Scam phone call from Microsoft?

[agroot]

Is this new? Had some call that told me they're Microsoft and my computer has been hacked. The guy feels quite real and spent several minutes explaining how it happened ..

I hung up of course, since my windows was bought from g2deal and they surely don't have any phone number

[betelgeuse]

Is this new? Had some call that told me they're Microsoft and my computer has been hacked. The guy feels quite real and spent several minutes explaining how it happened ..

I hung up of course, since my windows was bought from g2deal and they surely don't have any phone number

It's not. They have been doing it a long time.

[agroot]

It's not. They have been doing it a long time.

Thanks! Glad to know my pc isn't actually hacked

[FinnGuyHelsinki]

Is this new? Had some call that told me they're Microsoft and my computer has been hacked. The guy feels quite real and spent several minutes explaining how it happened ..

I hung up of course, since my windows was bought from g2deal and they surely don't have any phone number

Not only that, no-one from Microsoft will be calling you even if your Windows PC was hacked.

[MonikonPartitiivi]

That is definitely a scam. Report them to police if you can.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKhD7pF59WE

[Oombongo]

I ask their email address to send them logs, and instead bombard them with dick pics

[NukkuMatti]

Check Jim Browning on Youtube and you know all about these @ssholes. (sorry link was already here, you can also check kitboga and scammersrevolt)

If you feel adventurous, try to get your hands on a good PC with multiple monitors, multiple Virtual machines on it configured, a good remote access trojan (RAT) virus on your VM desktop disguised as banking details file, a command and control server on another VM for controlling the RAT (on the same PC) and play along, let him connect to your computer VM and lure him to copy the trojan.... after that you can do anything on his PC or even complete network...

scam the scammers!!!!
(disclaimer: only do this when you are not in Finland but for example in GB where this seems to be legal, see discussion below!)

[FinnGuyHelsinki]

Check Jim Browning on Youtube and you know all about these @ssholes. (sorry link was already here, you can also check kitboga and scammersrevolt)

If you feel adventurous, try to get your hands on a good PC with multiple monitors, multiple Virtual machines on it configured, a good remote access trojan (RAT) virus on your VM desktop disguised as banking details file, a command and control server on another VM for controlling the RAT (on the same PC) and play along, let him connect to your computer VM and lure him to copy the trojan.... after that you can do anything on his PC or even complete network...

scam the scammers!!!!

What you're suggesting is illegal, regardless of whether it's a criminal at the other end.

[agroot]

If you feel adventurous, try to get your hands on a good PC with multiple monitors, multiple Virtual machines on it configured, a good remote access trojan (RAT) virus on your VM desktop disguised as banking details file, a command and control server on another VM for controlling the RAT (on the same PC) and play along, let him connect to your computer VM and lure him to copy the trojan.... after that you can do anything on his PC or even complete network...

Beware VM may not be completely bulletproof as people generally think. It has control interfaces from the host which might be exploitable, and also access to uncleaned memory, shared CPU cache, etc, which could have leaks and are also subject to side-channel attack. I think those things are only in research phase but who knows if you piss off hackers and get their special attention..

[NukkuMatti]

What you're suggesting is illegal, regardless of whether it's a criminal at the other end.

Can you point out for me what exactly the illegal part is?

I do not force the other party to download a file named banking history from my VM desktop, which contains my personally crafted and controlled RAT that points to my own C&C.
He does that himself, I do not give him permission to take the file, he takes it without asking/permission and gives me that way remote access to his network, the same way he steals other ones money.

So again... the scammer basically grants me (gives me permission to) access to his network himself by taking this illegal action of his...
As long as I don't steal his money or access his bank account... If I delete all his files which he uses to steal money from old people with, I sincerely doubt any police officer will consider it a crime, in this case is only a crime if the scammer tells me to get out of his network and I refuse and then reports me to the authorities as if I did something illegal, I personally do not think that he will be doing that given the fact he himself is caught up in a very lucrative scamming operation.

it is a little like I am pushed by a thieve into his home through the back door and I just accidentally drop a big ring of keys from all your neighbors he has laying around there, in his toilet and flush it...so he cannot steal all you neighbors money.

It is how f.e. Jim Browning and or his fellow scam hunters have done this several times, although he does not show this in all his video's.

