I received an unwanted call from a number ending 1002.  When I advised him I was on a no call list, and asked him to remove my name from his call list, he refused.  He told me there was nothing I could do to make him take my name from their list.

I had the same thing happen.  He had a thick accent and I could hardly understand him.  He was extremely rude and aggressive.  He asked about my "Windows Computer."  I began interrogating about which computer, how he received my phone number, who he was, etc.  When I told him I was on a no call list and to remove my number from his list, he refused.  He told me he wasn't going to do anything.  Extremely harassing telephone call.  How do we track them down and stop them?

voxbone sa

They must be spoofing businesses to become untracable. Clever little ****s.

I recieved a call from this number today.  The representative claimed that his name was Daniel Brown, though he had a heavy Indian accent, and that he was an affiliate of the Microsoft company working with PC WIZARD in Las Vegas, Nevada.  They had me open my Event Viewer and I did indeed see several warning and error messages.  However, I am a former E@ST student (E@ST stands for Environmental And Spacial Technologies) and knew that every computer receives these messages.  I opened Microsoft word and made it sound like I was typing in what the representative was telling me to type.  When he told me to go to a website (www. ammyy. com) I opened my web browser and did indeed go to the site.  When there I saw that there was a small paragraph in red lettering on the right side of the page.

The company, Ammyy Admin, has a warning on their site about this specific scam, and the following text is a copy and paste from their website:

"Ammyy Admin - cases of malicious use. Official WARNING.

Dear users of Ammyy Admin

Unfortunately, there are some cases of malicious use of our software noticed. Please be attentive and never grant access to people you don't know personally or whom you don't trust.

!!! If you receive a phone call claiming to be from 'Microsoft' or someone claiming to work on their behalf, telling you that you have a virus on your computer or some errors which they will help you to fix via Ammyy Admin, it is definitely a scam.

There also might be phone calls from people presenting themselves as internet service provider technicians or any other tech support specialists.

Ammyy Inc. is a legit software development company, we take the privacy and security of our customers and partners personal information very seriously. We are advising Ammyy Admin users to treat all unsolicited phone calls with skepticism and not to grant access to your PC to anyone you don't know personally.

We can assure you Ammyy Inc. doesn't make these kinds of calls and never asks to download and launch Ammyy Admin.

Here are some cases of scam:

"I got call from an India based consultant who said to me that he is calling from a govt. organisation in Melbourne, Australia. He made me to log into my computer to track some files and without advising me he wanted me to download a software application from ammyy.com and get remotely connected to a technician to delete some files..."

"I was recently called by what I thought was my internet service provider technician who used Ammyy to gain remote access to my computer - after I stupidly granted him that permission. It turns out that he was nothing to do with my internet service provider. When I became suspicious and began questioning him he said he would show me who he was and opened a website of a company - the web site triggered my virus software and I then demanded that the remote access be terminated..."

In case you received such type of phone call - hang up, do not let them have remote control access to your computer and never provide any of your credit card requisites.

If you got scammed...

If you got scammed (launched Ammyy Admin and granted access to your PC to a scammer and inputted your credit card requisites during the remote desktop connection session) please do the following:
1) Turn off your Internet connection, then turn off the PC and call your bank to freeze all your bank accounts.
2) Boot your PC in the safe mode and check it for viruses (it's possible the scammers had run their malicious hidden software)
3) If your Antivirus Software shows no warnings restart the PC and make sure Ammyy Admin Service isn't installed and doesn't run in automatic mode. For this go to main window of Ammyy Admin -> Ammyy -> Service -> Remove. Then restart your PC again.

If you're not sure you can manage the actions described above then just turn off your PC and address to a computer specialist you know or to a company that provides technical support.

Ammyy Admin software (if downloaded from www.ammyy.com) itself doesn't bring any risk of data leakage or harm to your PC. It doesn't make any hidden manipulations with your files and folders. You also don't have to uninstall it. If you decide not to use Ammyy Admin just delete the exe file from your PC.


Best wishes

Ammyy Inc. team"

In other words, this is a SCAM.

I'm glad that I have been taught how to spot these things.

If you receive a call from this number, just hang up.  They will try to call you back once or twice and all you have to do is continue hanging up until they stop.

If you are legitimate, why did your company abruptly hang up?

This very same thing happened to me last night.

This is a SCAM!!!

Got the same call today from pc wizards that everyone has been reporting. Caller insisted that he was based in Las Vegas. Was told that the call was due to monitoring of "my network", that when I go online they can see that my computer is infected with viruses. When I asked the person calling how they found my phone number based on "the network" that was been monitored, it was stated they can't and that they are just calling everyone with a "network". At that point I asked the caller how many years in jail would someone get for this type of fraud...
the caller hung up.

