I was got at this morning there was me thinking they would not get me easy, but they played me well, starts with an Early morning call to my land Line, the caller asks if I purchased an Iphone from Amazon for £799 to which I say no, ok they say this is blocked by us as we were suspicious, they tell me the fault lies with my security system and they can help me this so this lady passed me on to Amazon security, there they had me downloading a small programme called Anydesk, where they were able to control my Laptop, then I am directed to my Amazon accounts page to enable me to remove this fake order, this has me breathing a sigh of relief, not knowing they had me? then it is suggested they can upgrade my security system to one which is called rapport or a name of that nature, my Bank has offered me this in the past, but having a paid for subscription to Avast already installed I had thought I was fairly safe? I should say I am not all that computer savvy, but almost weekly will get some form of scam email, usually this is easy to recognise by the weird email address it is from, I block the sender and then delete them, up till now I have never been taken in. Then they cut all ties to my laptop telling me I am on my own with it and to check my bank account, sure enough there is £799 returned to me from Amazon and the amount in my account has been raised by this same amount, I had checked this last night and did know how much should be there, however the original transaction had never been debited from the account so I was 799 better off, the security man rings me back and takes over my machine again, when asked how my account was plus the 799 from the day before he gave some explanation of how this is common with a delay in the payment system but quite normal and would be adjusted by the end of that day. by this time they had this cupid old stunt hook line and sinker. So they then ask what other accounts I may have, to which I say none but use wise to transfer money abroad, the he says they will install this rapport on my wise account which they were able to open without me, all during our conversation my screen was darting about all over the place, to my bank account then to wise and other things sometimes it being held for a time and this guy telling me exactly what I should be seeing at any given time and showing a screen to say it was with a Tech Upgrade Guy, most of the screens were on view for just a fraction of a second, but I did notice an unusual name Vyene Yak pop out at me on my wise account, this happened twice in just a few mins, on the second time I switched off and hung up the phone, the penny had dropped, then I was in touch with my Bank Security as it happened, they had already blocked a couple of transactions but let a couple through and £1000 had been gotten at, if the Scammers had managed to string me along a bit longer they may have cleaned me out, the bank has sent me a claims form however will they find me responsible for allowing an unknown to take over my laptop?
Better get in touch with Wise asap also Dave, they may still be able to halt any transfer made. Call them if you have to, it's important you get in touch asap. Your bank may be lenient and reimburse you for money lost, but they may also take the position that you brought this upon you yourself.
My sympathies Dave I had two scams tried this week saying they were from BT, I didnt give any information out and immediately dial 1471, which gave me their number and quickly reported it to the real BT My advice for future reference is, especially if it's a recorded message to begin with, put the phone down and dial 1471 which in some cases will give you the number who rung you. ( some clever Bar=stewards hide their number to prevent that happening )
I have watched 100's of scam bait videos over the last decade or so. I am actually keen on the processes to clean the scammers out, or lock their own computers thanks to the following 2 Youtube Channels. Waiting about 5 years now and still no call or email from them. My 2 faved channels. The opening video on 2nd link is similar to what happend to Dave. Sorry to hear about that! https://www.youtube.com/@MoreKitboga < Faved scammer payback channel Similar scam as OP If a scammer gets into your computer remotely, they could: Crawl your hard drive for sensitive data, passwords, and photos. Scammers will quickly collect anything they can use to withdraw money from bank accounts, steal your identity, or extort you for money. Install invasive malware or spyware. Scammers can establish ongoing access to your computer without you even knowing it. They do this by installing add-ons or programs onto your computer that continually steal sensitive information or mask what they’re doing behind the scenes. So what you see on the screen isn’t what’s actually happening. Commit identity theft. With all the personal information that they find on your computer, scammers will have everything they need to steal your identity. Hold your information hostage. Hackers can download what’s called “ransomware” onto your computer. It locks all of your files unless you pay a ransom. Sell your information on the Dark Web. People who commit fraud and theft on the Internet often make use of the Dark Web. This hidden illegal marketplace is a hotspot for scammers and hackers who buy and sell. RECOVERY AND CLEANUP PROCESS https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...ort-scam-67bd120e-26b6-d314-d037-e0c51b41d6d1
