Virus, Malware?

12 years ago

A couple of days ago a friend, who is an older woman with very limited computer skills, get a call from someone saying her computer had been "hacked." They had her look at some stuff (what she isn't at all clear about) but it said she had 2400ish "problems". She told them she didn't have time to address the issues and hung up.

So I go over there and run Kaspersky and it comes back with nothing. In Windows Microsoft Defender said there was no AV protection but MSE is installed. I uninstalled MSE and downloaded a fresh copy and reinstalled. A quick scan revealed nothing either.

She uses this computer for email and her husband plays Solitaire. NO financial stuff at all.

Is there something else I should scan it with just to be on the safe side?

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Comments (11)

zep516
12 years ago
get a call from someone saying her computer had been "hacked." They had her look at some stuff (what she isn't at all clear about) but it said she had 2400ish "problems". She told them she didn't have time to address the issues and hung up.

That's a scam call, did they actually access the computer remotely? If they didn't I would not worry about anything.
owbist
12 years ago
I thought all of us got those calls every once in a while :~)

They prey on gullible or nervous people sadly, your friend was very wise to just hang up. They'll call again - and again I am sure.

Strangely my SIL said today that she had such a call at 8 a.m. so they are extending their hours to accommodate us it seems.
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Elmer J Fudd
12 years ago
The few calls I've gotten like this were from India.

Depending on your time zone, 8 am is afternoon time over there and the caller may have been just starting work. As with legit call centers, the work hours for those interfacing with North America run though the night.
jean_mi_z5
12 years ago
I received one of those calls. While he as going through his lingo, I kept telling him that I knew it was a scam. Finally he laughed and admitted it... :)
fruitjarfla
12 years ago
I have an XP and while using a trial version of Kaspersky plus MSE - I continued to get adware/spyware. Neither protected against that kind of intrusion.
grandms
12 years ago
And they are not designed to protect from that sort of stuff. In fact, there is nothing that I can think of that is going to protect you from scam phone calls. Just use your good sense and hang up.
aputernut
12 years ago
Only scammers ring your phone.. just hang up!
gwarstong
12 years ago
I've gotten several of these. Pretty amazing. Even when I tell them I don't have any Microsoft products and what they've represented is quite impossible, they persist. When I call them liars and scammers and criminals, and ask them how to say @#$!% in Hindi, they just keep on going. Thoroughly entertaining.
acraftylady
12 years ago
My 85yr old Mom received that call and she has never owned a computer so hung up. I received it twice and messed with their head to have some fun and then they hung up on me. Mary!
grandms
12 years ago
I finally got my call today! I was feeling left out. Man with thick accent said he had information about my computer. I could hear kids in the background. I was in the middle of starting dinner or I think I would have "played along" for a few minutes before hanging up. Instead, I just hung up, which is the best thing anyway.
kristyhughes21
12 years ago
its just a scam.. just to be sure use malwarebytes antimalware

Virus, Malware?

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zep516

owbist

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