I'm an IT Pro. Don't know if these guys provide any legitimate service after they get your credit card info and get on your computer to remote control (they more likely and just as easily infect your computer and target you for identity theft). But the lies they use to get you to buy their services makes this a no doubts about it scam/fraud.

Mike Collins - I wouldn't like to cross you :)

Ruefo/Ruefio, I would say "well said" but as you got your name different in the header and the sig it raised a red flag ;)

Mr Kapoor - old Northern English saying (polite version!) - if one person calls you an idiot, either you're the idiot or they are - if 10 people call you an idiot then *you* are the idiot!

There are far too many people complaining about your "service" for it to be anything but a scam. If you were a legitimate operation you would be promising a full investigation into these "rogue" representatives who must be doing the wrong thing and giving your company a bad name (um, does English sarcasm translate into text ;) ).

But here's the rub - you wouldn't go out and buy a car and expect to drive it away without lessons/test/etc. But you expect to go into your local PC store and buy an arguably more complex machine and take it away without a second though. True, you don't need to know *how* an engine/gearbox works to be able to drive, but you *do* need to know how to drive safely.

Personally I lay blame at Microsoft - they keep telling us how easy/simple it is to use our machines (with whichever version of Windows is the best/fastest/most intuitive ever, well, until the next version), but you don't drive recklessly just because your car is fitted with seatbelts and airbags!

My utopia is when we all know enough about the computers we're using that these people cannot prey on us - in the meantime work out your support mechanism *before* you buy. Going back to the car analogy, when you buy a new car you have the dealership to back you up, you take your car there if anything is wrong. If you buy second hand, then you know a trusted workshop/mechanic/relative you can call.

If you stopped your car and some guy came up to you and said "oh, I noticed you have faint smoke coming from the exhaust - I can fix that for you for $50, just give me your keys, let me into your engine and all will be OK, oh, and I do take credit cards" , would you?

In the meantime, like some others, I like to keep these people on the phone and run them in circles for as long as I can - every minute they are frustrated by me is one minute they are not scamming someone else.

Lance

I keep getting calls with no messages from this number.  Callled it back, and someone difficult to understand said he had life insurance quotes for me.  Told him not to call me again.  Guess I'll see what happens.

All this is well and good, but there is a fundamental issue not being addressed here.  that issue is this _ NO REPUTABLE COMPANY IS GOING TO CALL YOU OUT OF THE BLUE BECAUSE YOU COMPUTER HAS AN ERROR.  Simple as that.  The only possible exception is that you registered with Microsoft, and you are in the habit of sending Microsoft error reports when Windows does something wonky.  Even then, the support teams will attempt to recreate the issue in lab, and if they can then they attempt to repair that fault in the programing, and ultimately they will release a security patch or bug fix on the automatic update system.

However, unless you call them first, they will not call you.  Period.  I have been a computer technician since 1998, and I run my own business in Texas.  Several of my customers (And two of my closer friends) have gotten this call and the calls have been, to an incident, bogus.

So Mr. Kapoor, please instruct your sales department to stop making these calls.  It is verbal spam, and if the person you are calling is on a "Do Not Call" list, well sir you are then committing a federal offense and you need to have a talk with the FTC and FCC about your service.

Good companies will not call you out of the blue.  Good companies know your name before hand, and are responding to you - not fishing for new business.

Have a good day!

-Ruefo

I keep getting calls from this # and want it to stop. I don''t answer the calls.

I just got a call from 858-939-1002. They statesd that I had won a $2000 debit card. All I needed to do is pay $49.95 for nrxt day delivery. Told them to deduct from debit card or send COD then hung up.

this caller called me and asked if  was a diabetic I guess they were trying to get me to give them my medicare number told them to stop harrasing me and that I am on a do not all list can barely speak english

my daughter kept getting calls from this number and today she finally told the guy to quit calling and then she hang up,minutes later same guy called back and when she answered the guy told her why did she hang up on him and if he told her he was finish talking,needles to say she hang up again,then again phone rung but that time I answered and the guy was very nasty,he started by saying who the **** I think I was,and that I was an a-hole,and then he told me to go to hell.I tried to call the number back but I got the message the number is not longer in service.

Tonight I received a call from PC Wizards.  Caller ID did not show the calling mumber.  A man with an Indian accent said my computer is causing problems (presumeably on the internet) and he will fix it.  He told me someting is wrong with my Windows program.  I said, I don't run windows.  He then asked if I had a Mac.  I said, At this point I don't think what I have is any of your concern.  You have already demonstrated you do not know what you are dealing with.  He hung up.

