I reviewed a site today and discovered a new advertising technique – and if it’s on one site, it’ll be on plenty more.
I clicked on a menu option and instantly got a popup telling me I had the “blue screen of death” and giving me a number to call. It disabled my ability to close the window and I needed to use the task manager to close it down.
Out of curiosity I rang the number (09) 280 6231 which was answered with a bland “Computer Support” and when I tried to find out more about the company I was told it was a large international company and I’d come through to their main support desk – with an Auckland number, yeah, right!
Here’s the screen that popped up
click to enlarge
If that’s not convincing enough check out the first line of the message
Who registers a website name: message-no15715-urgent-technical-support.online
If it looks like a phishing domain name then you can be sure they’re up to no good. I’d love to hear
I’d love to hear from anyone who sees this – I’m hoping the ads don’t get published by many sites and I’m really, really hoping nobody lets these people tamper with their computers.
I took delight in calling the number BUT she asked me to open a “RUN” box and to type in some information (this was after she TOLD ME I WAS WATCHING PORN). When I asked why she wanted me to type in the information she them said so that she could access my computer to check that all of my drivers and security was up to date. This is where I became concerned. If I didn’t know any better God knows what information she could have stolen (Credit Card Numbers, Passwords etc). She advised that they were Microsoft Certified (She claimed their Business name is WETech Consultants) Is and, when asked said that Microsoft paid them for this service!!! Her name was Angela with a very thick Indian Accent but she said she was based in the Philippines!!! In the end she called me a stupid moron idiot and hung up on me. So if the number to call is a NZ number why can’t the Police investigate whoever is paying the bill for that number and stop this? I would hate to think of the number of people who would fall for this. If it happens open Task Manager click on the problem and click on End Now. It will go away
And we’re on a roll – we have another phone number and another site.
This time the website is deviceprotective.com
The phone number is 0800 003 543 – DO NOT CALL THEM
I seem to be getting this alot, how can i fix it.
thanks
I agree, the person or computer voiceover was asking me to make payment asap today, I advised I cannot make payment ill call him back but he advised his number to call back 98010950??? bullshit ! bloody spammers.
I took my laptop into NZ Laptops yesterday because it has been running slow since the windows 10 upgrade. WiFi had been disconnecting intermittently and it was just really slow.
I was told it could be due to a failing hard drive, but when they ran a diagnostic they said the hard drive was fine. Either way i asked them to replace the original 1T hard drive with an SSD and clean up the computer before reloading all my files.
In start up today i noticed a much better performance and no WiFi issues. I’d been working for about 45mins and when the computer started beeping and the above screen took over my screen, I was reading an email.
I’ve been in touch with NZ Laptops, emailing them a screenshot. They have suggested it’s malware and needs a technician to remove it, therefore I need to take it back in to them.
I’ve never had anything like this before. I have noticed that my McAfee was not reloaded after they reset my computer.
They have suggested that the malware might have been in my files and transfered over to the new hard drive when they restored my files. The reason I haven’t seen it before is because McAfee was working and now it’s not there…
Thoughts?
Hi Tom
I don’t know “NZ Laptops” at all but I’ve seen some “interesting” results from repair places and there certainly isn’t a “standard”. It could be that they’re unaware of this new advertising technique and can’t give an opinion until they’ve seen it first hand which would be fair enough.
At the very least I’d be ensuring that the standard Microsoft defender is turned on, up to date and scanning everything.
If you have a McAfee license then I’d be reinstalling that ASAP and it is something you should be able to do yourself.
I’d also be looking to see if any new software has been installed using the Control Panel Uninstall utility. I’ve found adware installed by HP contracted repair places so no reason why NZ Laptops wouldn’t be doing it too (but hopefully they aren’t) and it would explain how the ad was able to be launched while you were on email.
All I have to say is that if the phone number the scammers are truly free – then a few 1000 of us should call them each day and waste a goo 30 minutes of their time. This would tie up 40+ of their call center scammers and prevent the gullible callers getting through.
I just spent 46 minutes taking great delight in asking a bunch of noob questions, knowing full well that they were a scam unit – hooray for google! My best one yet was asking them to go on hold while I searched up their credentials, tying up one of their tollfree lines (I called the 09 280 6231 number) and asking how much it would cost me for this service. The chap at the end of the line said it was a free service, after which I asked how their company managed to fund the salaries of MCSE engineers if the service was free. I did manage to draw out that particular conversation for 20 minutes or so.
