Someone called me to tell me I have a Trojan horse

[icarus]

So someone just called my home phone number to tell me I had a Trojan horse on my computer.

She got me to type in MSCONFIG into my Windows search and sure enough half of my programs are listed as 'stopped'. Mostly Microsoft programmes.

She sounded sort of legit but when she asked to remotely connect to my computer via www.ammyy.com I naturally got anxious and asked who she was and how she got my info. She said she was with some web server and she got my info via my Windows computer.

Anyway we got cut off but now I want to know... do I really have a Trojan Horse and if I do what should I do? Call Microsoft?

[Yeah_Baby]

Hi, my name is Nigel Salandu. I'm from Nigeria. All I need is your personal information and $100 dollars to get my new goat herding business off the ground. I promise you a 100000% return on your investment.

Best Wishes,
Nigel

[Weirdness]

Big scam. My sister got one of these calls a few months ago, thankfully she didn't buy it after the whole "we need to remote access your computer " bit.

[Hockeyguy15]

Would you like to buy the Brooklyn Bridge from me? $500...It's a steal of a deal!

[CaptainCrunch]

Yeah, its pretty much a scam.

If oyu have a good antivirus program with up to date definitions then you don't have much to worry about.

The first question I always ask is how you're getting through my router and firewall without my permission (unless you can tell me where I gave it to you're company) the second is I ask for the name of the Trojan horse. If she gives it to you, thank her or him, tell them that you can take it from here and hang up.

[I_am_Beast]

Nice little scam, if u think u have something go to trendmicro.com and run housecall it's free...

did she sound hot?

[icarus]

Well, exactly, that's what I'm thinking. But is it actually normal to have most Windows programmes listed as 'stopped' in msconfig?

Not many people at all know my home phone number, it's only a few months old, and she knew my name. This is what's making me wonder if she's really a scam artist or if I registered my Windows or something and put in my proper details.

I basically want to know whether my computer will, in fact, die.

[CaptainCrunch]

[pylon]

Just do what I do when I get unwanted scam calls.

Start having phone sex with whoever is on the other line.

"Hello sir, we are calling to let you know, you have won an all expenses paid cruise to Koreikstan!"

"I am glad you called. I have a fistful of c@*k, and I really want someone to hear me make a map of Hawaii all over my belly... grunt, sigh.."

*click*

[icarus]

Originally Posted by I_am_Beast

Nice little scam, if u think u have something go to trendmicro.com and run housecall it's free...

did she sound hot?

No she sounded foreign. In a non-sexy way.

You guys are making me feel relieved. I'm not a computer dude, I use my computer for work because I am forced to and for CP because I am addicted.

Creeps me out that she had my number and name. I really should have ordered her to tell which personal info of mine she has as she would be required to do by the UK Data Protection Act.

[Hockeyguy15]

Read all about it here....

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthr...=computer+scam

[icarus]

Okay I just found this on the remote connection website she wanted me to use:

Ammyy Admin - cases of malicious use. Official WARNING.

Dear users of Ammyy Admin

Unfortunately, there are some cases of malicious use of our software noticed. Please be attentive and never grant access to people you don't know personally or whom you don't trust.

!!! If you receive a phone call claiming to be from 'Microsoft' or someone claiming to work on their behalf, telling you that you have a virus on your computer or some errors which they will help you to fix via Ammyy Admin, it is definitely a scam.

There also might be phone calls from people presenting themselves as internet service provider technicians or any other tech support specialists.

Ammyy Inc. is a legit software development company, we take the privacy and security of our customers and partners personal information very seriously. We are advising Ammyy Admin users to treat all unsolicited phone calls with skepticism and not to grant access to your PC to anyone you don't know personally.

We can assure you Ammyy Inc. doesn't make these kinds of calls and never asks to download and launch Ammyy Admin.

Here are some cases of scam:

"I got call from an India based consultant who said to me that he is calling from a govt. organisation in Melbourne, Australia. He made me to log into my computer to track some files and without advising me he wanted me to download a software application from ammyy.com and get remotely connected to a technician to delete some files..."