I've had three calls from this company so far, all from different phone numbers and one that said private name, private number. One guy even asked me if I had a computer after he told me he was calling to tell me that he has evidence that I was having problems with my computer. I told the last caller that if they didn't put me on their "do not call" list that I was going to report them to the Attorney General.  He hung up on me! haha

The number comes up on my caller ID with the last name VOXBONE....some idiot with a middle eastern accent.  Then he tells me he is from the United States Department of Health....right.....and government number comes up U. S. Govt.  Wants to talk about diabetic supplies.  I raised hell and hung up on the A-hole.

getting several calls per day from this number. I don't answer because I don't recognize the number. Online indicates calls are spam

These people called my Mom and tried to scam her! Thank GOD she told me what happened and I had her cancel her card and change her passwords! They started calling her every 30 seconds on her home telephone and cellphone! When I started answering the "Rep" figured out that I knew what was going on and got nasty.  He started cursing so I did the same.  I WILL be taking further action! THIS COMPANY IS NOTHING BUT A SCAM AND SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN!!!

Answered call and the man calling said he was with U.S. Health Care. I told him
to stop calling--they call frequently.  I am reporting this number.

Thanks, Mike, for taking the time to unmask PC Wizards.  Just as I suspected, this was a fraud just one step up from a Nigerian scam.  Whether it was intended to get all my computer information and steal my identity and  my money with it, or whether it was just to charge me $50 to $200 I don't know.  But while my computer does, indeed, run slower than it should, I'm not THAT desperate!!!

If your company is legitimate you would not call numbers on the national "do not call registry". I have been on that registry for YEARS and received a call from you TODAY. If you want to do business in the USA you had better follow the law of the land. I will be reporting you to the federal government.

To annoy them, make sure there is no noise in your home, and then pick up and say nothing. Let them hang up first.

I am also receiving harassing phone calls from PC Wizard, is there any way to report them, file charges, shut them down? The "gentleman" who called me last night actually screamed at me with profanity because I told him that I don't own a computer. He stated "Yes you do you F'n liar" I hung up. He called back about a half an hour later. What can be done about this?

They are harrassing calls numberous times a day

This number calls all the time.  I asked the last two times who they were calling from and they said "USA Health" and wanted to help me with diabetes.  I asked who said I had diabetes and it was USA Health.  I do not have diabetes which I told him so he hung up on me.

Got a call from 77715260087220...
Girl says she will help me get to not install bad programs from Internet. Says she is from "PC Research". When I tell her I'm interested, she passes the call to "Andrew" (heavy eastern India accent). He tells me immediately to "minimize" (not shut down) all programs and to go into my system control panel. When I start asking what he is trying to sell me, he just keeps going. "Do you see the screen I am describing?" he asks. "No" I say, "because I don't use Windows - only Linux and Mac". "That's ok" he says, we can fix that to. Go to the PC Wizards website and..." - "wait" says I. The girl I spoke to earlier said you were with PC Research". "No she didn't" says he. You are wrong.".  "She also said that your company can stop me from downloading bad programs" I said. "That's right" he says. "Well, since I don't run Windows, how can you help me?" I ask. "Well, if you just go to our website..." he replies. "Are you saying that you can secure my systems from Internet hacking?" I ask. "Of course" he says. "Well" I reply, "since I am in this domain (information security) I can assure you that you cannot prevent security problems 100% for anyone". "Ok", he says "Then look out from us and I hope you can protect yourself" - and hangs up.

The same number just called me but i didnt answer my lawyer told me not to answer a number i dont recognize because if you answer it then they will know that the line is active and they will continue to call and harrass you so the best thing to do is when they call you dont answer the phone. They will not call you anymore if you continue to ignore their there calls.

I get a call from this number, every day for about a week now, when I answer they hang up.  They never leave a message.

I had a similar call,  but I knew immediately it was a scam!  I know my way around windows and had fun wasting their time.  I made them repeat everything several times. they were going to ask me for $50 to fix the "problems" (they told me I had) with slow bootginmg and unwanted downloads.  They had me pull up the events view and told me I would find many "problem (errors, warnings, information entries...) They then told me to enter a URL into IE.  I didn't but I told them I did and that My PC had crashed with a blank screen.  I asked tyo speek with his manager after some fake shuffling of the phone "Sam Bell" picked up.  Itold them that they had ruined my PC and were responsible fgor fixing iut foe free! he dissapeared for a while and I finally grew tired and hung up.  Minutes later, a simiilar call was picked up by my wife , who told them to take us off your lis and never call again" They never mentioned my call.  

By the way I got their 800 number if any body wants it...

Chuck Brotman