Really worried Ive just being scammed, please help!

[tigwig]

Just had a 30 min call from a foreighn sounding man who said he was from Windows support. He didnt know my name but asked for the owner of the house. He took me through these different files then started talking about slow perfomance and security blurb. He took me to this site which was www.pcmiles.co.uk then wanted me to buy there software to which I refused. While he was doing this though I was connected toa technician (the Norton security did say the site was safe) but someone else had control of the computer and was scanning a load of files. He got a bit arsy when I said I couldnt afford it but is this all he was doing or could they have gained access to anything on my computer? Im really worried now and have to go out in 5 mins!

[ChuckFickens]

I'm giving a lecture in stupidity not because I feel like being mean or nasty, purely because I hope that it might get the message across to be more careful about this sort of thing in the future, if it's any consolation my father fell for a similar scam and I ripped into him for being stupid too, so don't take it personally, but please think a little more in future and take the attitude that everything is a scam until proven otherwise, rather than the other way round.

As I said the first thing you really should do is get that computer disconnected from the internet so nothing personal can be sent to anyone from it.

Once you've got it isolated you should run a full scan with your normal antivirus software, and while that is running use another computer to download malwarebytes

http://www.google.co....CcbRtv35zZEPzufAl4Q4Q

Put it onto a memory stick or CD and then install it on the computer you suspect is infected from the memory stick or CD (if you use a memory stick format the stick straight after you've done with it)

Once you've installed run it and run a full scan with malwarebytes too and remove anything it find on completion. do a restart on your computer and hopefully it will have found and removed anything it finds and you'll be clear.

If it doesn't find anything, or if it won't even install or run for any reasons then you problem becomes a little more problematic and a full scan in safe mode, or an offline scan using a bootable scanner be be required.

[Bbbananas]

See....!

[tigwig]

Right hello again! All bank accounts etc have been frozen and first direct gave me a website to perform a full scan that would get rid of anything malicious on the computer. When I tried to do this it came up with an error code possibly because we already have Norton and the 2 were clashing? So Ive run a full scan from Norton which appears to do the same thing and tomorrow will wipe everything else off and start again. Is this enough or do I also need to do the full scan from this othersite too?( www.f-secure.com )

[what..the?]

might be better to ask the question again tomorrow to remind folk of the problem, I usually ask in technology but it can be hit and miss in there sometimes, good luck, we all make mistakes, mines to never backup enough, now I have a separate usb external hard drive I save to every now and then, any really bad viruses I get usually crash the pc and I lose everything all the files, so it is better to have back ups.....x

[joko]

how did they gain remote access...? you have to authorise that..if you did, check that you havent left it open to them...you can give access to others but usually would set an expiry limit...you may not have done that...

the norton is saying its fine because they havent given you a virus - your computer is fine...thats not the scam here...the scam is sort of gatherign of your info

[squarebear]

tigwig gave the scammers authority by going to the website and letting them in. You no doubt now have keyloggers and password harvesters running on your PC.

No offence, but it's people like you that ensure these scams continue to run.

[tigwig]

"people like me" yeah thanks for that squarebear really helps. I fully admit I was absolutely stupid and cannot believe I did it or what the hell I thinking but comments like that are unecessary and quite upsetting when I have already spent the whole of yesterday being worried sick and a good few hours of crying. All I can say in defense is that they caught me offguard, I was working at the time caring for 4 children (2 of which were asleep) but my own baby and daughter were being very loud in the background and I thought he was just someone selling me something so just wanted to get rid. This is the first time I have ever done anything like this and to say its my fault is unfair. They are the criminals not me.

[Zeuhl]

It's a Learning Experience Tig that's all. Don't get upset just follow the expert advice above to protect yourself.

Don't feel bad about yourself - your only crime was assuming someone meant you no harm. These people are electronic sneak thieves and the lowest of the low.

[craft1948]

Don't get upset again tig................tell SB to bugger off :-)

[squarebear]

Sorry about your trouble but it's true that if people were not as gullible, these things would stop.

If someone came to your door and asked for your purse beacuse he said a lot of fake notes were going around, would you let him?

I don't mean to sound heartless but this is common sense. No need to be IT savvy.

[Zeuhl]

True SB

But I don't think she'd make the same mistake twice!!
.

[joko]

did you actually give them remote access to your comp? or down load anythingmerely going on a websit epage will not access your comp

[squarebear]

True.

tigwig - go to http://www.malwarebytes.org/ and download the free version of Malwarebytes, run a FULL scan and this should hopefully shift any nasties. Keep an eye on your bank statements for any unusual activities and your email for any strange messages that appear to be sent by yourself.

Also change your passwords on any internet message boards like this one.

joko - Tigwig let them in to remotely access her PC. They may as well have been sat in front of it to install their spy programs. No virus blocker will block something you purposely allow to access your computer.

[LoftyLottie]

Oh tigwig, it could have happened to any of us who are not totally wised up about these things. I know of someone else it happened to and they certainly are not a stupid person. Please don't be upset. Harsh words Squarebear. I don't think your comparison is actually a very good one at all. We got totally fooled by some guy selling time shares once and I consider both Mr LL and I are worldly wise and weren't the sort of people who could be tricked. I was proved wrong!!

(We didn't buy a time share, but ended up at a stupid meeting)

These things happen to the best of us.

To say

[joko]

i agree square bear..however thats why these things work at all...if they were obvious everyone would spot them a mile off...an no-one would ever get scammed...they are clever and designed to fool and rely on the fatc that most people will get flustered and will 'spill' before they realise

its easy to be wise after the event

[waterbabe]

You are right you have been scammed