8774345285

Deconstructing a scam.... I just got a call from "Linda". She was very hard to understand. She said she was calling because my computer was generating errors, and she would help me fix it. Right. She gave her company name as IT Solutions phone: 877-434-5285 address: 616 Cooperate Ridge Valley Cottage, NY. She gave her locations as Bangalore, India (after much insistence). (Above someone linked to http://www.itsolutionsusa.net/. Its phone number matches. and it lists its address as 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2 #4000, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, which looks like a match to me.) So, let's start with her claim.... I asked her how she got my phone number, given my computer and its initial Windows licensed came to me via a third party. (i.e., Microsoft doesn't have my phone number.) She stayed with her "Windows division of IT Solutions" line, despite facts to the contrary. She wanted me to go into EventsViewer so she could "help" me with my computer problems. I asked why her company was providing this service for free. Who's paying for it? What did they want? I pointed out she didn't work for free. Her desk wasn't free. The phone line she called on wasn't free. (I'm in the Call Center business.) Was I supposed to think her company was just altruistic? She said, she would help me determine if my anti-virus/malware protections were out-of-date, and if they were, she would help reactivate them. (aha, $$)  It didn't smell right. I ended the call.... That brings me here and to the itsolutionsusa.net link above.... A few problems with the site.... The US and UK phone numbers aren't formatted properly. (877-4345-285, US; 080-823-41442, UK, instead of 0808-234-1442) This shows unfamiliarity with proper formatting. The customer feedback quote uses poor grammar / punctuation - even by US standards. The artwork shows five Asian men laughing. I'm not prejudice, but in context this looks like a Freudian slip. Finally, I Googled the address. It lead to a company named USAMail1. http://www.usamail1.com  It specializes on providing US mailing addresses for foreign businesses. The first two FAQs were quite telling.... 1) "I am looking for a USA mailing address in order to forward mail to myself. Can I do that with your service? USAMail1 is authorized to set up a personal or business mailbox for you in the United States. After you fill out and return Form 1583 we can receive mail for you. You will see your mail online and get an email alert when new mail comes in if you choose to. You may store your mail in our facilities or ship your mail to yourself in the United States or any country in the world at your convenience." 2) ARE YOU READY? "What will my USAMail1 address look like?"
"Your Name
616 Corporate Way, Suite 2 #(Your Personal Mailbox Number)
Valley Cottage, NY 10989
This is IT Solutions's address! Scam. Scam. Scam. Scam! Scam!

I have received two such calls. One was yesterday. The caller ID was 000-000-000. I knew it was not from USA and suspected it was them calling again. Here's what I found out. Name of caller: Andy, real name Mohammad Akil. IT solutions, Bangalore, India. phone # 877 434 5285.
USA address: 325C Web Street, Valley Cottage, New York, NY.
616 Corporate Way, Suite 2, Valley Cottage, NY 10989
NY phone # 718 310 3935

I asked him what is Valley Cottage, he said it is the name of a place in New York, u know, like a smaller place in New York. He said the DNS changer in my computer is infected and is creating errors and warning files I cannot see. My computer has adware and malware and he can help remove it. If I don't do this now, my computer will crash. I said, my internet security system already protects me from threats, we went on and on, I asked him stupid questions and gave him stupid answers, but I refused to turn on my computer.

Next time they call, I will tell them my phone is tapped and the CID in India and FBI in USA has found out their physical location. They are on their way NOW. If they don't pack up and shut down their operation, they will be in the news in less than 24 hours. USA shows no mercy for people like them and in their case, since there have been so many complaints against them, they have run out of places to hide. We (US secret service) know who they are and we know where they are and we're coming for them.

Better yet, here are ways to locate them. Ask them for their 'PAN #'. A 'PAN #' is an income tax ID given to each business or individual by the government. There is an online government database to check businesses with their PAN #s. Tell them we need PAN numbers to process payments (obviously this is not true, but they'll fall for it). Ask them how they accept payment and out of which bank in bangalore, their bank routing # and account # for a direct wire transfer. Or which PO Box to send the payment to. Call the bank or post office in India or contact your own bank in US to verify their location and then call the local Bangalore police. The Indian Bank and Post office locations are all available online.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police in Bangalore's direct phone no. and email is online, you can google it. Send him an email or talk to him personally, give them all the information. Best time to call is 10 am Indian Standard time. A deputy commissioner is the highest position in a metropolitan city like Bangalore, they are highly educated and respectable people who will listen and act immediately. These IT people will be caught within 24 hours.

- ms

OK, I got a call from Steve from this number and with the same scenario as those above telling me about all my errors that were being generated by my computer. He handed my over to his supervisor after a while called Jimmy. Quite a social engineering speel. The program they used to analyze my computer was Advanced System Care Ver. 3.5.0. I found out later that you can get this program for free a number of different places on the internet. I also checked about the error messages they said were coming from my computer and found out that is what you will see even on a good, healthy computer. You can google that. Bottom line is they wanted $199.00 to repair my computer and a $100.00 extra for any other computer in the house. They took me right up to the screen where you agreed to purchase the service and I told them I would call them back the next day. I see the pressures people can be put under when they think their computer may cash at any time. It didn't help that my computer had for some unknown reason turned off a few times over the previous three months.

I got the same call with all the scenarios described.  I went as far as allowing them take over my computer, but stopped short of purchasing with the promise that I will call them back.  My question is could they have installed anything which would be harmful to my computer?  Please somebody advise.

Thank you so much for your thorough reply which helped to empower the rest of us against this scum-bag.

