Scumbags of the Year: Fake Tech Support
Short version:
Any “tech support” that you are inspired to call from an ominous warning on your computer is bogus. Any ominous calls you receive that scare you about your computer are bogus. Never let anyone remotely connect to your computer! If you did not specifically go to the company website, (dell.com HP.com xfinity.com etc.) and find a tech support number directly on that website, then you are talking to fake tech support. You will have your confirmation once they ask you for money. Don’t wait for that proof until after you have already let them remotely connect to your computer. If you have given your card number and paid one of these scam companies, call your credit card company and ask to start the process of getting that money back. You almost always will. You have been a victim of fraud. Whether your fake support has actually fixed something or not is irrelevant, your initial introduction to them was fraudulent in one way or another.
Long version:
I started seeing fake support around 2010. Back then I would hear about it from my customers a couple times a month. People were often getting these calls from "Microsoft" and they would tell the person something about their computer that they magically knew. Like you just did an update, or installed an antivirus, etc. I still don't quite know how they knew these things, but it made for a very compelling scam call. Lately, I am seeing this 3-5 times a week. It’s all the rage now with people who are trying to rip you off.
If a coercive message appears, accompanied by lots of RED and exclamation marks, on any device, trying to scare you, ignore it. Restart your computer. 90% of the time it will not come back. If anyone calls you unsolicited, about your computer, period - hang up. NONE, I repeat NONE of those calls or acts of terror are legitimate. Vigorously resist letting anyone guide you to a download so they can remotely take over your computer. EVERY SINGLE one of those people are fraudsters. Often, once they get in they'll demand you buy their support service. If not, they’ll lock the computer in a way that can only be fixed by reinstalling Windows.
If you actually want to call legitimate tech support you now have to really work at it. You must make sure you are first at their website, (www.dell.com, www.xfinity.com, quickbooks.com) and be very confident about that. Then look for the support number, as it is on most websites, like a needle in a haystack. The fraudsters took advantage of companies making it so hard to find their phone number. Most people start looking for the “Contact Us” or the support number on a website and it is so hard to find they decide it would just be easier to do a google search for it. And then BAM!, you are on the line with a thief in another country. And YOU called them!
The days are gone when you could google search for a company’s support number safely. The invisible hand of the free market has come in and created jobs by creating websites that are made to trick you into thinking that you are talking to a reputable customer service person so that they can take your money and leave you with a trust hangover.
And the latest twist is that some of these companies, after somehow scaring you into using their service, will actually install a legit antivirus program on you computer. BUYER BEWARE!!! You never had a problem in the first place so you have now given your credit card number to someone in a country out of U.S. jurisdiction who makes a living through fraud.
If you ever give your credit card number to any of these people, call your credit card company ASAP and say you are contesting the charge. You do not approve, and you want that money back and to never allow a charge from that company again. They will understand as they deal with this all day long. You may also want to give me a call if you think the perps have left any suspicious software, or if you need a better antivirus.
Full disclosure: Don’t feel bad! A few years ago, I once spent an hour talking to fake Quickbooks support after looking their number up on google. It can happen to anyone. The only safe way to get a number is to pull it directly from a package or literature from the company or directly from a website that has the full domain name in the web address, i.e., “microsoft.com” “quickbooks.com” “Dell.com.” The name must always be followed immediately by the .com. But you should stay vigilant in all interactions with computer or phone strangers, especially if it seems like they know something specific about your computer. Anytime you are asked for money over the phone you should turn your skepticism up to 10 and err on the side of caution. The only tech support I would pay for would be Apple.
If an online tech support company has a website and good reviews, whoopee! They really have a knack for stealing people’s money. Don’t get your tech support from a big company in another place. None of them are any good. Do you know many big companies that don’t provide hopelessly inept tech support? Then you are lucky. I can think of one: again Apple. Your best tech support will be from a human within driving distance.
If you ever have a doubt, take the number and the name of the company and give me a 10 sec call. I will be glad to confirm they are a scam. Remember that there is nothing so urgent that you must act NOW with the person over the phone, nothing.
Btw, unless you are buying Office, Word, Excel, there is no one home at Microsoft other than the grotesque creatures who are birthing the latest operating system no one wants. Outside of that, there is never a reason to call "Microsoft," unless you want to be ripped off. This includes threats that your copy of Windows or any software is not genuine.