Yes, I know it was juvenile. Yes, I know I didn’t actually change anything. But dangit, I had a little bit of fun on what was otherwise, a pretty staid night!
My mum has just been scammed by this lot out of $700. What next steps do you recommend?
Sadly I am reading these scam reports after the event!! I cannot believe I was taken in by this but at the time I was caught off-guard and rang the number (09 8010950). The rest is a sorry tale and I am probably a few hundred dollars worse off than I was yesterday! As soon as I twigged it was a scam, and a very legit sounding one at that, I very quickly reinstalled my own internet security and firewall, removed any programmes they installed and ran a thorough scan of my computer. It appears to be ‘clean. My bank has put a block on my credit card and hopefully the pending transaction (to ZEST TECHNOLOGIES ALCORCON ES) is stopped. Have contacted Wetechconsultants.com and had a reply in which they offered a partial refund to cover the ‘cost of one time fixation of your computer’. Yeah right. And pigs can fly! Oh dear, we live and learn!
@Justine: Probably a little too late now, but your Mum can challenge the transaction if she paid by credit card. I would also suggest that she get her CC provider to block that particular card for any further charges and request a new one.
Bear in mind that NO legitimate company monitors laptops or desktops for virusware without you knowing about it. I would suggest you install an adblocker and a popup blocker on her PC, the free ones seem to do a pretty decent job. If you’re unsure of how to do this, just type “extensions” in your address bar and Chrome (I’m assuming here) should take you to the extensions store. From there, type in “ad blocker” or “pop up blocker” and take your pick.
Good luck!
Who posted in a dilema that wetech is scamming. I am a customer of the same company and people like you when got nothing or do not have anything to do started making such comments posing a threat. Did the company told you that you are going to purchase malware bytes for what so ever cost it is. Did you guys even know what all you got or just that you see malware bytes installed on your computer and started guessing.
Please do not feel offended about what my post is about because the experience I had with them was fantastic, really patient and no doubt knowledgeable. As a customer before paying you should think about it, its your responsibily irrespective of the company, where so ever you are paying. You should understand first for what are you paying and what all services you are getting. MWB is just a component, a part of the security. Further more we tech also offers a complimentary technical support 24*7.
Being a satisfied customer would like to tell you that before accusing any company please make your facts clear. Being a customer we also have some responsibilities as well. First of all please check if you guys did not get what you paid for. If not then have you try calling them and asked for help. If you got what you have been told why now cribbing about that. If you paid extra there may be some benefits you got. So please cross check with wetech. And before posting such negative thoughts and comments please clear your facts and try and contact the company first. Its not about we tech but what responsibility we have as a customer before degrading the name of any company.
Please do not feel offended by it, but try and understand that MWB is just a part of services offered and if you have paid extra just contact the company and get this thing clarified first before making any bad comments. It will be fruitful for us as a customer and helps in making a healthy relation with the company. By commenting bad you are also affecting the sincere efforts of the people earning their livelihood by helping customers.
kainth wants your attention
Well well well guys, not sure this is true or is associated with Wetechconsultants for a very long time. Even before this post started publishing. I was redirected to this website when one of my freind asked for computer assistance and I gave her their number. As it was scary at first for her to contact and was in dilema, she started looking for the reviews about the co which every smart customer should do.
But when I look on these shitty messages and the review about wetech I go crazy, and there is a strong reason behind that. I am with this company from the beginning of this year and the services they offered are comprehensive. They are far more knowledgeable than any of the technicians I have come across as I not that tech savy and have to contact my local technicians a lot, and being patient they are there to listen to your problem and give you the apt resolution for that. I have been a very happy customer and during my tenure with them till now I can not believe any such thing that is posted over here. They are very clear about the Microsoft thing upfront that they are not from MS and an independent service provider who provides online technical support. So there is a question who posted the things related to MS, can be some competition dont know.
They are very genuine in their approach and handling problems. And if you are genuine and posted then I would like to tell you that being a customer you have some rights as well. No company can misuse your details, if they do so then you have all the right to complain about it. Did they misuse your details, the details that you put on was to purcahse the technical support and security and thats it. If you have been charged extra you can contact them as in some international transactions some extra amount got deducted and you can ask the company to refund the same and they will do it as was the case with me as well. Please have some genuine people posting reviews not the fake one. Have a responsibilty being a customer and a person as well. I dont know what issue you had, but as far as I know wetechconsultants is a very efficient online technical support service provider at a very low price, if you compare with others even about the security packages.
