For a few years now, there have been these odd calls going out to people's houses who claim they are from "Windows" or some other Microsoft-sounding name. They state your computer has been sending out some strange crap and they want you to go on your computer and type in a few commands and tell you about the "bad files" located on the computer. After they do that, they will have you do other stuff and then remotely log into your PC and tell you how bad it is and then tell you it will be $200 or so to repair such things.
Here is some info about this straight from Microsoft's own website:
Avoid
tech support phone scams
Cybercriminals don't just
send fraudulent email messages and set up fake websites. They might also call
you on the telephone and claim to be from Microsoft. They might offer to help
solve your computer problems or sell you a software license. Once they have
access to your computer, they can do the following:
Trick you into installing malicious software that
could capture sensitive data, such as online banking user names and
passwords. They might also then charge you to remove this software.
Take control of your computer remotely and adjust
settings to leave your computer vulnerable.
Request credit card information so they can bill you for
phony services.
Direct you to fraudulent websites and ask you to enter
credit card and other personal or financial information there.
Neither Microsoft nor our
partners make unsolicited phone calls (also known as cold calls) to charge you
for computer security or software fixes.
Telephone
tech support scams: What you need to know
Cybercriminals often use
publicly available phone directories so they might know your name and other
personal information when they call you. They might even guess what operating
system you're using.
Once they've gained your
trust, they might ask for your user name and password or ask you to go to a
website to install software that will let them access your computer to fix it.
Once you do this, your computer and your personal information is vulnerable.
Do not trust unsolicited
calls. Do not provide any personal information.
Here are some of the
organizations that cybercriminals claim to be from:
Windows Helpdesk
Windows Service Center
Microsoft Tech Support
Microsoft Support
Windows Technical Department Support Group
Microsoft Research and Development Team (Microsoft R
& D Team)
Report
phone scams
Learn about how to report phone
fraud in the United States. Outside of the US, contact your
local authorities.
How
to protect yourself from telephone tech support scams
If someone claiming to be
from Microsoft tech support calls you:
Do not purchase any software or services.
Ask if there is a fee or subscription associated with
the "service." If there is, hang up.
Never give control of your computer to a third party
unless you can confirm that it is a legitimate representative of a
computer support team with whom you are already a customer.
Take the caller's information down and immediately
report it to your local authorities.
Never provide your credit card or financial information
to someone claiming to be from Microsoft tech support.
What
to do if you already gave information to a tech support person
If you think that you might
have downloaded malware from a phone
tech support scam website or allowed a cybercriminal to access your computer,
take these steps:
Change your computer's password, change the password on your main email account, and
change the password for any financial accounts, especially your bank and
credit card.
Scan your computer with the Microsoft Safety
Scanner to find out if you have malware installed on your
computer.
Install Microsoft Security Essentials.
(Microsoft Security Essentials is a free program. If someone calls you to
install this product and then charge you for it, this is also a scam.)
Will
Microsoft ever call me?
There are some cases where
Microsoft will work with your Internet service provider and call you to fix a
malware-infected computer—such as during the recent cleanup effort begun in our botnet
takedown actions. These calls will be made by someone with whom you can
verify you already are a customer. You will never receive a legitimate call
from Microsoft or our partners to charge you for computer fixes.
I always wanted to get a call from them but since I only use a cell phone, I am not able to have that luxury ......until today! I was at a customer's house who had received this call a few times already in the past. While I was at their house today training them on their PC, the same "tech person" called again. She knew this because she recognized the number. I told her to answer it and then give the phone to me. After she passed the phone over to me, I told her I was her husband and she had to use the restroom. Here is the rest of the call in its entirety sans customer's name and number:
Notice in the call, I said something to the affect of "there is bad stuff on the computer?" The "tech person" said no yet says he wants me to turn on the PC so he can show me where the bad elements are. Odd, I thought he said there was no bad things on the computer? They are also from "Microtech" based in Clearwater FL but the main headquarters are in Texas. Interesting.
