Jul 25, 2014
This was my experience with a different number, which led me to this number: 509-477-9963.
Whether the person that gave me this number was lying I do not know, I didn't call her back, I do not recommend calling her, and I do not plan on calling her back. I have already posted my experience concerning the other number in the other forum, which is referenced first here. Here is the experience: she/this number comes later on in the story:
So, yeah, PC Solutions calls from 832-370-1111 says I have malware and bad things which make my 2012, Samsung, Windows 8.1 running computer sick, although he can’t and/or doesn’t tell me any of that information, and instructs me to use Window+R to type and open www.ammyy.com, where I download and let them connect as I'm not a computer guru. I have Norton Internet Security which says the file is safe, so I run it, as asked. Under a man's offsite control (Who has an Indonesian accent) of my cursor, he asks me again to press Windows+R and types eventvwr and finds under Windows Logs on the left of Event Viewer, several categories, such as Application, Security, and System. Under category called Application, there are Error and Warning events from sources like ESENT, Application Error, and Bonjour Service. I have no idea what these mean but I'm told, of the 46,105 total events recorded in this category, the minority that are like Error and Warning are bad, over the phone. Security category has Audit Success events which I'm told are bad. System category has Errors from sources like DistributedCOM, Kernel-PnP (which happened after the entire phone call was over, in the same day), Service Control Manager, Ntfs (Ntfs) [no that is not an accidental repeat], and Warnings from sources like DNS Client Events and Time-Service, of a total of now 29,004 events in the category (as new events have occurred since the phone call), many of which are just labeled Information. I'm told the Warnings and Errors are bad again. The background of the male, Indonesian sounding phone caller is quiet, and I don't remember his name, nor do I ask again. I agree to be transferred to a Senior Manager as I am oblivious as to the severity, good or bad, of my computer's situation. Norton had been saying nice things in scans, no problems. Anyways, I am transferred on my cell phone from talking to a man to a woman, where there is call center noise behind her. I later learn her name is Jane, employee ID or something is WE2954, and she says she is a Senior Tech. She also has an Indonesian accent. The call center noise is actually kinda reassuring to me, as I think, "well, maybe they are legit...". She asks me to press Windows+R and types Inf. She scrolls down the page that comes up and says this stuff is bad; I wouldn't know the difference at this point. She then downloads what appears to be a scanning software to the desktop and runs it, which I'm sorry, I forget the name (maybe starts with an "A"), as she right clicks and deletes it later. It says my SSL is compromised, there Junk, and Spyware not fixed, from what I remember. She then explains that what she does is free, at no cost to me monetarily, which sounds nice. She then says, however, I need to buy in-store software to fix these problems, from Staples, Best Buy, etc. and types a list of the software in Notepad. She types like 6 things I need, which include Malwarebytes, Kaspersky TDSSKiller, and Speccy. None of the 6 things I need are well known to me; I don’t know what they do. She then says if I go to the store, I will need the ‘software II version’ or ‘the latest’ software and it will cost me approximately $289.99, give or take a few bucks; I thought this was weird, as who gives such an exact number like that and says approximately? Still, I just listen. Then she asks who the computer is registered to and who uses it. I said “I assume me, although I’m just guessing” and I don’t give my name and she doesn’t ask for one (no kidding, huh), although “I let my brother use the internet”. She asks if I work and I tell her I recently quit my job. She asks me if any seniors are in my family (although I’m not sure how having a grandma alive who doesn’t use my computer gives me benefits) and if I am a student. I say I’m a student. She says great, please hold on the telephone call, while I check and see if you can get the student discount. She never asks for the school name, before or after this. When she comes back from holding the line, she says PC Solutions can offer me all this software for $249.99 (which at this point I’m thinking, “I thought you said all your help would be free?”). She says, with payment, if I leave the computer on for 2-3 hours they can install all this software and give me forever support and updates, even if I sell this computer and get a new one. So, I say, “I think I’d like a second opinion, why don’t I get that and then call you tomorrow?” She seems confused about what a “second opinion” is and says she can get a manager if I’m concerned about the integrity/legitness of the company (which I’m not sure how talking to more people within the same company would make me trust that same company more). Eventually, we agree that I’ll call tomorrow, so I can talk to her specifically, because I want a second opinion and I’m worried she might want commission if there is any if I call back tomorrow, and maybe the student ‘discount’ is a ‘sweet’ deal (and I didn’t want to have to re-explain my entire situation to a ‘new’ rep), and she seemed like a very polite, friendly lady. She says to call back tomorrow at 509-477-9963 and ask for Jane, WE2954, Senior Tech for PC Solutions. However, before typing this information in Notepad, she conveniently erases the software list of 6 things or so that I supposedly needed. So the only things I remember on that list are Malwarebytes, Kaspersky TDSSKiller, and Speccy. I have hung up the phone after she says she will disconnect from the offsite control of my mouse curser; however, I unfortunately did NOT ask how will I know you guys, PC Solutions, are disconnected from my computer and have had further access revoked; nothing on the computer confirmed this as happening, which is kinda scary to me. It was only later on that evening, I got the same message/window as earlier, with the man, asking me to accept or deny access from the ammyy.com download to control my cursor, which I pressed deny. I then started research on the 3 software items I knew she had suggested: Malwarebytes, Kaspersky TDSSKiller, and Speccy; EVERYONE OF THOSE THREE ITEMS IS A FREE DOWNLOAD, only Malwarebytes offers a $24.95 premium version. So, although I don’t know the other items she wrote for me to get, and judging by the forum here, I’m pretty sure this is a SPAM. I am worried now. I did a Norton Power Eraser Rootkit scan which said there are no risks. High disk usage alert came up from Norton about Rundll32 twice (I don’t know what that means). Windows Action Center said after scanning that the Window Driver Foundation-User-Mode Framework Host Process has a problem: Unhandled exception in the user-mode driver process. It then listed files that help describe this problem: WudfHost_ex__1516.dmp and 37fcc562-f873-492b-9eea-046102b3cfc3.txt. It said opening temporary copies of these files could be dangerous, so I did not. I just sent them to Microsoft. I guess I plan on seeing a computer guy soon to make sure my computer really is okay now, although I never should have let those people at ‘PC Solutions’ have access to my computer just based on an important sounding phone call. Any advice would be appreciated. Also, the first guy’s area code is Houston, the second person, the lady, is from Washington. I also noticed there is no scam info on the number the lady gave me to call her back, whether it’s true or not, I haven’t tried calling it back: 509-477-9963. She said PC Solutions is ‘open’ 8am to 6pm Pacific time. The man’s number that called my cell phone is 832-370-1111. I don’t recommend calling or connecting remotely or giving any personal information with these people, regardless whether the lady's number is legit.