888-983-1927

Indian scammers/Spammers
800-314-7715 888-991-3969 888-983-1927 661-748-0240
SWORDSMAN TECH SOLUTIONS Pvt Ltd
INDIA Office:
4th Floor
DN-10, Merlin Matrix Building, Saltlake Sector V Kolkata -700091
E-mail :support@stscare.com
http://stscare.com/

On May 17, 2015, my G5 iMac computer running Yosemite got a "Safari" alert message that would not go away. Thinking Apple, I dialed the given 1-844-608-4612, got an India sounding voice which did not alarm me. The long slow conversation ended with my being given Swordsman Tech Solutions as 5-yr provider to be reached at 1-888-983-1927, plus downloaded (through TeamViewer remote access software) CCleaner, Ad Blocker, Ram Booster Pro V5.0.1. (The Swordsman number turned out unreachable, when I called to check.)

I paid approximately $299 w my MasterCard, the merchant being named Expretzo, and also I was billed $31.29 from MyCommerce for the Ram Booster. A tech was put online with my computer for about an hour. Afterwards, he tried to call me from the now I know of as "Skype" general number 661-748-0240.

Then, I began to read the scam notices and called Mastercard to find the $31.29 pending and could be cancelled and the $299 charge not at all listed. We changed the card number of course.

I've been deleting the downloaded programs. I have little personal info on this computer and am changing all passwords, etc, on that which I do have. I of course use PayPal with credit card numbers but I assume (?) these could not be obtained by the scammers.

An important point: I'm a bit sophisticated user and don't usually give any info, long a confidant Mac owner, so I did not suspicion fraud when the "Apple" alert notices came. I trusted. I'm now chastened. I've read online discussion how to clean my G5 and trash "alerts".  Did I dodge a bullet? Need I worry about identity theft? Thanks to those of you here who help others!

Some of those programs are free programs. CCleaner is a good program don't get me wrong here, but it is available for free.  So is ad blocker - I'd run adblocker plus and flashblock. You can get them off filehippo or direct.  Do yourself a favor and do download and run malware bytes - you can get that direct from their web site. Another program I like is called Spybot Search & Destroy, you can find it on file hippo also.   Spybot and malware bytes make good back ups to your antivirus.  If they have any of your information besides the CC number, place alerts with your bank and the credit agency's. Anything you had on your computer, they got it! It doesn't take them long to copy your whole computer.

https://www.apple.com/legal/more-resources/phishing/

With thanks to Slim--registered user here:

Since the scammers accessed the computer, they probably did one or more of the following:
• Disabled the anti-virus software
• Added nasty malware to the computer
• Copied the Contact List (so they can spam/email your soon-to-be ex-friends)
• Copied any financial data or passwords they could find
• Compromised your ID
• "Zombied" the computer, so it would respond to THEIR commands sent via internet
• Deleted some important files
• Asked for money to repair the damage they caused

What can you do immediately after such an attack?
1.  Pull the cables on the computer, so it cannot access the internet.
2.  Change ALL  passwords stored on the computer
3.  Run FULL malware scans on the computer, in "SAFE" mode!
4.  Change the passwords again, particularly if the malware scans showed anything
5.  Inform your bank and credit card companies
6.  Sign up for credit monitoring, and check the status frequently
7.  You may have to bring the computer to a local repair shop, and tell them the story.
8.  Tell friends what happened, so they can be aware of strange emails from you
9.  Plug in the cables only AFTER all the above have been done
10.  Change the passwords on all online accounts.  Even better - access a "safe", uninfected  computer, and chance your online account passwords RIGHT NOW.

You fell for one scam, and might be susceptible to others mentioned on this site:
http://phonehelp.2truth.com/facts_rev.html
Read that info to educate and help protect yourself!

Honest computer companies do NOT cold-call people, or cause popups from websites to tell them their computers need fixing!

Some scammers even have websites.
Read the info at these links.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Cold-Call-Tech ... on-150170.shtml
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0346-tech-support-scams

Lesson:
If your computer needs fixing, bring it to a local repair shop

Remember to return here, to 800notes.com, after you look at any of the information at the above sites, either to post more information, or to let us know you avoided the scam or fixed the computer correctly.