More spam/scam emails

[smittims]

You're lucky. I usually have to ask before they will tell me anything about themeselves or their organisation. I fidn this a useful way to derail their sales talk. Often they are poorly-trained and not ready to answer questions, sothey usually react by stopping the call.

. In return I make it a rule never to tell them anything , not even 'but I don't have an account with you' . This usually gets rid of them as their method often depends on exploiting people's politeness in answering questions.

[LMcD]

You're lucky. I usually have to ask before they will tell me anything about themeselves or their organisation. I fidn this a useful way to derail their sales talk. Often they are poorly-trained and not ready to answer questions, sothey usually react by stopping the call.

. In return I make it a rule never to tell them anything , not even 'but I don't have an account with you' . This usually gets rid of them as their method often depends on exploiting people's politeness in answering questions.

I never got round to clicking on that link that promised to help me claim compensation for the damage caused to my car (I've never had one) as a result of an accident in which my vehicle was involved just outside Middlesbrough (somewhere I've never been).
My standard reply in such cases - if it's a phone call - is to enquire politely as to the colour of their underwear - they never call again, for some reason.

[smittims]

Well yes, but let's remember the poor sap on the phone is only a wage-slave. The real villains are the ones pocketing the money.

[Serial_Apologist]

Well yes, but let's remember the poor sap on the phone is only a wage-slave. The real villains are the ones pocketing the money.

Still part of an illegal operation, nevertheless, so, should s/he be able to get away with it?

[cloughie]

The latest scam problem I’ve had is pop ups for a fake McAfee.

[LMcD]

The latest scam problem I’ve had is pop ups for a fake McAfee.

(See posts 39, 41 and 42)

[cloughie]

Thanks LMcD. The pop ups were particularly annoying as they blocked up the screen and if removed were replaced with bigger ones. With the help of a neighbour whose more computer savvy I’ve hopefully got rid of it.

[LMcD]

Well yes, but let's remember the poor sap on the phone is only a wage-slave. The real villains are the ones pocketing the money.

The sooner I can get him (or her) politely off my back, the sooner he (or she) can proceed to what might - who knows? - be that 1 call in 50, or whatever the figure is, that proves more fruitful. He (or she) might also be required to make a certain number of calls per shift, in which case I'm proving even more helpful.

[LMcD]

I don't know whether it qualifies as a scam, but I've just received an email thanking me for being one of more than 200,000 people who've signed a petition opposing Trump's visit to the UK and encouraging others to do likewise. I don't want him to come, but I haven't signed this particular petition and don't plan to as I imagine he'll come anyway.
It reminded me of the letter I received a few years ago congratulating me on becoming my road's representative for King George's Fund For Sailors.

[Petrushka]

I don't know whether it qualifies as a scam, but I've just received an email thanking me for being one of more than 200,000 people who've signed a petition opposing Trump's visit to the UK and encouraging others to do likewise. I don't want him to come, but I haven't signed this particular petition and don't plan to as I imagine he'll come anyway.
It reminded me of the letter I received a few years ago congratulating me on becoming my road's representative for King George's Fund For Sailors.

Some may remember that I was receiving emails from a vicar at a West Country church which culminated in an internal email from Exeter Cathedral, none of which had anything to do with me. The .mystery was later solved when it turned out that these emails were meant for another person with a very similar name and email address to my own but with a one letter difference.

Might this be the case with your Trump petition email?

[LMcD]

Some may remember that I was receiving emails from a vicar at a West Country church which culminated in an internal email from Exeter Cathedral, none of which had anything to do with me. The .mystery was later solved when it turned out that these emails were meant for another person with a very similar name and email address to my own but with a one letter difference.

Might this be the case with your Trump petition email?

I did sign the petition opposing Trump's first visit, but yesterday's email came from somebody unknown to me 'via' the organizer of both petitions (38 degrees.org.uk) with a choice of links, on none of which did I click.

[Serial_Apologist]

I did sign the petition opposing Trump's first visit, but yesterday's email came from somebody unknown to me 'via' the organizer of both petitions (38 degrees.org.uk) with a choice of links, on none of which did I click.