If you ever get one of these calls, just tell them to go "F" themselves and hang up, or, at least, just hang up the phone. Reporting them will do nothing and staying on the phone with them is just a waste of time.
So, remember this people. DON'T BE A VICTIM!! HANG UP THE PHONE!
Why am I warning all of you? Simply because.... I have a few customer who were TOO CLOSE to being victims until they hung up the phone and told me what happened! Since then, they haven't had any more problems.
This is a special report from the one and only... Dragon!
If, after a diagnoses, I tell you something is defective for whatever reason and you need a new thingamawhatsit, I will suggest the new thingamawhatsit to get. If you would like me to set up the thingamawhatsit for you, I will GLADLY do so for an obvious service fee of what I charge for such setup of the thingamawhatsit (plus the cost of thingamawhatsit). I will even pick up the thingamawhatsit for you for no additional charge!
If you want to get the thingamawhatsit yourself and setup it up on your own or have someone else do it for you for whatever reason, that's all fine and dandy with me. However, if you come to me upset because your thingamawhatsit is not working right after having someone else set it up for you, don't expect me to bend over backwards and lend many helping hands. I will tell you what the problems "may" be and direct you to the manufacturer of the thingamawhatsit. However, for obvious BUSINESS reasons, I can't just tell you how to do what I charge to do as a service. If I did that, I might as well close the Dragon doors and go back to working in lovely retail. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!
Most stores offer a 14 day return on all technology purchases. If you wait until after that 14 day period, you have to consult the manufacturer because the store most likely WILL NOT help you out (this is why they push those extended warranties!). Have you ever tried calling the manufacturer? Let me give you a quick rundown of how it works:
You call the company for the thingamawhatsit
You have to press 1 for English and usually wait on the phone for over 10 minutes
You finally get someone who doesn't speak English even though you pressed 1!
They ask you what your name is, number, address, email address, the product you bought, the serial number of the product, and the store you bought it from.
After correcting the person above many times because they spoke too fast and they barely understand you, they FINALLY ask you what the problem is.
They will them tell you to do what you may have already done. Unplug this, reset that, hold down this, plug in that and wait. Then plug in that, and reboot. Then type this and type that.
After sitting there doing the above, of which you have done 5 times already before you called, they will get a supervisor because what they told you to do didn't work. After that, and ONLY after that, the supervisor will give you more "Advanced" things to do. If, after the "Advanced" steps don't work, they will FINALLY make a ticket for a RA (Return Authorization) or whatever the company calls it.
You will get an email with the form to fill out and then print out.
You will have to ship and (usually) PAY to ship said product and INSURE said product.
After waiting a couple weeks, they will FINALLY send you a new (well, refurbished) product.
They may refund your shipping fees but... they may not.
All of the above may have been prevented if you let the Dragon set up your thingamawhatsit for you. It takes less than two weeks to find out if the thingamawhatsit is defective or not. I give a 30 day warranty. This gives you 14 days for me to diagnose and troubleshoot the problem. If I deem it defective, I will go to the store and swap it out for you and set up the second one for NO additional charge! This will save YOU time and YOU money by not having to call tech support and NOT having to waste more money on having whoever set it up again OR purchasing a new thingamawhatsit.
Like I said, I don't mind if you don't want to have me set up your thingamawhatsit. You can call the Geek Squad or Staples or some local PC dude. However, you will be paying a "premium" for the former companies. You can use the latter "PC dude" for a lesser service charge but can you trust this "PC dude" to come to your house and set it up? What's his background? Where does he come from? How is his demeanor? I don't have to mention my previous blog post of the other computer company, do I?
Or, you can call the Dragon who has a span of customers from over ten years ago to today and constantly increasing. Customers who always say I can use them as references; customers who refer me to their family, friends, and neighbors; customers who also consider me as their "friend" and a part of their "family" but also know when I put on the "business" hat. But don't take my word for it. Here is a small example.
