Microsoft Scam issues!

TheOtherOption

TheOtherOption

TheOtherOption

Soldato
Joined
26 Jan 2003
Posts
7,005
Location
Surrey
Turns our my dad has taken a call from India this morning and they've had him go through the steps on the PC to show error messages etc (classic scam stuff) and they then installed some kind of remote access software which they were in the middle of using when I came in and told him to hang up and turned off the PC!

Now the issue I have currently is that I've restarted the PC without the network cable plugged in just in case and it's now asking for a windows login password - when that PC never had one ... it just goes straight to the desktop.



Does that look like something the person on the phone might have installed to lock the PC as some kind of ransom?
 
I rebooted into safe mode and the same thing happens - that image is in fact from safe mode.

So it doesn't appear as though we can get into the PC at all at the moment :/
 
Cheers guys - I'd forgotten about the linux on a disk option - will get straight on that to back stuff up!

He has an external hdd that has various things backed up to it so not the end of the world but there are still some bits and bobs that would need pinching off the borked install.
 
Thankfully no financial details were exchanged so that's a non issue but they had apparently started explaining the various option for 3 and 6 years cover plans so it was close!

Just downloading Linux Mint now - I do have a copy of Slax on disc somewhere but it's very old now so might as well get this newer version of Mint.
 
Will look into this Hirens Boot CD thing for backing up / restoring things but dad went and bought a new windows 8 pc - more out of guilt than anything else I think hahaha - means I can clean up the old PC and sell off the parts :p
 
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