Hear the con as it happens
DANIELLE: TONIGHT, CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR BRIAN ROCHE CONFRONTS ONE OF THE SCAMMERS SO YOU CAN KNOW HOW TO AVOID LOSING MONEY. PORERTER: THIS SCAM STARTS WITH THIS E-MAIL. IT INFORMS THE CONSUMER THAT A COMPUTER TECH SUPPORT PLAN HAS JUSTEE BN AUTO-RENEWED FOR $499. >>O SI DID WHAT ANY CONSUMER WOULD WDOHO DOES NOT WANT TO LOSE $500. I CALLED THE NUMBER ON THE E-MAIL TO CANC IEL WITHOUT ME HAVING TO ASK, THE TECHNICIAN PETER IMMEDIATELY OFFERS TO CANCEL THE CHARGE AND REFUND MY MONEY. BUT HE CAN’T TELL ME WHERE MY REFUND IS EVENOI. G PETER CAN’T TELL ME WHERE THE REFUND IS GOING BECAUSE I HAVEN’T ACTUALLY BEEN CHARGED, BUT I CONTINUE TO PLAY ALO.NG PETER DIRECTS ME TO TYPE IN THE WEB SITE GEEKSCANCELOM.C THIS IS WHERE I STOP FOLLOWI HIS INSTRUCTIONS BECAUSE TREHE IS NO WAY OF KNOWING WHAT WILL HAPPEN ONCE YOU CLICK ON A LINK LIKE THAT. >> I BELIEVE THAT ONCE I CLICK ON THIS GREEN BUTTON, YOU TOLD ME TO CLICK ON, YOU ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DOWNLOAD THINGS FROM MY COMPUTER AND ACCESS MY COMPERUT, AND THAT’S THE LAST THING IN THE WORLD THAT I WANT. AND THAT, PETER, IS A SC. I THKIN YOU ARE A SCAM ARTIST. I THINK YOU ARE PART OF A SCAM OPERATN.IO I THINK YOU ARE GOING TO TRY TO TAKE MONEY FROM ME. HE TERMINATED THE CALL. ONCE THESE SCAMMERS GAIN REMOTE ACCESS INTO YOUR COMPUTER, THEY HAVE YOU LOG INTO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT. THEN THEY MANIPULATE YOUR BANK BALANCES AND MAKE IT APPEAR THEY REFUNDED YOU TOO MUCH MONEY. THEN, THEY DEMAND YOU RETURN THE MONEY THROUGH GIFT CARDS YOU HAVE TO GO OUT AND PURCHASE. THIS ELABORATE SCAM CONTUEINS TO GROW, USING THE NAMES OF ALL THE MAJOR COMPUTER REPAIR COMPANIES LIKE MCAFEE, NORTON, SYMANTEC AND BEST BUY. BUT PREVENTING THIS SCAM IS VERY SIMP.LE DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO HAVE REMOTE ACCESS TOIN YOUR COMPUTER, NO MATTER WHAT STORY THEY ARE TELLING
Inside a scam call: Hear how a con artist does his work
Updated: 7:12 AM EDT May 4, 2022
WGAL continues an 8 On Your Side investigation about scammers conning their way into computers and stealing thousands of dollars.Consumer investigator Brian Roche confronted one of the scammers to show you how to avoid losing money.This scam started with an email informing the consumer that a computer tech support plan has just been auto-renewed for $499.Brian did what any consumer would do who doesn’t want to lose that money – he called the number on the email to cancel the plan. He reached a technician who said his name was Peter.Peter: “This was a confirmation email. Could you please confirm me what you want to do, sir? Do you want to cancel this plan and get your refund back? Or do you want to continue with that plan, sir?”Without Brian having to ask, Peter immediately offered to cancel the charge and refund his money. But he couldn’t say where the refund was even going.Brian: “I have several bank accounts and several credit cards, and I don’t where this is going. I don’t know where you took the money from.”Peter: “We are not authorized to tell any personal details such as card details or banking details over the phone call or ask the customer details over the phone call. If we do that, we might lose our job.”Peter couldn’t tell Brian where the refund is going because he hasn’t actually been charged, but Brian continued to play along.Brian: “OK, let’s cancel the service. How do we go about that?”Peter: “So you have to just be seated in front of the computer. I am going to just provide the cancellation ID.”Peter directed Brian to a website.Brian: “OK, so click on ‘track my order’ and you will provide me with a cancellation ID?”Peter: “Now what can you see, sir?”Brian: “It says ‘Team Viewer for Windows.'”Peter: “Now can you see a green-colored check box says ‘download 64-bit version?'”Brian: “I want to know what is going to happen when I click onto that green button.”Peter: “Sir, uh, nothing is going to happen, sir.”That is where Brian stopped following his instructions because there is no way of knowing what will happen once you click on a link like that. Brian: “Peter, I believe that once I click on this green button you told me to click on, you’re going to be able to download things from my computer and access