner nap to include it in its bogus system support identification?

[Shell]

I have just had the wierdest call, from someone at support on click.

He did indeed have an accent (couldn't tell what kind, I'm not too good at accents) and he was extremely rude when I asked to to repeat something because I didn't catch it the first time. He said he got my name and number from "the international router" which keeps "all the names and addresses from every computer in the world". I didn't believe this for a second. He said my computer was infected with really bad malware, to confirm this he had me check my prefetch folder - if there were more than 5 files in here I was seriously screwed, apparently. While doing this I looked online to check what the prefetch folder *should* have in it - there is no limit of how many files it should legitimately have. He also claimed they should all be exe files, and not pf files. Apparently, in order to solve this problem, I needed to allow remote access to my computer and one of their "scientists" would fix it. He was extremely hostile, when I kept asking questions he said I was wasting his extremely valuble time - he was also a "scientist" - never mind that he called me. He also called me an e-terrorist, said he would report me to the world wide website department of cybercrime, he would forward a complaint to the http office (I told him that http was a language protocol) and that they would report me to the police for being an e-terrorist and I was to expect action at my home this evening at 5pm.

Normally, I would shrug this off as being an obvious scam, but I am worried on a couple of counts - 1st where did they get my name, address and telephone number from (luckily we have just moved, and he had my old address, but we haven't moved far as we kept the same phone number...), as I have never had anything to do with support on click before, and haven't given my address and phone number to any online pages... I've also since tried to run various malware removing programs, just in case, and every single one stops half way through and the program shuts down - which is worrying me. I have tried the one from microsoft - the Malicious Software Removal Tool, I have tried SUPERantispyware, and Comodo BOClean. I am now downloading the free trial version of malware bytes, and I'm running a full system scan with avast anti-virus, which is installed on my computer. The other thing is I would mention a similarity between my case and the first one on here - the last time I went on my computer it would not shut down, and I had to use the power button to get it to switch off. Now, an hour or so after I turn it on again, I get this phone call. So I am a bit worried. I've searched online, and can't find anywhere else discussing this as a scam at all, so I was hoping someone here may have more information than me.

Thanks!

Shell

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[limoman]

I just read this forum post and I terribly apologize for not getting here quicker. Their affiliate account has been TERMINATED. Their personal information has been forwarded to my lawyer. I will be investigating which users were scammed into buying our product and will be giving FULL refunds to those who have and personal apologies.

We don't do business at Malwarebytes like this.

I am sorry and a bit embarrased to say that I fell for this scam tonight. They called me at the wrong time and were very aggressive. They told me that my computer had a problem, which it had earlier in the day-it crashed while my daughter was on the computer. I went through the whole thing with them, and watched them download software from this site and from CNET, which I knew to be a reputable site. Unfortunately it was not until I had finished with them that I started reading the posts on this and other sites that detailed the experiences that others were having. Is this truly a scam, do they have access to my personal information?? I could use some advice on what to do.