Windows/IObit support - Phone call scam

[hutch]

Hi, I had never heard of IObit until last Friday night.

 

I got a phone call from someone purporting to be a Windows Tech support group based in Perth, Western Australia. It had something to do with Advanced Windows Care 2 personal.

 

They downloaded IObit on to my computer and started doing a scan. I asked them to stop which they did. I recieved another 2 calls from them last night asking me to continue the scan.

 

Their claim is that my computer is very badly corrupted and could crash at any time.

 

Is this a scam? I didn't think any of these sort of companies rang you up personally!

 

From what I saw on the computer when they started scanning it did look as though I do have some problems. But I wonder if this could be a set up!

 

To date, I have not had any problems with my computer except for the normal...I'm going a bit slow today...it is over 3 years old. Probably does need some TLC.

 

I have deleted the programme from my computer as I don't know if it's linked to these people but was also wondering if it might be worth downloading something so I can check it out for myself.

 

Would you have any recommendations for that?

 

Thanks for your help

 

hutch

[Melvin_Deal]

Hi Hutch... welcone to the Iobit forums!!

 

This is a scam!! Cease contact with them! Remove any files you have installed as a result of this!!

 

Please see this telephone fraud thread by Cicely from IObit support.

 

Sincerely,

-Mel

Live long and prosper!

[hutch]

Thanks for the quick reply

 

Thanks Mel. I had already deleted the program using Windows uninstall. Still left the desktop icon up so I just deleted that as well. Is there anything else I should look for? I'm not really computer savy. I know though that sometimes there are other bits left in different places.

 

If the actual scans they were attempting to do actually showed my computer would you recommend a basic IObit program to fix some of the problems?

 

Thanks again for your help

 

hutch

[Melvin_Deal]

Hi Hutch.

 

The Advanced Windows Care 2 is a very outdated Iobit software. But if it detected problems then you should certainly give your PC some maintenance.

 

The current version is now called Advanced SystemCare version 5 (try the free version). It is full of tools to help maintain your computer! It is regarded by many independant reviewers to be the best overall maintenance utility.

 

Some general information about it may be found at IObit.com.

 

You can find the download link on this post.

 

Please review the thread Usage of IObit Products for guidance using it. Though dated most of the information is still relevant.

 

You should consider reviewing the threads here to learn about the different tools as well.

 

Caution here: If you use the registry fix option... scan first and review the items found. If there are items labeled "high risk"... don't repair them unless you know exactly what they are as high risk means there is a high risk of damage to you system. These will typically present themselves when running a "deep scan"

 

Hope this helps!:grin:

 

Sincerely,

-Mel

Live long and prosper!

[wozofoz]

Welcome

 

Welcome to the forum :smile:

 

Definitely a scam, these people have nothing to do with IObit or Microsoft

 

If you like you could run some scans and then Superdave the Malware Fighter could have a look at the results to see if any malware has been placed on your computer.

Follow the procedure in the thread Guidelines for requesting malware removal assistance

Start a thread in the Spyware-Malware Removal Help! section, provide the information that was requested and mention this thread (add a link) then wait for a Malware Fighter to respond.

 

All the best, woz of oz

[hutch]

Advice on registry fix

 

Hi Mel, thanks again for your reply. I will have a browse around the forum first and then download Total Care.

 

I am pretty nervous about doing anything at all in the registry so is it OK if, when I finally get some results later this week, I ask some more questions here in this thread?

 

hutch

[hutch]

Malware removal

 

Thanks for the welcome wozofos.

 

I shall have a play around here first then I shall do that as well.

 

How do you add a link to the thread? I did say before I'm not very good at computers! Once I've learned something, I'm OK...but until then...scary!

 

Thanks again, hutch

[wozofoz]

...How do you add a link to the thread?...

Copy the URL address of this thread that appears in the browser and paste it in the new post, that will automatically become a link that Superdave can click on to read the background of your request for help.

 

The address of this thread is

[noparse]http://forums.iobit.com/showthread.php?t=13718[/noparse]

 

but when you paste it in the new post it will look like this and be clickable

http://forums.iobit.com/showthread.php?t=13718

 

All the best, woz of oz

[hutch]

a link

 

:-) so easy when you know how!

