How did this scam work??
Discussion
Evening,
Gawd, head in hands moment.
My parents bought a cheap Canon printer from Argos. During the installation today they got a phone call offering help with the installation. They knew my Dad's full name and that was the extent of my Dad's security checks (I think)
My dad allowed them access to the computer, gave out the WiFi password and they spent three hours updating drivers on the computer.
Then got his credit card out and paid them £120 for the pleasure. Aarrrgggghhhhh!
They have an invoice from a company called ITECH Security Solutions which also had a California telephone number attached to it. Searching the telephone number suggest a scam.......
1. How on earth did this company know my Dad was trying to install a printer? How did they know his full name?
2. What are the potential consequences?
I have told my parents to not turn that computer back on. Change all passwords from another device. Phone the credit card company to warn them and ask for advice. Take the PC to a local place to be scanned/ looked at (I am not local unfortunately).
This is the second time they have fallen for a scam in the last year.... Last time my mum bought £360 worth of 20 x diet pills!!! She doesn't even need to lose weight!!
Gawd, head in hands moment.
My parents bought a cheap Canon printer from Argos. During the installation today they got a phone call offering help with the installation. They knew my Dad's full name and that was the extent of my Dad's security checks (I think)
My dad allowed them access to the computer, gave out the WiFi password and they spent three hours updating drivers on the computer.
Then got his credit card out and paid them £120 for the pleasure. Aarrrgggghhhhh!
They have an invoice from a company called ITECH Security Solutions which also had a California telephone number attached to it. Searching the telephone number suggest a scam.......
1. How on earth did this company know my Dad was trying to install a printer? How did they know his full name?
2. What are the potential consequences?
I have told my parents to not turn that computer back on. Change all passwords from another device. Phone the credit card company to warn them and ask for advice. Take the PC to a local place to be scanned/ looked at (I am not local unfortunately).
This is the second time they have fallen for a scam in the last year.... Last time my mum bought £360 worth of 20 x diet pills!!! She doesn't even need to lose weight!!
Sheepshanks said:
If it was during installation perhaps he filled in a registration page - possibly a dodgy one?
He claims he didn't fill out a form.I now suspect some malware scanning for telephone number and name on the PC. The when a new unrecognised device is plugged in, it notifies the scammer with the required information??
Is that even possible?
Hacks?
I had a couple of eBay deliveries via Evri (aka Hermes) and within minutes of delivery, I had emails saying they couldn't deliver ( though they had) so please bung us £1.95 refundable on redelivery.
Obviously ignored but there must be many whose delivery didn't happen who are now £1.95 out of pocket, probably more if they gave bank details.
I had a couple of eBay deliveries via Evri (aka Hermes) and within minutes of delivery, I had emails saying they couldn't deliver ( though they had) so please bung us £1.95 refundable on redelivery.
Obviously ignored but there must be many whose delivery didn't happen who are now £1.95 out of pocket, probably more if they gave bank details.
mike9009 said:
…they spent three hours updating drivers
Oh dear. Three hours of the scammers pretending to be installing drivers, when in fact they were trawling through your parents PC looking for personal account details / passwords.Just ensure all banks / financial institutions / important accounts are contacted and passwords updated and 2FA installed.
My guess is they either-
A) inadvertently filled in a bogus registration form, maybe even autofilled.
B) Have been very unlucky in being part of a phishing scam. They can be very convincing in making you believe they know stuff about you, when in fact everything is all generic and you fill in the gaps.
outnumbered said:
Did they really start by saying they would help with installing the new printer, or did your Dad just "fill in the blanks" from a more generic IT scam call that just hit at the right time ?
Probably this.It’s how psychics work, ‘you’ only remember the bits they got right. Like the missed delivery scam, we get so many deliveries you get a pay for redelivery message at the right moment and your guard is down. They are sending out thousands of these messages. Only need the odd one to connect to make it work.
Thanks all, it's is weird later in life, the kids telling the parents off for doing something stupid. .....and parents not listening to simple instructions afterwards.
Still trying to convince Dad to tell all financial orgs about this, but I think his pride is getting in the way of protecting his assets
So far credit card cancelled and bank informed..... Investments/ pensions etc
. Arrgggghhhh.