They are still at it. Thanks for all of the info that has been posted. Beware and warn everyone you know.

rec'd a call from a man w/India accent. said my IP address was wide open to suspicious malware and he was calling for Windows. I was suspicious and said I did not want to give him any information. He persisted saying I could verify this phone number while he was on hold. I told him I could not do that at this time and why couldn't I call him back at a time when I was sure of who I was talking to. He said his company was IT Solutions USA Inc. He said he would put the level 2 tech on the line. The person who came on as "tech level 2" sounded like the very same person I had spoken with first. I told him I was not interested and he continued to tell me that this was suspicious malware that had infected 50-70% of computers and mine was one of them. They had received information from my computer and knew it was infected. I told them I'd been working with computers for 25 years and had not heard a thing about it. He continued to tell me that I had nothing of it. If so many computers were infected how was it I had never heard about it? He continued saying it is not possible for me to know everyone  in the world, but insisted that they were calling all the individuals who had this malware on their computers. I told him I thought that was not humanly possible if the numbers he had given me were accurate. He said I could verify company and number and then call him back. I called Best Buy and they had heard of some scams, and said this definitly was classic. They had also asked if I did financial transactions on the computer or used facebook. I told them I did not want to talk to them without being able to verify who they were. The BBB is closed at this hour, but I checked the company on the BBB website. My guess is they are using that company's name without the company's knowledge. The company is located in Miami.Do not share info with this (these) losers. I am still not sure it was two different people. Both had accents and although one sounded a little more clear, they sounded remarkably the same.

They just called my parents.  My dad couldn't understand them so he passed the call to me.  "Shirley" had a heavy accent (probably Indian).  She went thru her speel.  When she took a breath, I asked for confirmation of the company.  When asked to boot the computer, I told her I didn't have time for this right now and was there a call back number.  I did not and do not plan to call back.  I'll have to really instruct my parents to not deal with these people.  Like another poster said, it doesn't help when their computer needs a tune-up.

I just received a call too! The caller id gave me 000-000-0000- as if that isnt fishy enough! I answered more out of curiousity than anything else.  A male indicated they had been receiving error mesage from my computer and wanted to help me fix it.  Said they had completed a report of Windows users in NC. he wanted me to push the windows flag button....and that is when I told him I was not comfortable.  He has an Indian accent. I asked where he was calling me from and he told me New York. I hung up. He called me right back again!  I told him I was not comfortable with what he was asking me to do.  I asked for his company name and contact number. He gave me 877-434-5285.  Said his compant was IT Tech.  I looked the number up and this is what I found....this forum.  HOW did they get my last name and phone number? I am thankful I did not go further with him over the phone and they should be stopped!

My mother received a call from this company two day in a row. The call was as reported by previous posts with a few exceptions. Caller I'd, showed caller was from Utah. when she told the man she didn't understand what he was talking about and asked for his name and number, he said his name was Allen....8774345285.

Got a call from "Kevin Ray" (Indian accent) on September 15, 2012 telling me my computer had a virus and there was junk that they were "getting reports" about that I could not be aware of!  Wanted me to turn on my computer and let him make me aware of the junk, etc.  I told him couldn't do it and then looked up this number.  A little impatient when I said no - but then gave me the above phone number to call him back!

Yes they could have.  If you don't know what you are doing, take it to a computer repair place and have them do it.   If it was me, I'd just  do a clean OS reinstall, but I have done that before.

ditto-got phone call proceeded thinking legit until $199.pay in installments I started to see the picture and told him i will turn him into the police.  the accent didn't bother me because we get all the time.  but when he was on my computer i really got nervous.  made sure all indications were off my computer and notified my provider and friends i was so gullible

Yeah guys me too got an unsolicited calls and I subscribed to them on March 2012 and till now I have received services no’s of time and they are very professional and helpful, only last week I went through with them for my second computer also, I know them personally even IT solutions are starting their ground support from next month, I wish them best of luck

I happen to check this site only after getting the same call I think most of the people here got. I know enough about computers not to need the service so I didn't buy it any way. But I did let them show me what they do by logging on to my PC and it wasn't a bad thing for people who need it, I can see how it can be worthwhile. And don't worry, if it's the same thing I witnessed there is no information being taken. But as a precaution, no one should be storing important passwords and banking info on their computer any way, it's 2012 people!

You *must* be joking .... of shilling. Nowhere on Earth will you find "people who need" a surprise computer security inspection from a room full of scammers who want only to steal money and sensitive data.

Before "Tim Farris" can snowball us again, here's the verdict straight from Microsoft:

Avoid tech support phone scams
https://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/avoid-phone-scams.aspx

Strange call pretending to be from Microsoft tech support
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/f ... 2e-2ab81645553d

Some relief came the first week in October 2012 as the FTC spanked whole gangs of these creeps with huge damage awards.

FTC Halts Massive Tech Support Scams
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2012/10/pecon.shtm

I.T. Solutions USA Inc

2013 January 17th Thursday 4:50PM-6PM

I also got a phone call like these.  The caller I.D.

number did not show up, but I got a number as the

name: V11716503300025.  The contact number they

gave me was 1-877-434-5285.  I did give them access

to my computer, but did not pay them when I learned

about the fee.  I had been talking to AT&T about my

computer problems, and thought there as a

connection.  I was uncomfortable.

I received a call just like you described ...I told him I was going to check him out before I gave him any information I'm glad I checked out the number. Thank you for your post'

Can any of these messages be put on a social network so everyone knows not to allow this people into your computer.  I had just such a call today and almost let them in but for some reason the phone cut out. When they called back I asked for the address and other information and this is  the address he gave was 77 Lopresti Road, Middletown, NY.  The caller id showed a call coming from Beaverton, OR.  I told them I would call back when the Better Business Bureau and Police  assure me I was not being scammed.  He said he would be waiting for my call.