 

Thanks for that

[wozofoz]

You're welcome :smile:

 

By the way, I hope you don't mind (I'm sure you won't) but I would like to change this thread title to Windows/IObit support - Phone call scam

I would like to attract as much attention as possible, the more people who read about this the less chance these scammers have of succeeding

 

All the best, woz of oz

[hutch]

title change

 

Go for it. I tried to edit it along those lines earlier but it would only let me edit the text.

 

Thank you. appreciate that.

[enoskype]

Hi hutch,

 

FYI, you can change the post title when editing, if you choose the Advanced editing (Go Advanced) button at the bottom of the editing box, and changing the title in "Title:" box.

 

Title of the threads can only be changed by the Forum leaders.

 

Cheers.

[Melvin_Deal]

HI hutch... good idea.

 

Hi Mel, thanks again for your reply. I will have a browse around the forum first and then download Total Care.

 

I am pretty nervous about doing anything at all in the registry so is it OK if, when I finally get some results later this week, I ask some more questions here in this thread?

 

hutch

 

 

What software do you mean?

then download Total Care.

Is this a software you now have?

Is this perhaps a reference to another software?

 

Please don't do anything to your registry... considering "Total Care"! Do you have a software on your machine called "Total Care"?? Do you mean Advanced SystemCare 5 by mistake? Or the GUI of a software that says "total care"?

 

when I finally get some results later this week

results from what?? please elaborate!

 

Please clarify this post.

 

 

 

 

Sincerely,

-Mel

Live long and prosper!

[hutch]

Advanced System Care!

 

Sorry Mel for the confusion :oops: yes, I did mean Advanced System Care 5. And what I meant about posting the result was that I would let you know what happened after I used the programme.

 

I have printed out the guidelines for malware removal so I don't muck anything up. As I said before I'm not very computer savy and really need "the book" in front of me.

 

By the way, do I really need to download TFC (Temporary File Cleaner) ? I regularly use the Windows Disc Cleanup which has the same sort of thing on it. I also regularly defrag my computer especially if I have a big cleanout.

 

Thanks for your help

 

hutch

[hutch]

IObit free download

 

Hi, I downloaded the free version of Advanced System Care 5. I did the scan and this is the result:

Malware removal: 2 problems

Registry Fix: 431 problems

Shortcut Fix: 71 problems

Privacy Sweep: 1170 problems

Junk File Clean: 1.05 GB

 

My question now is, Can I safely hit the fix button especially with so many registry problems?

 

hutch

[enoskype]

Hi hutch,

 

Check the Details at Registry Fix to see if there are High Risk items, uncheck them in your first Repair, and next time you can carefully check if there are any in them that you are sure there won't be any problem deleting. (For example; already uninstalled software.)

 

Cheers.

[hutch]

removals done: except registry!

 

Hi enoskype, I have done the removal of all the items except the registry.

 

There is enough 'stuff' on there to scare the 'daylights' out of someone like me! I don't even know where to start.

 

What do I do next? I have the report saved in notepad so I can copy it any time.

 

hutch

[hutch]

registry entries

 

OK, I unchecked all the High risk entries and did another scan and clean. I am now down to 51 high entries on the registry fix. Heaps better than the original 431...but none of those ones were high risk,,,so, I'm obviously getting rather cocky here and need to be brought down a peg or two!

 

What is the next step?

 

Thanks hutch

[Melvin_Deal]

Hello hutch!

 

On the next couple of registry repair scans in the future... I would recommend you continue to uncheck the High risk items... then after that you can move them to the ignore list unless you are absolutely sure of the item and wish to repair it.

 

Please elaborate on the computer details within your user profile... especially pertaining to any A/V (anti-virus), anti-malware, and anti-spyware softwares you may be using.

 

 

From your member profile:

Vista, vet antivirus no IObit software

It is likely you have been running without adequate protection.

 

Sincerely,

-Mel

Live long and prosper!

[Melvin_Deal]

By the way, do I really need to download TFC (Temporary File Cleaner) ? I regularly use the Windows Disc Cleanup which has the same sort of thing on it. I also regularly defrag my computer especially if I have a big cleanout.