Still trying to convince Dad to tell all financial orgs about this, but I think his pride is getting in the way of protecting his assets
So far credit card cancelled and bank informed..... Investments/ pensions etc
. Arrgggghhhh.
At some point it's a good idea to take control of the parent's online presence. I had access to my mums email, I could then set strong passwords rather the bessy123. Set-up a joint account with her bank, had access to her pension log-in, all her utility bill accounts etc. I did everything for her as it was easier than her screwing things up.
It also help a lot when she finally got demntia and eventually past away. Made the whole process of paying bills and closing accounts and probate etc much easier.
It also help a lot when she finally got demntia and eventually past away. Made the whole process of paying bills and closing accounts and probate etc much easier.
megaphone said:
At some point it's a good idea to take control of the parent's online presence. I had access to my mums email, I could then set strong passwords rather the bessy123. Set-up a joint account with her bank, had access to her pension log-in, all her utility bill accounts etc. I did everything for her as it was easier than her screwing things up.
It also help a lot when she finally got demntia and eventually past away. Made the whole process of paying bills and closing accounts and probate etc much easier.
We have an LPA set-up for them - but both parents are fully independent and mobile still. And, I suspect my sister (or wife) could probably make exactly the same mistake, in all honesty...... It also help a lot when she finally got demntia and eventually past away. Made the whole process of paying bills and closing accounts and probate etc much easier.
mike9009 said:
Thanks all, it's is weird later in life, the kids telling the parents off for doing something stupid. .....and parents not listening to simple instructions afterwards.
Still trying to convince Dad to tell all financial orgs about this, but I think his pride is getting in the way of protecting his assets
So far credit card cancelled and bank informed..... Investments/ pensions etc
. Arrgggghhhh.
Make sure you also inform their mobile provider. If they have info to do a fraudulent sim swap, they are screwed as they’ll have access to 2FA.Still trying to convince Dad to tell all financial orgs about this, but I think his pride is getting in the way of protecting his assets
So far credit card cancelled and bank informed..... Investments/ pensions etc
. Arrgggghhhh.
Obviously it's best to err on the side of caution but is it possible it's not a scam? Is it possible they've been up-sold an installation service? Like being flogged an extended warranty at POS. Or they've been sold as a lead, either officially by the store or by a dodgy staff member who gets a cut of the invoice.
If they really were installing drivers that would be legit (maybe a tad incompetent at three hours but maybe other problems needed rectifying first). You said cheap printer but otherwise didn't qualify this ... if it has wifi then wifi password would be needed. They've sent an invoice rather than just asking for CC details ... how legit does it look and what does it list? What address is on it? Might be able to verify them as a merchant with the CC company.
Plus the fluke of the timing.
I get the worry and like I say it's better to be safe than sorry.
If they really were installing drivers that would be legit (maybe a tad incompetent at three hours but maybe other problems needed rectifying first). You said cheap printer but otherwise didn't qualify this ... if it has wifi then wifi password would be needed. They've sent an invoice rather than just asking for CC details ... how legit does it look and what does it list? What address is on it? Might be able to verify them as a merchant with the CC company.
Plus the fluke of the timing.
I get the worry and like I say it's better to be safe than sorry.
Prak said:
Obviously it's best to err on the side of caution but is it possible it's not a scam? Is it possible they've been up-sold an installation service? Like being flogged an extended warranty at POS. Or they've been sold as a lead, either officially by the store or by a dodgy staff member who gets a cut of the invoice.
If they really were installing drivers that would be legit (maybe a tad incompetent at three hours but maybe other problems needed rectifying first). You said cheap printer but otherwise didn't qualify this ... if it has wifi then wifi password would be needed. They've sent an invoice rather than just asking for CC details ... how legit does it look and what does it list? What address is on it? Might be able to verify them as a merchant with the CC company.
Plus the fluke of the timing.
I get the worry and like I say it's better to be safe than sorry.
That is a fair point.If they really were installing drivers that would be legit (maybe a tad incompetent at three hours but maybe other problems needed rectifying first). You said cheap printer but otherwise didn't qualify this ... if it has wifi then wifi password would be needed. They've sent an invoice rather than just asking for CC details ... how legit does it look and what does it list? What address is on it? Might be able to verify them as a merchant with the CC company.
Plus the fluke of the timing.
I get the worry and like I say it's better to be safe than sorry.
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