I just received a call from an indian microsoft technician. He informed me that my PC is sending a ton of error messages to microsoft. Most likely it has been hacked, and he would help me by remoting in and fixing the problem for me. I just wonder… Is it my PopOs or my Manjaro PC that sends all this info to microsoft?

  • dustyData@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    You reminded me of those YouTube vigilantes that troll Indian scammers. One installed the remote desktop app they use and let them access a honeypot linux machine just to mock their incompetence and confusion. Then proceeded to take control of their machine steal their data and wipe out their computers. Their reactions are hilarious. It’s sad that a lot of very smart people are dragged into it by thugs that leverage debt and physical threats to force them into the scam call centers.

    • Dharma Curious@startrek.website
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      11 months ago

      I ended up on a massive Whatsapp group populated primarily by Indian women after I took a content writing class a few years ago. Made several very good friends. I’ve asked them about the whole Indian scammer thing. One of them said she knows a few, and they do it because they literally don’t have other options for employment. Which makes sense. Rampant, unfettered capitalism forces people to make decisions that go against their conscience for the sake of survival. I feel bad for scammers sometimes, other times I feel less charitable when they’re scamming my dad…

      Whole situation just fucking sucks.

      • M500@lemmy.ml
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        11 months ago

        If I had the opportunity, I’d still wipe the scammers computer.

      • Maalus@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        It’s always an excuse that criminals make - that they don’t have any other options for employment. It’s a shitty excuse when 95% of the country is employed and don’t scam people. It’s easy money for them, nothing more.

      • foggy@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        I’ve done a lot of thinking about the scam market, and there is no way it isn’t some kind of “CIA is behind the cartels” situation.

        Primary target? Elderly Americans.

        Objective? Bring generational wealth to institutions.

        FCC could stop the vast majority of this shit by using techniques similar to DKIM via VOIP to stop spoofing (STIR/SHAKEN). This problem is solved. Has been for a while.

        I can only assume they don’t drop the hammer because they can take a cut instead.

        • smeg@feddit.uk
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          11 months ago

          Do you really think only Americans are targeted by scammers?

          • foggy@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            I think 80 year old Americans have a disproportionate amount of global wealth, so they are a, as I said, primary target. Yes.

            Give it 15 years and then focus will shift to be predominantly toward UAE.

            • Reacher@lemmy.world
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              11 months ago

              As a European I can assure you 80 yo Americans are living in poverty compared to most Europeans.

              I know that Americans can’t see the other side of the ocean but scam calls are made everywhere.

              I love these Americans who live in their tiny bubble of “America is rich as hell”. In Europe we mostly compare America with countries like Russia and other large but poor countries.

              • foggy@lemmy.world
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                11 months ago

                Americans wealth index only trails behind Iike 3 EU countries. Your statement is googlably false. (Germany, Norway. Not France Not Britain, not Spain, not Italy…not most of Europe).

                Edit: also, laughs in GDP

        • DaGeek247@kbin.social
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          11 months ago

          I can only assume they don’t drop the hammer because they can take a cut instead.

          you have way too much faith in a government agencies ability to see, understand, and act on a situation.

    • Norodix@lemmy.worldOP
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      11 months ago

      I have seen those, so first I played along a bit. “Oh, these hackers must be very good. Please help me”. But I had things to do so I cut it short.

      I never thought one of them would call me. I’m so much outside the target demographic. They might be getting desperate to find targets.