[geeks] Scam ware on MacOS and Linux

[hike]

Maybe targeting wasnbt the best word to use.  (Many people seem hunger on
that verb.)

My question was basically, when did the bMicrosoft Computer Centerb scam
morph to include Mac and Linux computers.
After hearing of the Microsoft scam years ago, this inclusion of Mac and
Linux computers was new to me.
(The scammer was following a script with a bdecision treeb which lead her
to correctly identifying my computer even though I gave spurious
information.)
Rich K. brought up the news story which confirmed the experience that I had
as a new trend.
Was I personally targeted?  Who knows but we regularly receive these scam
calls (2-3 per month).
So I guess our number is on some list or lists.


On Fri, Jul 1, 2016 at 8:07 PM, Lionel Peterson <lionel4287 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hike,
>
> If this 'scammer' had a script targeting Windows, Mac, and Linux as you
> claim:
>
> "This was the first time that I heard of this scam targeting Mac and Linux
> computers."
>
> Why was the caller confused that your computer lacked a Windows key and was
> again confused when you said you were on a Linux computer? Wouldn't a
> script
> that targets all three platforms cover such contingencies?
>
> I read nothing in your story that leads me to believe the caller had any
> idea
> what computer platform you were running (Mac or Linux), all I see is a
> scammer
> that refused to give up when confronted with something *not* in the script.
> That's quite the opposite of 'targeting' IMHO.
>
> Lionel
>
> > On Jul 1, 2016, at 4:12 PM, hike <mh1272 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Lionel, you assumed facts not in evidence.
> >
> > Has anyone else received these type of scamming calls and the person run
> > through a script that permits scamming Windows, Mac and Linux users?
> > Is this new?
> >
> > I had never experienced this before and was asking about it.
> > If this change of tactic is common knowledge, I missed it.
> > If this is new, where does one report it?
> >
> > On Fri, Jul 1, 2016 at 4:25 PM, Lionel Peterson <lionel4287 at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> You were not 'targeted' for your platform preference, you were simply
> >> chosen
> >> randomly and the scammer had no idea what your platform was.
> >>
> >> Why do you feel you were 'targeted'?
> >>
> >> You assume you were targeted for being on a Mac, yet the person that
> >> targeted
> >> you clearly had no idea how to get you to do their evil bidding on a
> >> non-Windows device...
> >>
> >> Lionel
> >>
> >>> On Jul 1, 2016, at 2:38 PM, hike <mh1272 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Yesterday, a heavily-accented person called explaining that my computer
> >> was
> >>> spewing error messages to their servers.  Assuming that this was a
> >>> Microsoft Support Call scam, I went along with it.  The person/scammer
> >> was
> >>> confusing when I told her that my keyboard didnb t have Windows symbol
> on
> >> my
> >>> keyboard.  (I was using a Mac at the time.)
> >>>
> >>> The person was also confused that I was running the Firefox browser.
> She
> >>> knew about IE, Safari and Chrome but was flummoxed with Firefox.
> >>>
> >>> The person insisted that I downloaded an app from www.supremo.com (?).
> >> I
> >>> did and, of course, when I dutifully double-clicked on the installer,
> the
> >>> program wouldnb t run and gave an b Windows exe fileb  error and, of
> >>> course,
> >>> wouldnb t run.  The person was greatly confused.  She asked what kind
> of
> >>> computer I used and I said b Linuxb .  She really was confused, put me
> on
> >>> hold and came back and asked me to download an app at
> www.teamviewer.com
> >> .
> >>>
> >>> (The Teamviewer seems to be a legitimate product for business
> >> conferencing,
> >>> support, etc.  From a Windows friend who succumbed to the Microsoft
> >> Support
> >>> scam, I know that they will use legitimate software in their scam.)
> >>>
> >>> This was the first time that I heard of this scam targeting Mac and
> Linux
> >>> computers.  I was surprised.  Did I miss that in the news?  (Slashdot,
> >>> MacRumors, MacInsider).  Does this need to be reported?  If so, where?
> >>> _______________________________________________
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> >> _______________________________________________
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