I frequently receive invitations to sign petitions which I am pretty sure I've previously signed. I don't feel entitled to sign a petition on a particular issue more than once, and am sure that were such a practice to be commonplace it would discredit the cause in question, known about or not. I also do not sign petitions where the issue, however worthy, is unrealistic in expectations, such as recent ones calling for the impeachment of Trump - a job for the US citizenry and institutions, surely? - or the reinstatement of the Winter Fuel Payment.

[smittims]

I've just had a scary experience which might be worth mentioning to anyone as un-tech-wise as I am.

I use an old (over ten years) HP laptop, which isn't even mine, but which works . Just now I logged in and looked at my e-mails. One was an advert about 'divers discovering...(something) ' and I clicked it out of curiosity. I was immediately confronted with a message telling me my computer was locked, I must not attempt to restart but telephone an 0203 number for Microsoft support. As I couldn't do anything else I tried this and was connected to a very courteous man with a slightly oriental accent who took me through a long succession of steps after which he claimed to have discovered a virus, the removal of which would cost £300.

I thanked him for his help so far but said that as the laptop was ancient and no valuable information was stored on it it wasn't worth that much , so I declined. He said that was up to me and we parted company . My laptop, which had been under his control, then returned to the 'desktop' screen. I expected it to be inoperable but in fact it is just as it was before, and here I am !

I still don't know if there really was a virus, or if that really was Microsoft support, or a scammer. But I shan't be clicking on any adverts (except to delete them unread) or e-mails from unknown sources. I think I may have had a lucky escape. Fortunately the laptop is used only for surfing the net and nothing valuable, such as bank details , is stored on it .

[Petrushka]

I've just had a scary experience which might be worth mentioning to anyone as un-tech-wise as I am.

I use an old (over ten years) HP laptop, which isn't even mine, but which works . Just now I logged in and looked at my e-mails. One was an advert about 'divers discovering...(something) ' and I clicked it out of curiosity. I was immediately confronted with a message telling me my computer was locked, I must not attempt to restart but telephone an 0203 number for Microsoft support. As I couldn't do anything else I tried this and was connected to a very courteous man with a slightly oriental accent who took me through a long succession of steps after which he claimed to have discovered a virus, the removal of which would cost £300.

I thanked him for his help so far but said that as the laptop was ancient and no valuable information was stored on it it wasn't worth that much , so I declined. He said that was up to me and we parted company . My laptop, which had been under his control, then returned to the 'desktop' screen. I expected it to be inoperable but in fact it is just as it was before, and here I am !

I still don't know if there really was a virus, or if that really was Microsoft support, or a scammer. But I shan't be clicking on any adverts (except to delete them unread) or e-mails from unknown sources. I think I may have had a lucky escape. Fortunately the laptop is used only for surfing the net and nothing valuable, such as bank details , is stored on it .

Almost certainly a scam. I had a similar experience several years ago when scams were still in their infancy, Without any warning, my entire laptop screen was filled with a notice from 'Cheshire Police' saying that I'd been caught watching child porn and I should immediately make a payment of £300 otherwise I'd be prosecuted.

I knew it was a scam but the really scary bit was that behind the notice I could see my bookshelves behind me on the screen! Clearly, my laptop camera had been compromised as well. I managed to find my way out of it but binned the laptop pretty quickly and bought myself a new one.

[Old Grumpy]

Almost certainly a scam. I had a similar experience several years ago when scams were still in their infancy, Without any warning, my entire laptop screen was filled with a notice from 'Cheshire Police' saying that I'd been caught watching child porn and I should immediately make a payment of £300 otherwise I'd be prosecuted.

I knew it was a scam but the really scary bit was that behind the notice I could see my bookshelves behind me on the screen! Clearly, my laptop camera had been compromised as well. I managed to find my way out of it but binned the laptop pretty quickly and bought myself a new one.

Mrs G has this sort of webcam cover on her laptop:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276868277347