"I was recently called by what I thought was my internet service provider technician who used Ammyy to gain remote access to my computer - after I stupidly granted him that permission. It turns out that he was nothing to do with my internet service provider. When I became suspicious and began questioning him he said he would show me who he was and opened a website of a company - the web site triggered my virus software and I then demanded that the remote access be terminated..."

In case you received such type of phone call - hang up, do not let them have remote control access to your computer and never provide any of your credit card requisites.

If you got scammed...

If you got scammed (launched Ammyy Admin and granted access to your PC to a scammer and inputted your credit card requisites during the remote desktop connection session) please do the following:
1) Turn off your Internet connection, then turn off the PC and call your bank to freeze all your bank accounts.
2) Boot your PC in the safe mode and check it for viruses (it's possible the scammers had run their malicious hidden software)
3) If your Antivirus Software shows no warnings restart the PC and make sure Ammyy Admin Service isn't installed and doesn't run in automatic mode. For this go to main window of Ammyy Admin -> Ammyy -> Service -> Remove. Then restart your PC again.

If you're not sure you can manage the actions described above then just turn off your PC and address to a computer specialist you know or to a company that provides technical support.

Ammyy Admin software (if downloaded from www.ammyy.com) itself doesn't bring any risk of data leakage or harm to your PC. It doesn't make any hidden manipulations with your files and folders. You also don't have to uninstall it. If you decide not to use Ammyy Admin just delete the exe file from your PC.


Best wishes

Ammyy Inc. team

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by pylon

Just do what I do when I get unwanted scam calls.

Start having phone sex with whoever is on the other line.

"Hello sir, we are calling to let you know, you have won an all expenses paid cruise to Koreikstan!"

"I am glad you called. I have a fistful of c@*k, and I really want someone to hear me make a map of Hawaii all over my belly... grunt, sigh.."

*click*

Now that's hell a funny. But you need to really stretch it out and get them engaged on the phone. I would give someone $10.00 if they actually recorded themselves getting a scam telemarketer into a phone sex conversation against their will and the call lasted a minimum of 5 minutes

Must be included.

You have to get them to tell you what they're wearing.

You have to use the line "wait, I'm almost there"

You have to finish up with "oh god, oh god your service is making me paint the ceiling"

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by icarus

Well, exactly, that's what I'm thinking. But is it actually normal to have most Windows programmes listed as 'stopped' in msconfig?

She was getting you to look at your "Services". On a completely healthy computer, you'll still have more than half of them in a 'Stopped' state. It isn't necessary or desirable for them to be 'Started' unless there is a need for them.

So what you're looking at is completely normal, and is an easy method these scammers use to prey on people.

[icarus]

Now I just feel stupid that I even thought it could be legit. I thought I was pretty savvy, obviously not. Now I am angry. I can see how people get taken. Fata.

[CaptainCrunch]

Never feel stupid about asking if something like that is legit, if you don't know its best to ask.

However if someone says that they want control of anything, or a credit card number over the phone its a pretty good indicator that its a scam.

Like I said, its important to ask questions when these people call.

Asking how they got you're number?

who gave permission to call you

Ask them for the serial number of your computer.

Ask them what Trojan horse it is.

Ask them what software they used to drill into you're system

Tell them that you want to call them back as you're in the middle of something so you need their number.

[Jodester]

I was getting 2 or 3 calls a day for a while from this scam. I started saying oh thank you so much for letting me know can i give you my credit card number for a gratuity for doing such a good job? They get really flustered.

[Mtt48]

msconfig will always show a bunch of programs as stopped. That is completely normal. Definitely a scam.

[Hanni]

Just like Event Viewer will show you Error's and Warnings, that's how they tried to get a friend of mine.

[kirant]

As the final nail in the coffin for this, if you look up "ammyy" on google, the first autofill is "ammyy scam" with rows upon rows of descriptions of their process and arguments against them (including one saying "have you fallen for the ammyy scam"). Aside from what has been brought up already, this should confirm it's a scam.