Scams target people of all backgrounds, ages and income levels. There's no one group of people who are more likely to become a victim of a scam, all of us may be vulnerable to a scam at some time. Scams succeed because they look like the real thing and catch you off guard when you’re not expecting it. Scammers are getting smarter and taking advantage of new technology, new products or services and major events to create believable stories that will convince you to give them your money or personal details. Protect yourself Be alert to the fact that scams exist. When dealing with uninvited contacts from people or businesses, whether it's over the phone, by mail, email, in person or on a social networking site, always consider the possibility that the approach may be a scam. Remember, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Know who you're dealing with. If you've only ever met someone online or are unsure of the legitimacy of a business, take some time to do a bit more research. Do a Google image search on photos or search the internet for others who may have had dealings with them. If a message or email comes from a friend and it seems unusual or out of character for them, contact your friend directly to check that it was really them that sent it. Do not open suspicious texts, pop-up windows or click on links or attachments in emails – delete them: If unsure, verify the identity of the contact through an independent source such as a phone book or online search. Don't use the contact details provided in the message sent to you. Don't respond to phone calls about your computer asking for remote access – hang up – even if they mention a well-known company such as Telstra. Scammers will often ask you to turn on your computer to fix a problem or install a free upgrade, which is actually a virus which will give them your passwords and personal details. Keep your personal details secure. Put a lock on your mailbox and shred your bills and other important documents before throwing them out. Keep your passwords and pin numbers in a safe place. Be very careful about how much personal information you share on social media sites. Scammers can use your information and pictures to create a fake identity or to target you with a scam. Keep your mobile devices and computers secure. Always use password protection, don’t share access with others (including remotely), update security software and back up content. Protect your WiFi network with a password and avoid using public computers or WiFi hotspots to access online banking or provide personal information. Choose your passwords carefully. Choose passwords that would be difficult for others to guess and update them regularly. A strong password should include a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols. Don’t use the same password for every account/profile, and don’t share your passwords with anyone. Review your privacy and security settings on social media. If you use social networking sites, such as Facebook, be careful who you connect with and learn how to use your privacy and security settings to ensure you stay safe. If you recognise suspicious behaviour, clicked on spam or have been scammed online, take steps to secure your account and be sure to report it. Beware of any requests for your details or money. Never send money or give credit card details, online account details or copies of personal documents to anyone you don’t know or trust. Don't agree to transfer money or goods for someone else: money laundering is a criminal offence. Be wary of unusual payment requests. Scammers will often ask you to use an unusual payment method, including preloaded debit cards, gift cards, iTunes cards or virtual currency such as Bitcoin. Be careful when shopping online. Beware of offers that seem too good to be true, and always use an online shopping service that you know and trust. Think twice before using virtual currencies (like Bitcoin) - they do not have the same protections as other transaction methods, which means you can’t get your money back once you send it.
RESERCHED THAT There are systems in place to recall fraudulent transactions at most Banks World-wide. Money lost to online scams can be intercepted and recovered, provided the victim reported it quickly to the Bank. There are limitations to what a Bank allows, and 1000 does no where exceeds that. Best of luck Dave and I commend you on letting others know, most just absorb it in silence. - If you do not get compensated than contact (ScammerPaybackTipline@gmail.com) He works side by side with multiple agencies, FBI, Interpole and many Foreign Government agencies. He has recovered by his own efforts 100's of thousands for Seniors. That G Mail is his TIPLINE. If you do go this route, he will want to know as much information you can recall as to what the scammer said. Cheers Dave.
One good remedy against falling victim to any calls/emails/texts you receive that alert you is to always quickly offer to call back even when you actually believe the alert might be true. And then never call a number they might give you (they won't), but always look up the number of the supposed company they are calling from on its official website or in the online phonebook/yellow pages. Never install any software to "assist" in curing the "problem" other than software you find yourself and trust (like a better firewall, and/or better software to protect against viruses/malware/phishing attempts and whatever else). Don't blame yourself for falling for an elaborate trick though, even central banks have occasionally been robbed through electronic scams.