 

 

Concerning the TFC by Old Timer... this software will remove temp files that other cleaners miss. The Windows utility is far from adequate... many of the problems in the Privacy Sweep and Junk files clean function you have already repaired were things the Windows utility misses or skips intentionally as it is a very conservative cleaner. From your earlier post:

Privacy Sweep: 1170 problems

Junk File Clean: 1.05 GB

I am curious is your machine running better already:?:

 

Sincerely,

-Mel

Live long and prosper!

[hutch]

Hi Mel, yes, the computer is definitely faster :lol: and it's not freezing like it used to occassionally. So far so good.

 

I did read somewhere when I first joined up about putting in your operating system etc. but I only put in minimal info as I didn't think I'd be around too long.

 

Well, I know better now! I will be staying as I've found this all very interesting.

 

As soon as I find that item about how to look up your system, I will change my profile.

 

In the mean time, I run Windows Vista. I have Spybot and Adaware and for anti-virus I use Vet (I have a feeling it may have changed it's name recently though) ah, found it. It's now called CA Security. That is automatically updated every day.

 

Thanks for the heads-up on the TFC. I will download that. Sounds much more efficient.

 

I do have a question about the registry. As I said, I'm down to 51 high entries. How do I know which ones are which? Can I safely put all of them into ignore? What do I look for in determining what each file does..or doesn't? I have no idea what I'm looking at!

 

Thanks for your help, hutch

[Melvin_Deal]

Hi Mel, yes, the computer is definitely faster :lol: and it's not freezing like it used to occassionally. So far so good.

 

I did read somewhere when I first joined up about putting in your operating system etc. but I only put in minimal info as I didn't think I'd be around too long.

 

Well, I know better now! I will be staying as I've found this all very interesting.

 

As soon as I find that item about how to look up your system, I will change my profile.

 

In the mean time, I run Windows Vista. I have Spybot and Adaware and for anti-virus I use Vet (I have a feeling it may have changed it's name recently though) ah, found it. It's now called CA Security. That is automatically updated every day.

 

Thanks for the heads-up on the TFC. I will download that. Sounds much more efficient.

 

I do have a question about the registry. As I said, I'm down to 51 high entries. How do I know which ones are which? Can I safely put all of them into ignore? What do I look for in determining what each file does..or doesn't? I have no idea what I'm looking at!

 

Thanks for your help, hutch

 

Hi hutch!

 

Piriform Speccy is a safe, easy to use tool by a respected programmer. It's light on your system and handy to have as it will tell you most anything you may want to know about your machine. You can find it here... the free version will do fine.

 

Concerning the high risk items... I would not worry about them too much. The miniscule possible gain in performance by investigating them all to make sure it is ok to repair them is outweighed by the risk involved in repairing them. You would have to research them all using google and tools such as SystemLookup. If one jumps out at you as an obvious component of something like a software that you have uninstalled, it would be ok to repair it. If you move them to the ignore list, ASC will simply skip over them so you don't have to continuously deal with them. By the way, it is not necessary to continuously clean-up your registry. Many people way over utilize these types of tools. I would make it a habit of ignoring the system health reported on the ASC GUI. In my opinion it recommends overusage.

Also be aware that you don't have to use every tool in ASC everytime you scan.

 

Concerning your malware and virus protections... It sounds like you have become comfortable with a familiar and known configuration. Spybot and Adaware are both reputable softwares and your A/V once was more credible than it is now. I would suggest you step out of the box and try something different. Certainly keep and continue to use the Adaware and Spybot as you are used to them. Try downloading and running the free versions of both Malwarebytes (don't worry, MBAM will not send you SPAM) and Superantispyware, consider keeping them and using them every few weeks as none catches all. If you do decide to install and run them, please do so with a standard install, change none of the default settings, fix all problems found, and copy/paste the logs on this thread (pertaining to my upcoming post). I personally use a variety of softwares including these and Iobit MalwareFighter too among others. I don't rely on a single software... but by my member status that could be guessed. I link you to the two that are generally regarded as the most reliable at recognizing new threats quickly and have very good long running track records. Make sure if you decide to follow this advisement that you read every step of the install as it seems everybody wants to give you a useless toolbar (which are also known to spy).