Remember to pass this along to your elders. They grew up when people on the phone were less suspicious.
Scumbag of the month - Oct. 2014
Over the past 18 months I have seen Century Link really become shady when it comes to internet speed. Aside from their cynical commitment to give you “up to 40 mbps,” it used to be that I would only occasionally come across a customer who was getting ripped off on speed, now it has become the norm. The pattern seems to be that your speed will be fine when you first sign up and then at some point they start ripping you off and hope you won’t notice or complain because you don't know what high speed means. In my opinion you should be getting at least 3 Mbps to be getting your money’s worth. Less than that and they are taking advantage and your computer may seem like it is always running slow. I am now regularly seeing Century Link customers getting 500kbps and under. What convinced me to make Century Link the scumbags of the month is that I just had a customer who tested at 100 kbps. Dial-up used to be 56 kbps. I recommend you check your speed using Century Link’s own speed test.
http://internethelp.centurylink.com/internethelp/speedtest-q2.html Don't worry about doing the list of pre-test stuff. Just go to the link and click to begin the test.
If you are getting less than 1.5 mbps I would first unplug your modem so all the lights go off and then plug it back in. If that doesn’t change anything I would complain, if your internet seems slow (it may not, to you). If you are getting less than 500 kbps I would give them hell, take a severe tone and don’t listen to any of their excuses. Don’t be afraid to threaten to switch to Comcast. The speed test above has nothing to do with your computer. It only tests the internet speed between you and Century Link. Don’t take any crap.
I would never recommend Comcast, but their internet speeds are always solid and start at at least 15 mbps.
If your internet needs are minimal it can be very affordable to get internet through your cell phone carrier that will work just like Century Link or Comcast and may be a good solution if you live in a hard to service area where your phone connection always works.
Past Scumbag of the Month
It seems that Xfinity or Comcast or whomever they are these days is trying to stay competitive by committing fraud. Comcast has become this month’s shady auto-mechanic of the computer world.
You call Comcast because your internet isn’t working. If the problem is not on Comcast’s end they will then ask who makes your computer because, they say, if you call the manufacturer’s support they can fix the problem.
Guess what? Comcast has the number!
They give you an 800 number saying that it is the number for Dell or Sony or whatever manufacturer support, but really it is their third party support partners called MyTechHelp.com. Calling them exposes you to their payment loop. At this point you are no longer dealing with reputable tech support, but a professional hard salesperson, and they will keep selling until you hang up. They will charge your credit card number and in return you get three magic beans that they call My Tech Help Anti-Virus w/ Registry Cleaner.
This software is no different than the viruses that pose as anti-virus programs which pop-up on your computer and then try to scare you into upgrading to their premium program so you can REALLY remove the virus that they put there.
The last customer who told me this story had a computer that was so disabled by the crappy My Tech Help Anti-virus software that it could not be brought back. I had to reinstall windows.
Remember, if you are a victim of this you can contest the charges on your card, make a Better Business Bureau complaint, and I would add, walk into your Comcast office and demand whatever money you lost on this scam in credit on your bill.
Update: I suggested to one of my customers who was a victim of this scam to call Comcast and demand reimbursement. He did and they reimbursed him $350 for all the money and time he spent as a result of their scam support. The woman told him essentially that there was a rogue group of tech support people who were giving out the number of MyTechHelp.com. After reading all the online complaints over time about this scam I would say that answer seems a bit too full of intrigue.
Update May 2014: This particular scam seems to be over. I had an opportunity to bring this issue up at a City of Fort Collins meeting having to do with the Comcast franchise agreement that Comcast is negotiating with the city. Comcast representatives were there and they got to hear about the issue in detail.
If any person who represents themselves as tech support people ask you for money over the phone you are dealing with disreputable people looking to take advantage of your situation.
DO NOT DOWNLOAD ANYTHING AT THEIR REQUEST.
DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER.
Don't DO ANYTHING THEY SAY.
If you originally thought you were on the phone with a so-called reputable company like Comcast, Microsoft, Dell, Century Link, etc., I would call the number back, ask to speak with a supervisor and complain about having to pay for support on a service or product that you already bought.