There are more written ones on the right side of this side.
Obviously, everyone has a choice like I stated. What choice will you make?
Call the Dragon anytime if you'd like quality and reasonably-priced help! (772) 985-9905
Another new year, another new problem for the Dragon to tackle. Before I get into the meat and potatoes of this post, I'll start out by wishing everyone out there a Happy New Year and a successful 2013. Close to a month late but it's still January.
I was going to make a new post regarding the "Standing his ground" post because a couple people have been inquiring on the status about that as to whether the Dragon has been actually standing his ground or not. Unfortunately, that has to take a back seat trip because I have something which needs to get out there ASAP so YOU don't become a victim to what my customer has been a sad victim of.
On Friday, January 25th 2013, I get a call from a man who has been helping out his friend with her computer needs. Let's refer to this man as John and his friend as Jan. John gives me the run down as to what was going on. I'll sum it up here:
On 1/3/13, John goes with Jan to HH Gregg to purchase a new computer. They decide on the Gateway PC pictured here:
Nice looking little Gateway PC, isn't it? Problem is, as with all PCs sold in stores today, it comes pre-installed with Windows 8. Ain't that just great?! Well, I'll get to my take about 8 in a future post but for now, Jan wasn't too happy about 8 and I can understand that since she was coming from Xp. For those of you who don't have a clue as to what Windows Xp is because you've been living in a cave or just now got a new PC, well, you can look at this article on Xp: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_XP.
So, Jan bought the PC anyway because she knew she can have Windows 7 put on it. Sounds all fine any dandy, right? After all, how hard is it to have Windows 7 installed on a brand new PC? Well, if you aren't tech savvy, it is a daunting task. Also, if you are of an elder age as the majority of my customers are, it is a feat which need not be taken on by yourself! This is why there are computer tech companies out there. She decided to take it to one. This is a company she has used before which is why she went back; to give him the service again and because he took care of her the last time.
After they were finished in HH Gregg, John and Jan went straight to Treasure Coast Computer Sales and Repair located on Jensen Beach Blvd and spoke to the owner Derek Bateman. I would love to provide a link to this computer company's website but, for some strange reason, this computer company does NOT have a WEBSITE nor is there an EMAIL ADDRESS on the BUSINESS CARD!! So, I'll provide the business card itself for all of you to take a look at:
Besides the crappy font choice, it's not a bad looking card. Strangely, there is no website or at LEAST an email address. What business these days doesn't have at least an email address? Maybe Derek is afraid to provide an email address for spam reasons or fear of getting a virus? Whatever the reason, this isn't the point of the post but it does just make me want to go hmmm.....
I hope you enjoyed that small video break from reading. Now, back to the fun...
John and Jan brought the computer in to Derek. They said they wanted their data transferred from the old PC they had and put onto the new PC. They also said they wanted Windows 7 installed on the new PC. Derek said that wouldn't be a problem and he would have it ready in a few days, which would be by the 6th of January or so. John and Jan left the computer there and then left the store.
A few days passed and there was no phone call yet from Derek on the status of the PC. I don't recall all of the details which occurred during this time but I know Jan went back to the store with her husband to see what was going on with the PC. Derek said in response with a loud and assertive voice, "IT WILL BE READY TOMORROW!" Upset and shocked Jan was with this response, she and her husband left.
It is now the 14th of January and John decided to go in the store and get the PC. Because of the way Derek acted before, John felt it was necessary to bring a Martin County Sheriff inside with him. John and the Sheriff walked in the store. John inquired about the status of the PC. Looking at the sheriff, Derek said it will be ready tomorrow.
On the 15th, John and Jan went to pick up the computer. It was ready and Jan paid over $300 in cash for the services.
They took the computer home. John looked at the computer and noticed there was no certificate of authenticity (COA) on the outside of the computer. They also didn't receive a Windows 7 disc. Upset about this, John decided to give Derek a call. Derek said he didn't have a Windows 7 disc to give them and the COA was located in the inside of the case. John found this to be rather strange as did I when he told me.