If that would be illegal, there is something wrong with the law and we should change it.
I would like to qualify this as the grey area of the law....

I would agree with you if I would gain access to his network by actively hacking his network by for example brute forcing his admin password.

[NukkuMatti]

Beware VM may not be completely bulletproof as people generally think. It has control interfaces from the host which might be exploitable, and also access to uncleaned memory, shared CPU cache, etc, which could have leaks and are also subject to side-channel attack. I think those things are only in research phase but who knows if you piss off hackers and get their special attention..

Yeah but that is the point, these guys doing the scams are no real hackers, they are a bunch of amateurs that try to fool old people without knowledge of computers and software / OS.

And for these kind of endeavors, one should have a dedicated PC of course, with an offline backup (HDD or SSD) of your install for convenience in case you actually do encounter a smart scammer that is faster than you...

[FinnGuyHelsinki]

What you're suggesting is illegal, regardless of whether it's a criminal at the other end.

Can you point out for me what exactly the illegal part is?

I do not force the other party to download a file named banking history from my VM desktop, which contains my personally crafted and controlled RAT that points to my own C&C.
He does that himself, I do not give him permission to take the file, he takes it without asking/permission and gives me that way remote access to his network, the same way he steals other ones money.

So again... the scammer basically grants me (gives me permission to) access to his network himself by taking this illegal action of his...

No, it is illegal to access someone's computer without their permission, period. How one manages to do that and why doesn't change that. Instigating a crime is also illegal.

As long as I don't steal his money or access his bank account... If I delete all his files which he uses to steal money from old people with, I sincerely doubt any police officer will consider it a crime, in this case is only a crime if the scammer tells me to get out of his network and I refuse and then reports me to the authorities as if I did something illegal, I personally do not think that he will be doing that given the fact he himself is caught up in a very lucrative scamming operation.

Whether the police will investigate, the prosecutor will press charges or the scammer will report it are beside the point, still it is illegal.

Being a victim of a crime does not preclude being accountable for one's actions. One may feel that something is justified, but it doesn't make it legal. It is possible e.g. two people fighting getting both found guilty of battery.

[NukkuMatti]

Well in that case I do not have any problem at all with Jim Browning being a criminal (your words) and working together with BBC and the police to roll up a scam factory AFTER he gained according to you illegal access to their network. It has been on national TV in GB... so I guess there is a difference in laws regarding this between Finland and GB.

To comply with Finnish law according to you I will edit my post accordingly

But... for arguments sake:
Still it makes me wonder how you would classify "in self defense" in that case..

Example: burglar comes in your home and you wake up, he threatens / tries to stab you (to death) and you hit him with the baseball bat from next to your bed, on the head and he dies! Are you a murderer or innocent victim. How does that work in Finland?

More on topic example: you are at the summer cottage with your axe chopping wood and you see someone taking aim at your neighbor with a shotgun ready to kill him, you throw you axe in his head to prevent this, hence there is no time to lose and yelling at him might have him turn the shotgun at you! Illegal act: throwing the axe and killing someone, result, saving your neighbors life....
I realize it is somewhat out of proportion, but the basic actions are the same... an illegal act to prevent innocent victims to be made. Is this still illegal? (answer is of course yes!! regardless I will not condemn actions from people that apparently break the law to prevent thieves and robbers from making victims, I will applaud it instead!).

[agroot]

Well in that case I do not have any problem at all with Jim Browning being a criminal (your words) and working together with BBC and the police to roll up a scam factory AFTER he gained according to you illegal access to their network. It has been on national TV in GB... so I guess there is a difference in laws regarding this between Finland and GB.

He was not sued. It doesn't mean what he did was legal.

I remember there have been cases in US where thieves got wounded in the victim' home, sued the owner and won

[NukkuMatti]

He was not sued. It doesn't mean what he did was legal.

I remember there have been cases in US where thieves got wounded in the victim' home, sued the owner and won

Jim browning still does it and posts it on Youtube... same as the others.. who live in the US...

I guess it is not against the law as long as the villain (victim of Jim Browning) is not pressing charges in GB.

So how does that work when you live in Finland? As long as the scammer is not pressing charges in Finland at the police, you walk free?

I have seen also new scam baiters from for example The Netherlands, for sure they have the same cyber laws as Finland... he still uploads to youtube as well..