Yolanda victims Scammed by Londoner - Can we help?

[lordna]

Two people known to us from Basey Samar near Tacloban have recently been scammed out of 80,000 pesos each on the promise of work in the UK. They unwittingly paid up front. I am trying to find out more details such as phone numbers, how they sent the money etc in a hope they might be able to recover their money or we can get these people caught so it doesn't happen to more.

The scammer is posing as "the British Immigration service" and sent the following:-

Has anyone any experience of catching these parasites or know how to go about reporting such crimes?

The address shown in London is obviously false.

[grahamw48]

These are the people to contact to report it, and for any further information.

.
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...icks-and-scams


Mods...perhaps this link could be put as a 'sticky' somewhere, reference SCAMS ?

[Dedworth]

Yolanda victims Scammed by Londoner - Can we help? ................ the con merchant is probably in Lagos although he might be an illegal claiming benefits in Croydon

[Arthur Little]

These are the people to contact to report it, and for any further information.

.
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...icks-and-scams


Mods...perhaps this link could be put as a 'sticky' somewhere, reference SCAMS ?

, Graham ... link - and this thread - have been made 'Sticky' as suggested!

[grahamw48]

Thanks Arthur.

[Iani]

As someone from the UK, I feel extremely embarrassed that anyone might think fellow Brits are up to this rubbish.

For all it is worth though, it's actually unlikely it's real British people doing this, it just isn't something which crosses the minds of most scammers here, and many would think it beyond the pale to rip off people from very poor backgrounds (Plenty of people to rip off with money after all).

Would put serious money on the perpetrators really being from one of two, perhaps a couple more certain countries, and they aren't Britain, or even Europe.

Some are though based over here, as exposed on TV shows like Rip off Britain. Utter scum!

[grahamw48]

I'll second that mate.

[irishman12]

https://www.facebook.com/aljen.bacayo?

........ only similar can find

[lordna]

OOPs yes thats the name of the person who got scammed.

Administrators can you hide the name and address details on the first post please?

[Michael Parnham]

Just had a phone call from an Indian man, he called from this number 15167469209 he said he was from Windows and he told me that I had a lot of malicious viruses on my computer, I then asked where he was calling from and he said Manchester then he went on to tell me to press the Windows key at the same time as the letter R and it took me to an event box, his next request was to type in that box ammy and click something else that I've forgot now and it took me to a green screen that belonged to a company named Ammy, on that screen was a tiny box that said 'read this before giving any information to anyone you don't know' I then clicked on that and it told me that a scam is going around from India saying they are from Windows please freeze your bank a/c etc. etc., at that moment the line got lost so I called BT and told them the story and they have known about it, so they checked my computer and told me because the line cut off and lost contact my computer is safe. It's the first time in my life that I have experienced anything criminal!

[Dedworth]

Just had a phone call from an Indian man, he called from this number 15167469209 he said he was from Windows and he told me that I had a lot of malicious viruses on my computer, I then asked where he was calling from and he said Manchester then he went on to tell me to press the Windows key at the same time as the letter R and it took me to an event box, his next request was to type in that box ammy and click something else that I've forgot now and it took me to a green screen that belonged to a company named Ammy, on that screen was a tiny box that said 'read this before giving any information to anyone you don't know' I then clicked on that and it told me that a scam is going around from India saying they are from Windows please freeze your bank a/c etc. etc., at that moment the line got lost so I called BT and told them the story and they have known about it, so they checked my computer and told me because the line cut off and lost contact my computer is safe. It's the first time in my life that I have experienced anything criminal!

When these grubs call again saying they're phoning from Microsoft string 'em along for as long as you can then say yours is an Apple Mac. The other one I do is let them get through the spiel then say that his colleague called me yesterday and I paid him to fix my PC which is now fine

[lordna]

I have had a similar call several times and each time i just tell them I haven't got a computer. They just ring off.

[grahamw48]

I always answer my landline phone with "police".

Seems to keep unwanted calls short.

Never had a 'nuisance' call on my mobile.

[Michael Parnham]

Can someone tell me what to do to stop my computer doing strange things, when moving that little arrow with my mouse, it sometimes makes the words go white on a blue background and I have to keep pressing escape also it keeps freezing up on me and I have to press escape, on the odd occasion I can't shut down and have to switch computer off manually, can someone tell me how to prevent these things happening please!

[grahamw48]

Do you have an anti-virus programme Michael...like AVG or Avast ? (these are totally free to download and use).

Do you have a 'malware' detector and destroyer, like 'Malwarebites' (also free)?

First thing I would do is run both of these progs and see what they reveal.

I have had this desktop pc for 11 years and have managed to sort out all sorts of odd behaviour on it.

[Michael Parnham]

Do you have an anti-virus programme Michael...like AVG or Avast ? (these are totally free to download and use).

Do you have a 'malware' detector and destroyer, like 'Malwarebites' (also free)?

First thing I would do is run both of these progs and see what they reveal.

I have had this desktop pc for 11 years and have managed to sort out all sorts of odd behaviour on it.

BT is my provider and it comes with Mcafee, I've been with BT for just over 2 years and never had a problem before. Since the mid nineties up until Oct 2010 was with AOL and if I had a problem similar to this I had a friend that I've now known for over 30years who was a computer wizard he used to make all the school websites throughout South Yorkshire he used to fix my problems in seconds, but since I met Maritess he never contacts me any more!

[Michael Parnham]

I've also noticed that the ads on the Forum have all disappeared Graham, that is the good bit about the changes!

[grahamw48]

I suggest you try the Malwarebites programme first Michael.

It will just scan your system and tell you what nasties have sneaked in. You can then at least clean them off before trying anything else. Different to viruses.

It is unlikely that it has anything to do with your provider. So forget that.

Something is not set right, or is malfunctioning on your (Windows ?) operating system.

There may also be another programme or add-on that is interfering with things.

[London_Manila]

Just had a phone call from an Indian man, he called from this number 15167469209 he said he was from Windows and he told me that I had a lot of malicious viruses on my computer, I then asked where he was calling from and he said Manchester then he went on to tell me to press the Windows key at the same time as the letter R and it took me to an event box, his next request was to type in that box ammy and click something else that I've forgot now and it took me to a green screen that belonged to a company named Ammy, on that screen was a tiny box that said 'read this before giving any information to anyone you don't know' I then clicked on that and it told me that a scam is going around from India saying they are from Windows please freeze your bank a/c etc. etc., at that moment the line got lost so I called BT and told them the story and they have known about it, so they checked my computer and told me because the line cut off and lost contact my computer is safe. It's the first time in my life that I have experienced anything criminal!

They normally infect your computer first and then demand $30 to remove it
What they don't tell you is they will demand $30 every month from now on
How they infect your pc is the first place I don't know but this scam has been around a long time

[Dedworth]

Michael read this

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/...1/malwarebytes

[Michael Parnham]

Michael read this

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/...1/malwarebytes

Thanks Ded, yes this is more or less how it went!

[Michael Parnham]

Thank you all, will try and play until I sort it, will keep you posted and let you know how I get rid of it!

[Michael Parnham]

Thank you all, will try and play until I sort it, will keep you posted and let you know how I get rid of it!

Managed to get rid of all the problems by doing a full scan with MacAfee, thanks to all for the various suggestions!

[grahamw48]