Hi Just wondered if any of you guys or gals out there have had the calls that I am getting they appear to be from India and are telling me that my computer is at great risk of crashing and being invaded by viruses I know that my anti virus programme is due to be renewed in 28 days time but would love to know how they got my name and phone number etc. Helena.

Don't give them any info Helena. They ask you for money to fix the problem I am told. Its a scam, like the guy on here selling awnings at the moment.

Thanks for that I sort of guessed it just wondered if anyone else had had the same thing Helena.

Are you on the Do Not Call Register we are and get no calls

Hi Brickies no I am not how do you get on to it Thanks Helena.

Hi Helena, the address you require is:
www.donotcall.gov.au
cheers,
ozi2

Two sites I strongly recommend reading through and bookmarking/adding to favorites.....

http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/

http://www.staysmartonline.gov.au/

I subscribe to Stay Smart Online.  Both these sites are operated by the Australian Government.

It is also well worth registering with Do Not Call as suggested above.  You need to re-register with donotcall (I think) every three years.

"Fly-by-night" scammers are unlikely to take any notice of a donotcall register.

Jim

-- Edited by jimricho on Tuesday 28th of December 2010 05:48:50 PM

DO NOT CALL INFO: this info is NOT ONLY for mobiles REMINDER: all mobile phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sale calls. YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS Below is a link where you can enter your phone numbers online to put an end to telemarketing calls. Don't just delete those calls otherwise you will find that you may have been signed up for all sorts of extra services that you didn't want or know about. Like special chimes, music etc. https://www.donotcall.gov.au/

Had that info re mobile numbers being released to telemarketers some time ago. If you check on Snopes, you'll find its not so.  Thankfully!

Gerty Dancer wrote:

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Had that info re mobile numbers being released to telemarketers some time ago. If you check on Snopes, you'll find its not so. Thankfully!

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This furphy also gets a mention on the Australian Hoax Slayer site as well.  Check out http://www.hoax-slayer.com/do-not-call-register.shtml for more details.

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/ and  http://www.snopes.com/ are well worth adding to ones favorites/bookmarks.

 

Thanks for the help everyone you really have to be so careful today don't you. Helena.

Helena wrote:

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Thanks for the help everyone you really have to be so careful today don't you. Helena.

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We've always had to be careful, even long before the internet.  Con artists and scammers have been around forever.  The internet is just another tool in their "box of tricks".  Mailbox theft is another one of their tools of trade and still occurs.

One needs to think about these things logically,  how would a complete stranger know whether or not one had a computer problem?  methinks a bit "sus".

BTW, don't let these comments put you off asking questions like this post as it's better to be sure than sorry,  the only dumb questions are the ones that aren't asked.

 

My understanding of the situation from people it has happened to is the scammers ring the computer owner and TELL them they have a problem with their computer. They pretend to be from a software company, like microsoft or similiar. They then proceed to tell the comp owner to go into their computer, log on and go to a particular area. Now if you want it fixed you need to give me you credit card details. Now one in particular I head it from pretended to go in and connect online, made ouit they were doing exactly what the con-artist was asking, until the con-artist caught on they were having THEM on, and hung up. There was a write up about it in the paper some time back, how they go about conning you and also had emails about it. So logically or not It definitely is happening. As they say DO NOT give out your details to anyone online you do not know or not sure about.

My reference to using logic was in reference to some of the email furphys doing the rounds such as the one about mobile phone numbers being released.

You're quite right about this scam and it has had some publicity in the mainstream media as you point out, it is very real and I'm not doubting it one bit.

In fact it's when there is no publicity in the mainstream media that it should make one suspect the story. If ACMA or whoever were planning to release mobile numbers to telemarketers you can bet that it would be a "hot issue" and get plenty of coverage.

Check out that Scamwatch site mentioned earlier. It covers all these issues.

Your advice about not giving out details on line, and on the phone, is "spot on", even to "reputable" charities.


-- Edited by jimricho on Wednesday 29th of December 2010 06:49:02 PM

Too true Jim, I had heard the mobile phone numbers released was a furphy spread by email. Always important to be aware at all times.

fortunately something I have always been wary of the person that rang me reckon they were from windows I just told them I would fix the problem myself and hung up but they didn't give up they actually called the next day so I just hung up without answering Helena.

I have also had these calls as soon as they start talking i tell them where to go and just hang up. Even with a no call register they still call,best to just tell them where to go and hang up.

The mobile phone thing is not a furphy the government has set up the do not call web site so you can register which we have done so , your register only last for 2years and you must do it again we record the date we have to do it again

We all have choices, but we all must be vigilant at all times against these ratbags who want to con us out of our hard earned cash. They target credit cards mostly, and we have to be very wary of giving out this information. Now I have a problem with a "Business Centre" in Strawberry Hills, NSW, from where copious quantities of junk snail-mail is distributed. On opening this mail there is some scam plot of one kind of another, designed to rip off the recipient. There is always an envelope enclosed addressed to numerous places such as Canada, Nigeria, Malaysia and of course, the old faithful Netherlands. The recipient is expected to pay the postage to mail the "donation" of anything from $25 to $75, to be entered into some lottery of some kind, which they "guarantee" you have or will win. There is no lottery, and your contribution is a donation to their personal bank accounts. It amazes me that the Federal Police or the NSW state Police, or even the ACCC haven't investigated this address and the "business practices" within. I've googled the address and it appears to be an actual industrial location. The other challenge is to learn how these people get my address. I believe someone out there in computer land it selling these details to these crooks. I bin them now, but in the past I have written rotten things on their forms and posted them without a stamp. But still they come. The people in the Cairns caravan park must be tearing their hair out readdressing my mail. No unsolicited phone call or email or other mail should ever be treated as "honest". Please be careful.

I renewed my home phone number on the DO NOT CALL register back in November and for a couple of weeks after that was getting numerous unwanted calls. They have stopped now so can only presume that there was a small time at reregistering that wasn't working even though the old one hadn't run out when I renewed.

We have had this experience as well with this company. The first time we were away in Canberra when our daughter got the call and worried they were right she did as they asked. Then they asked for Credit Card details which she refused to give and that was when our computer problems started including Mick's bank sms'ing password details to log into his bank account at 3am in the morning. Straight away we knew it was a scam but poor daughter was gullible and didn't. After a major problem with a virus on our computer that got around our virus scan we are way more dilligent, and so far have had 2 more calls from this so called international computer company with Mick telling them exactly how he feels about them. The last call was actually today where Mick spoke to a supervisor because Mick wanted to know where this company was based. He was told they are in Albert Park in Melbourne but when he asked for a physical address they hung up on him. Cheers Ell

brickies wrote:

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The mobile phone thing is not a furphy the government has set up the do not call web site so you can register which we have done so , your register only last for 2years and you must do it again we record the date we have to do it again

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The furphy I'm referring to is the viral email that's been doing the rounds for some time suggesting that mobile phone numbers are about to be released to telemarketers...

check this site for more details...

http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD..PC/pc=PC_311873