John grabbed a trusty screw driver to unscrew the two screws on the back of the case to remove the side to reveal the COA. John tried to unscrew one screw with all his might and... it wouldn't budge. John tried a few more screw drivers and still... both screws would not budge. John found this to be VERY strange as did I when he told me. Why would Derek screw the screws back on so tight so the average man with an average screw driver could NOT remove them? Also, why did Derek put the COA on the inside of the case instead of the outside where it's LEGALLY supposed to be per Microsoft's instruction? This, of course, applies to OEM versions of Windows which is only for NEW PCs which has no prior version of Windows installed AND can only be PURCHASED ONLY with a NEW PC!! See the below for some examples coming from the Windows discs I still have in a drawer from my many years of computer work....
As you can see from the above sticker located on a Windows Xp Media Center OEM guide. "This OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) software may not be delivered UNLESS accompanied by the required hardware under the....." So, in order to LEGALLY install an OEM version of Windows, hardware (usually a PC) is also REQUIRED to be purchased with the OEM software. This OEM software CAN NOT be sold separately!
As you can see above by the three steps in red: 1. Stick the COA (that sticker). 2. Distribute MEDIA (which means CDs/DVDs!!) and manuals to customers with their PCs. 3. A LEGAL copy INCLUDES CD, manual, and COA!!
If you look above at this example COA sticker, it says "You are required to affix this Certificate of Authenticity to the EXTERIOR of the PC." Exterior! I shall say it once more, "EXTERIOR!!" No where does this example which is an actual COA from MY media does it say interior!
Now, back to the story... When John hooked the PC up to the DSL modem which was working fine on the old PC, he couldn't get it to work with the new PC. After trying a few more times, he gave Derek a call again to see what was going on. Derek said... the LAN (Local Area Network) port was bad. This is the connection on the PC the modem plugs into for DSL or cable internet service.
Now, when I heard this when he was giving me the story over the phone, I was also quite shocked (as if I wasn't shocked enough). Here is a brand spanking new computer bought from a computer store. It was then taken to a computer "repair" shop to have Windows 7 put on it. Correct me if I'm wrong, computer techs, but if you were to install an Operating System on a PC, wouldn't you not only install the OS and drivers (little pieces of software for the OS to make the hardware work, such as keyboard, etc.) but install the updates AND make sure the HARDWARE inside the PC is fully FUNCTIONAL before handing it over to the customer? Isn't that the ethical and moral way of conducting a computer business?
Let's do an analogy: If you were to bring your car to a mechanic to have a new engine put it and the mechanic said everything is done and it's time to pick it up. You pick it up and drive it out of the shop and decide to put the A/C on only to realize.... it's not even blowing any air out! Don't you think the mechanic should have CHECKED the A/C and other functions of the car in relation to an engine replacement before saying the car was ready?
Now, here is the conundrum. Maybe the port was bad from the factory. Maybe the A/C wasn't working when it was brought to the mechanic.
Before I do any operating system install, I make sure all of the hardware works first. If some of the hardware does not work, I determine if it's a driver-related issue or hardware issue then I either continue or notify the customer of the hardware problem. However, this was a NEW PC which rarely get's a bad LAN port. Even if it was bad, why was the customer not called while the computer was still at the shop so the computer could be exchanged for another one? It makes me wonder....
Anyway, back to the story. The port was "bad," according to Derek. Derek said a fix was to get a wireless router and adapter and make the PC which is in the same room as the internet connection (a desktop!) wireless. John went back to Derek's lovely computer repair store and bought a USED router and USB adapter from Derek. More money for Derek!
