C
Courtney Wyatt
Guest
This morning I had an email problem using my Outlook app on a Windows 10 desktop. I posted a question in the Email section of this board, titled, "mail sent with Outlook disappeared". Within minutes I received a useful response on board from an MVP. A few minutes after that, I received another desktop notice. Thinking the question had another answer, I checked the page but there was not a second answer. I now believe it was deleted immediately after being posted, on the assumption I would see the message via email. There was:
I now believe that phone number to be part of a scam, so do not call. The two women I spoke to both could have been from India or Pakistan. (Sorry, not enough experience with accents to tell the difference.) My first major clue should have been that someone answered right away, with no voice menu system. She just gathered some basic information and said she would connect me with a support person. After a bit of time she came back and said no one was available right now, but they could call back within 30 minutes. She knew my phone number without me telling her, but I'm not unlisted. So via caller ID they could have figured that out. But at the time, I thought I was speaking to Microsoft, and I thought it natural they would know.
About 30 minutes later, someone indeed called back. She verified some info, and then asked that I install some software on my computer so she could check stuff. I ended up installing something called GoToAssist Customer. (I wish I realized I was being a dumba** at this point...) We did some handshaking to get the app operating and she gave me a code. This gave her the ability to remotely control my computer.
She didn't seem to be focused on my Outlook problem, nor particularly aware that one could run Outlook without having Microsoft Office. But her script seem designed to escalate alarm.
... By then I'd caught on and asked her how I knew she was from Microsoft. You know what she did? She opened a DOS Window and showed me the Microsoft copyright at the top. She could circle things, and she circled the text that said Microsoft. Okay, I'd shown myself to be ridiculously foolish, but even for me my intelligence was being insulted.
I told her I was not interested and she said bye with no further mention of the Outlook problem this support call was supposed to be about. Apparently GoToAssist would not allow a normal shutdown, so I turned off my desktop via the actual power On/Off button. Once rebooted, I came here to post, and hopefully find out how badly I have skrewed myself.
Quick Scam Fix: When sending a notice from this board, do not send the bodies of messages. Just let the original poster know there has been a response and provide a link to the board. It is a mistake to allow someone to "reply", immediately delete, and still have the target be (now privately) notified what was said.
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| Victoria Scott58 has replied to your question mail sent with Outlook disappeared in Microsoft Community. |
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I now believe that phone number to be part of a scam, so do not call. The two women I spoke to both could have been from India or Pakistan. (Sorry, not enough experience with accents to tell the difference.) My first major clue should have been that someone answered right away, with no voice menu system. She just gathered some basic information and said she would connect me with a support person. After a bit of time she came back and said no one was available right now, but they could call back within 30 minutes. She knew my phone number without me telling her, but I'm not unlisted. So via caller ID they could have figured that out. But at the time, I thought I was speaking to Microsoft, and I thought it natural they would know.
About 30 minutes later, someone indeed called back. She verified some info, and then asked that I install some software on my computer so she could check stuff. I ended up installing something called GoToAssist Customer. (I wish I realized I was being a dumba** at this point...) We did some handshaking to get the app operating and she gave me a code. This gave her the ability to remotely control my computer.
She didn't seem to be focused on my Outlook problem, nor particularly aware that one could run Outlook without having Microsoft Office. But her script seem designed to escalate alarm.
- None of my Internet Services were running!
- Hackers were already in my computer and had been since May 2018!
- They couldn't do anything while she was controlling stuff with GoToAssist, but when she stopped, they would begin monitoring me again, waiting to steal valuable information or crash my computer!
- My virus checker would not function correctly on any version of Windows since 8!
- For just $195 she would clean my computer and install protection software with 5 months phone support!
- For just $295 I could get lifetime support, transferable to new computer(s) as I got them!
... By then I'd caught on and asked her how I knew she was from Microsoft. You know what she did? She opened a DOS Window and showed me the Microsoft copyright at the top. She could circle things, and she circled the text that said Microsoft. Okay, I'd shown myself to be ridiculously foolish, but even for me my intelligence was being insulted.
I told her I was not interested and she said bye with no further mention of the Outlook problem this support call was supposed to be about. Apparently GoToAssist would not allow a normal shutdown, so I turned off my desktop via the actual power On/Off button. Once rebooted, I came here to post, and hopefully find out how badly I have skrewed myself.
Quick Scam Fix: When sending a notice from this board, do not send the bodies of messages. Just let the original poster know there has been a response and provide a link to the board. It is a mistake to allow someone to "reply", immediately delete, and still have the target be (now privately) notified what was said.
More...