Having a laugh at those two messages from the same person – one claiming to be a customer and one claiming to be “with them”. They may be a fine company but their method of advertising sucks and misleading people is not a good way to build up a sound customer base. How about you learn from the feedback rather than fight it.
And his first post – a fine example of cut and paste that will be found all over the net soon, I suspect. Here’s one example: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?p=71794334
and here’s some of his social media
https://www.facebook.com/supercoderpage
https://twitter.com/DavidWillimes
I believe I got through to these people yesterday. After baiting them, keylogging their password, and logging into their merchant gateway I was sickened to see the amount scammed over roughly half a year.
I’ve attempted to refund all people I could see, but their financial details will still be on record for the scammer to leech over time. I just hope they see the email I sent to them about this.
Oh Nick, that was just brilliant – loved your youtube clip at https://www.youtube.com/c/scorpionick
It’s my pleasure! Many New Zealanders on that list, Australians, Norwegians, Dutch, Singaporeans etc..
I don’t care which country the scammers are from, or who they target – they’re all fair game.
I just rang these aHoles and asked them a couple questions about the company and they got sick of me and hung up on me haha
Just pissed that I have to reset my whole Xbox one console and now reinstall virus protector
They blocked my number as I can’t get through their 2806231 number
Hey by chance did you might possibly refund my partner? As he got a random amount of money back into his account the other day and now the have taken it again, we have his card blocked now as we finally realise it’s a scam, and we are gonna go through his bank and they are hopefully gonna get us some of his money bank, I’m calling Microsoft tomorrow to get them to get all the shit off my computer and then im gonna factory reset
Oh flippin no, I have been scammed by We Tech Consultants !!!! I had a notification to call
We Tech 09 801 1468 , and in my panic have given them so much info and access to my computer and a flippin fee which I studidly paid !!!! I have changed all my passwords, cancelled my credit card but am worried about the access they had to my computer, any help advise about how I can fix this would be very welcome. I took photos throughout them working on my computer !! I feel so stupid, they even have a photo of my drivers licence, any help would be very much appreciated
Big thank you to all on this blog. They go to my 13yr old daughters pc this morning, screen had Auckland phone number but gentleman had thick Indian accent. 10 minutes conversing then he mentions WETech and $299 US dollars to fix. I googled we tech and up pops scams.
I got the same alert message and was asked to call up the toll-free number. When I called, I spoke to a male and he said they were authorized on behalf of Microsoft, then I dug in more.He started giving me instructions but I stopped his asking him how can I believe your company is genuine. He gave me the name WETECH CONSULTANTS and said he was based in Philippines. I told him I will call back in 10 mins after checking about the company. It’s been more than 2 days I have heard from him.
I called these people about 4 months ago when I got a BSOD, on not one but both my laptops. I got them to run a diagnostic test, which I could watch from home – they hit me up for a two year anti-virus software package, which I actually paid for one of my computers, but not the other – as I couldn’t think of any other way to bypass the BSOD. Their 9801-0950 is now on my desktop – how do I remove it? My question is – how are they even able to access a laptop to give it a BSOD? And am I able to recover the money that I paid for the anti-virus software, if indeed it is dodgy – how does one check that it actually works?
I entered a comment yesterday but see it hasn’t showed up on here. I have been scammed and actually purchased a 2-year protection plan in November last year after I got the BSOD on both my laptops. I wonder how they could target two separate laptops? And how do I remove the phone number they have added to the bottom of my screen? And is it too late to get the payment I made refunded?
My grandad got this and they provided a support file with the following information:
New Zealand 098015011
Name: Albert Stubbing
email: Albert.stubbing@gmail.com
Phone: 098383804
Billing address: 33 Takapu Street, Henderson, Waitakere 0612
They scammed him out of $450 after I got a hold of the info I told him to cancel the credit cards and change his passwords and clean the laptop professionally even damn scammers I hope you get caught!!!
I called the number and kept asking for the company name and where they were based they kept putting the phone on mute!!! So annoying!!!
Hi, ok I was one of the gullible ones that was bitten. I thought I was doing the right thing but man I am wrong.
I just happened to check on these site as I was trying to get to their tech support page, dumb dumb.
Nick was talking about refunds, how do I get money back out of these scammers, and is my computer safe, as well as my personal data and that of others on use our home network.
I am running Malwarebytes (premium) (thanks to these *insert own expletive*).
I also have this problem. Cannot close down window. Can anyone tell me how to do this please
The man in this story is awesome
https://www.businessinsider.nl/telecom-guy-uses-bots-to-foil-microsoft-support-scammers-2017-2/?international=true&r=US