 

Now to the Anti Virus. The A/V you are using I would question. Not only have they not recently been accredited (five or six years it looks like to me)... they have fallen off the radar for independant testers and so there is no new data on their effectiveness. Do a google search and investigation looking for reviews and draw your own conclusions. You may find this thread informative... be sure to open all the links in Enoskype's post and view everything. If you view the thread and wish to see what a different antivirus offers... consider that Avira, Avast, AVG, MSE, BitDefender... and others offer effective free versions. Iobit has a beta ASC with A/V as well but it is still in the beta testing stage. I will not recommend one over the other as all have their +'s and -'s. Some are heavier on your system, some have easier to use interface and options, some are "prettier" than others. If you asked the question here (as it has been posed many times) you will get a plethora of opinions and advisements. The only recommendation (and this is a strong recommendation) I offer here is that you choose a known tested reputable A/V with a tested and known high detection rate over what you currently employ. Keep in mind that the generally accepted truth is that you should run only one A/V at a time.

 

Sincerely,

-Mel

Live long and prosper!

 

I am out of breath on this one!:shock: We need a smiley puffing air (breathing hard)

[Melvin_Deal]

Welcome to the forum :smile:

 

Definitely a scam, these people have nothing to do with IObit or Microsoft

 

If you like you could run some scans and then Superdave the Malware Fighter could have a look at the results to see if any malware has been placed on your computer.

Follow the procedure in the thread Guidelines for requesting malware removal assistance

Start a thread in the Spyware-Malware Removal Help! section, provide the information that was requested and mention this thread (add a link) then wait for a Malware Fighter to respond.

 

All the best, woz of oz

 

WozofOz is concerned because the phone scammers often employ remote controlling of your machine. Did this happen in your case hutch?

 

At this point if you have run the TFC (this post), and if you have run SuperAntispyware(SAS) and Malwarebytes(MBAM), and saved the logs (see the post right before this one), all you will now have to do is run dds from the original guidelines... then open your thread in the Malware/Spyware removal section, posting the logs from SAS, MBAM, and DDS. (Copy/Paste the logs into the post)

 

That would be all that Superdave would need. (He is a fully trained MalwareFighter, I am not)

 

If there was no remote access to your machine than you probably have nothing to worry about!:smile:

 

Sincerely,

-Mel

Live long and prosper!

[hutch]

Hi Mel, sorry I haven't been back to you guys. Yesterday was quite forgettable and today...well...enough said.

 

Your missive was quite breath taking I must agree :lol:

 

I downloaded both malwarbytes and superantispyware today. As usual, I managed to stuff up the malwarebytes one. I did full scans on both. The superspyware one was the easiest to do and as I did a full scan for the first one, it only took 1 hour 42 minutes! Everything worked beautifully and I did manage to get...and save ...the log.

 

Malwarbytes however, I did get a full scan that took just on 2 hours...when I should have clicked fix (or whatever it was that I should have clicked!) I accidently clicked ignore...how do I get things out of ignore? I have looked around, and just can not work it out! I have written down all the codes etc. as it won't let me copy them.

 

Another thing, :oops: this is getting very embarassing, where the heck do I find TFC ? Do I need to click on the download for Advanced System Care5 and find it there? I know I saw it somewhere! Just can't for the life of me remeber where!

 

I'll get it all right eventually! And I will post those results up on the Malware site (if i can find it again!).

 

I must be the classic dummy :oops: As I have said before, I am fine with things I know but new things....I need all the help I can get. On that note, what is DDS? I can work out the Malwarebytes (MBAM) and SuperAntiSpyware (SAS) but I don't remember you mentioning DDS.

 

As to your question of remote access, I couldn't tell you yah or nay! All I know is that the mouse was flying around my screen clicking on all sorts of things.

 

I also belong to another forum (not computers!) and they seem to think it was a "pre-fabricated screen" to get people more scared and inclined to buy the product at grossly overinflated prices!

 

Hope they are right!

 

Anyway, I shall leave my missive here and wait til I hear from you guys again with some roadside assisstance!

 

Thanks for your help

 

hutch

[Toppack]

Temporary File Cleaner (TFC) download:

(scroll down to TFC on this page)

http://download.cnet.com/1770-20_4-0.html?query=Temporary+File+Cleaner&platformSelect=Windows&tag=srch&searchtype=downloads&filterName=platform%3DWindows&filter=platform%3DWindows

 

There is a .dds type file, 'DirectDraw Surface', if that is what you are asking about? :

http://filext.com/file-extension/DDS

 

You can Answer most of your questions, about things like that, by doing an Internet-Search for them.