John took the equipment home and hooked everything up. Oh, but before he got the USB adapter to work, he had to download the drivers onto a disc from his house because Mr. PC repairman Derek DID NOT provide the DRIVERS for the adapter HE SOLD!! After he FINALLY hooked everything up and got it working, the internet was finally working then... a few days later.... it stopped working. He then got a new DSL modem from the store and it then worked again for a while and.... stopped! Could it be a bad router? Did Derek sell them a bad router? It didn't come with the box so it was used. Maybe the adapter was bad? Obviously, something wasn't working. This is when John decided to give the Dragon a call. He wished he had called me first but I understood why he didn't so it was quite alright.
John told me the above story over the phone. I, of course, added my ad-lib and questions and examples so you get a better picture of what's going and why this is a pretty serious matter. Now... time to enter the Dragon...
I entered the house and was led to the room where the computer sat. I asked more questions and got another rundown before I started to assess the situation. My job was to get the internet working again and to unscrew the PC to check for that COA. After what I heard about Mr. Derek Bateman, who is the OWNER and technician of Treasure Coast Computer Sales and Repair, I couldn't do just that. This man has given the legitimate as well as moral and ethical computer repair techs out there a very bad name and it is my duty as one of the legit computer techs out there who actually cares about the customers and who does what is right to... set things right and set this man (and his company) straight and, hopefully, out of business soon so he doesn't continue his shady practices. Did I say "shady?" That's right... let's continue...
First, I too grabbed a screw driver and tried to unscrew the case... only to also be embarrassed and quite shocked because I, a 32 year old man, could not unscrew the screws using a regular Philip's head screw driver. That was problem one.
Next, I turned on the PC to see what the Windows 7 install looked like and what has been done. It booted up fine so I went into the PCs properties to get more information about the Windows 7 install and here's what I saw:
To the untrained eye, everything looks fine and dandy, right? However, if you go to the properties of your current windows 7 machine, (Right-click computer then click Properties), you will notice your PC will say "Service Pack 1" below Windows 7 Home Premium. As you can see, this one... does not! Also, let's go down the bottom... way down to the bottom. Is says "Windows is activated." Also fine and dandy to the untrained eye and OEM (hint!!) PCs such as HP, Gateway, Dell, etc. will say that because the Windows version on those PCs are OEM version specific to that machine. So, Dragon, what are you getting at? This is a Gateway PC so what's wrong with the OEM on this PC, you ask? Great question! Let me explain some more:
Do you remember this is a brand new Gateway? New PCs bought not and a few months prior come with Windows 8 installed. Did you remember the Windows 8 sticker on this PC in question? Here, I'll show you another one from the side...
See? That window-looking logo says "Windows 8" not 7. This PC had Windows 7 installed. The Windows 7 installed not only has NOT been updated, but is also an OEM version which is not a legal version for this PC because IT ALREADY HAD AN OPERATING SYSTEM INSTALLED AND... THE COMPANY (DEREK'S COMPANY) DID NOT SELL A PC WITH THE OEM LICENSE!
To try to explain some more... here is a picture of the box from a Windows 7 OEM disc:
The highlighted text states: "Each individual software license inside this package may ONLY be distributed with a fully assembled computer system."
Did Mr. Bateman install the Windows 7 OEM on a computer HE built and sold it along with the PC HE built? No... he installed this OEM on Gateway PC with Windows 8 preinstalled and used his OEM license of Windows 7 to install on said PC.
What is also silly is... he installed the 32 bit instead of 64 bit Windows 7! I'm not going into specifics about that but 64 bit is what all processors are capable of AND all computers come with 64 bit preinstalled, not 32!
After seeing that, I decided to go undercover and be Jan's son and go with John to see this lovely Derek and request him to open the case so I can have the key and get the disc.... here is what went down....
We walked inside and a female was inside. Inside the small store-front room where shelves with laptops close to ten years of age or more. On the floor were Dell's about the same age. I can tell this because I have worked on those Dells before and know by the design how old they are.
Derek was on the phone so we waited and I gave the female the quick rundown of what was going on. I then put the desktop on a chair. Derek came out from the door in front of us.
