Microsoft call scam. help!

[Sea Chief]

Not me.. but a very dear elderly friend, has been had by this scam: they've called him from india, saying microsoft etc, kept him on the line, controlled his keyboard/ he realised only 20mins in & put phone down. Poor old thing, his laptop now totally scrambled mouse going haywire, unuseable. Never had any card details online (too wary of www to buy anything on it).. so at least this didn't happen. B'stards.

Ok I'm not attempting to redo it, or asking how, just what to do now.. what would best course of action be for him?

thanks SC

[vintagekiki]

Maybe a new OS installation on a laptop will be useful.

[Sea Chief]

Maybe a new OS installation on a laptop will be useful.

Can anyone comment on VKK's (totally understandable! falls off perch..) suggestion?

[Jazz P Bass]

Not much can be done about the scammers.
Unless: you care to take down the call center: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHHz...ture=emb_title

[DrGonz78]

Stop answering phone calls unless you know WHO is calling?

[Sea Chief]

Not much can be done about the scammers.
Unless: you care to take down the call center: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHHz...ture=emb_title

Im not asking about how to sort the scammers out, I'm asking about the laptop. Can it be fixed?

[Sea Chief]

Stop answering phone calls unless you know WHO is calling?

Again Im not asking about how to prevent my friend coming unstuck again, he's learnt a hard lesson.

Just its about his laptop, anyone's computer whose had this happen to it/ them.

Thanks. SC

[big_teee]

If you're concerned about the current integrity of the Laptop?
Either run some good Anti Virus software, or like mentioned, do a complete OS operating system, Reload.
The computer should be fine after the software is cleaned or replaced.
T

[vintagekiki]

Can anyone comment on VKK's (totally understandable! falls off perch..) suggestion?

I know, I know
Road to hell always has been paved with good intention

big_teee (#8) correctly commented VK

By installing clean OS on a laptop, the complete www activity history is deleted.
The damage caused by action the scam cannot be corrected, but hpps address of the scam will no longer appear except you allow it again.
Before installing clean OS, back up all your data from C: (My Documents, Desktop, Favorites, OE, etc.) so that you can restore it again.
And don't forget after installing clean OS, install some good Anti Virus (big_teee ) and Anti-Malware software.

[DrGonz78]

So you install software for OS. If the problem is a root kit it involves flashing a fresh copy of the bios. I would treat such an infection of the OS as if it has a root kit on it. I would use Dban software to write zeros to the entire hard drive first. Then, before installing the OS, I would flash the bios for investment of sanity. And then finally install the OS.

[Jazz P Bass]

Typically,these guys don't scramble your OS.
They go in looking for bank info.

[Sea Chief]

Typically,these guys don't scramble your OS.
They go in looking for bank info.

Hi JPB.. how do I establish if the OS is scrambled, has that not been established with the description of it I put in #1? I think 'scrambled' perfectly sums it up maybe?

[Sea Chief]

So you install software for OS. If the problem is a root kit it involves flashing a fresh copy of the bios. I would treat such an infection of the OS as if it has a root kit on it. I would use Dban software to write zeros to the entire hard drive first. Then, before installing the OS, I would flash the bios for investment of sanity. And then finally install the OS.

Crikey that sounds complicated. Ok I have installed OS I think windows 7, on this laptop, successfully.. also did an old dell c600 with windows 5 or whatever it was 10 yrs ago. So this perhaps is feasable (ie if he were to send it to me). But anything prior, root kit lord knows what, I'm unsure of.

So I need to find out about this 'root kit' Ive never heard of.

As its a dead duck as it is, he may as well send it to me wouldn't you think?

[J M Fahey]

Get the laptop in your hands to begin with.
In these cases where computer seems to by taken by badware usual suggestion is to install and run Malwarebytes and CC Cleaner.
Both search and hopefully kill bad boys installed by scammers.

So do that first and tell us what they find.

I have used both myself, they are running in the background now FWIW.

Only "problem" I had, not really one, is that CC Cleaner suggested me "do you want to reclaim 3 GB of wasted space?", and then proceeded to wipe my browsing history, passwords, login data, all cookies, etc. , so then "nobody knows me" and lost access to many places, including here, had to re-login everywhere.

But for your friend, that would be a small annoyance compared to current situation.

Try them, in general they work without trouble, are easy to install and free.

[big_teee]

Info for all Windows users.
Modern computers with microsoft 8 or 10, use secure boot.
Secure boot checks the bios for root kit and boot kit problems.
With the secure boot enabled, the computer will not boot if a virus, malware, root or boot kit is loaded in the bios.
Make sure the secure boot is enabled in your bios.
Most virus and malware issues reside in the hard drive, not in the bios.
T