my computer. And that’s the last thing in the world that I want. That, Peter, is a scam.”Peter: “Sir, nothing will happen into your computer. You have to just believe me.”Brian: “Peter, let me be very blunt with you. I think you’re a scam artist. I think you’re part of a scam operation that once you get into my computer, you’re going to try to access my bank account and try to take money from me.”Peter then terminated the call.Scam continues to growOnce these scammers gain remote access to your computer, they have you log into your bank account.They manipulate your bank balances and make it appear they refunded you too much money.Then they demand you return the money through gift cards you have to go out and purchase.This elaborate scam continues to grow, using the names of all the major computer repair companies like McAfee, Norton, Symantec and Best Buy.But preventing this scam is very simple: do not allow anyone to have remote access to your computer, no matter what story they are telling you.
WGAL continues an 8 On Your Side investigation about scammers conning their way into computers and stealing thousands of dollars.
Consumer investigator Brian Roche confronted one of the scammers to show you how to avoid losing money.
This scam started with an email informing the consumer that a computer tech support plan has just been auto-renewed for $499.
Brian did what any consumer would do who doesn’t want to lose that money – he called the number on the email to cancel the plan. He reached a technician who said his name was Peter.
Peter: “This was a confirmation email. Could you please confirm me what you want to do, sir? Do you want to cancel this plan and get your refund back? Or do you want to continue with that plan, sir?”
Without Brian having to ask, Peter immediately offered to cancel the charge and refund his money. But he couldn’t say where the refund was even going.
Brian: “I have several bank accounts and several credit cards, and I don’t where this is going. I don’t know where you took the money from.”
Peter: “We are not authorized to tell any personal details such as card details or banking details over the phone call or ask the customer details over the phone call. If we do that, we might lose our job.”
Peter couldn’t tell Brian where the refund is going because he hasn’t actually been charged, but Brian continued to play along.
Brian: “OK, let’s cancel the service. How do we go about that?”
Peter: “So you have to just be seated in front of the computer. I am going to just provide the cancellation ID.”
Peter directed Brian to a website.
Brian: “OK, so click on ‘track my order’ and you will provide me with a cancellation ID?”
Peter: “Now what can you see, sir?”
Brian: “It says ‘Team Viewer for Windows.'”
Peter: “Now can you see a green-colored check box says ‘download 64-bit version?'”
Brian: “I want to know what is going to happen when I click onto that green button.”
Peter: “Sir, uh, nothing is going to happen, sir.”
That is where Brian stopped following his instructions because there is no way of knowing what will happen once you click on a link like that.
Brian: “Peter, I believe that once I click on this green button you told me to click on, you’re going to be able to download things from my computer and access my computer. And that’s the last thing in the world that I want. That, Peter, is a scam.”
Peter: “Sir, nothing will happen into your computer. You have to just believe me.”
Brian: “Peter, let me be very blunt with you. I think you’re a scam artist. I think you’re part of a scam operation that once you get into my computer, you’re going to try to access my bank account and try to take money from me.”
Peter then terminated the call.
Scam continues to grow
Once these scammers gain remote access to your computer, they have you log into your bank account.
They manipulate your bank balances and make it appear they refunded you too much money.
Then they demand you return the money through gift cards you have to go out and purchase.
This elaborate scam continues to grow, using the names of all the major computer repair companies like McAfee, Norton, Symantec and Best Buy.
But preventing this scam is very simple: do not allow anyone to have remote access to your computer, no matter what story they are telling you.