John introduced me to Derek and I, being the polite man I am, shook his hand and said hello. After that, well, it wasn't as easy dealing with this individual as I thought it would be, compared to other's I have dealt with in this business and retail!
I don't remember word for word but this is the gist of how it all went down. I wish I had my voice recorder in my pocket...
Derek: "So, what's the problem."
John: "We can't get the case open because the screws are on too tight. We'd like you to open the case so Dan (Dragon undercover) can get the product key."
Me: "The screws are on pretty tight so I'd just like you to open the case for us so I can get the product key and also get the disc in case I need to reinstall Windows." Derek: "That's crazy! You should able to get the screws off just fine!"
*More Screw talk*
Derek: "Why do you need to get into the case?"
Me: "I just want to get the product key and disc in case I need to install Windows again in the future." Derek: "Why would you want to install Windows again?"
Me: "In case there is a virus or any other issues with Windows." Derek: "Is there a virus on the PC now?"
Me: "No. I said for the future! The PC is fine now." Derek: "If the PC is fine now, why worry about the future?"
Me: "I'd like to have to product key for my records just in case something does happen in the future." Derek: "Oh, ah ha, I see. You probably don't think the product key is in the case."
Me: "I didn't say that." Derek: "OK, well, I use a drill bit to tighten the case tight so nobody goes inside it because I don't want anyone messing in it." Derek: "I don't have a disc to provide you because my supply doesn't give me the disc, just the key. Normally Windows 7 is $199, sometimes $149 but I gave it to you for $119. I put the sticker inside the case because of the way they are made now. I don't want it to rub off being on the outside."
My "Bullshit Detector" was jumping off the walls!
John: "I understand but what if I would like to upgrade the RAM or something? That's a simple job I can do down the line."
Derek: "All you need is a drill or a torx driver to unscrew it."
As you can still see... Derek was still be hesitant on unscrewing the case. How hard is it to just comply with what his customer wants and just unscrew the damn case already?? I was starting to lose my patience but I held on for a while longer...
After more screw talk, he finally turned around to the back office door and said.... "Hold on, I may have something I can SELL you."
I repeated that to John when Derek went inside and we both couldn't believe our ears.
Derek went back out with one of these I have in my hand in the picture.
As you can see, I own one of these. However, I do not bring it along with me because the screws on the case are also a Philips head so 99.9% of the time, using the normal screw driver in my bag or on my SAK (Swiss Army Knife) works just fine. But, because this douchebag used a drill to drill the screws back into the case, a regular screw driver would just strip the screws.
So, he finally unscrewed the case, commenting about the second screw being "a little too tight."
Then he opened the case and took the cover off and showed us the COA. I saw it and kept my mouth shut until John and I went outside. I told him what I saw then when we went back to Jan's place, I showed it to her as well. Here is what I and everyone else saw...
Let's zoom in a bit more...
There we go. I'm sure you can read what the above COA says but just in case you can't, it says:
"Dell" then "Label not to be sold separately."
As you read just a little while ago. He said he sold it for "$119." He sold this Windows 7 product key SEPARATELY for $119!
I rest my case. Nothing more needs to be explained or proven here about the actions of the OWNER of Treasure Coast Computer Sales and Repair!
I have reported this to Microsoft's Piracy Site so they look into it and hopefully take his business down because I'm VERY positive he has done this on more than one occasion and has screwed more customers in the process. Also, from doing a quick Google search on his name, he used to have another computer shop as you can see here called 1 Stop Computers. Hmm... I wonder why that place is no longer in business and why he opened up another shop in another town.
A few more interesting tidbits:
His business card says "Treasure Coast Computer Sales and Repair." However, his fictitious name registered name is "TREASURE COAST COMPUTER REPAIR DBA DEREK BATEMAN" Maybe this is because there was another company by the same name when he filed? Such as "TREASURE COAST COMPUTER REPAIR" Why does he have to have the same name as another company?
Also, TCPalm's site has an article here which reads:
"JENSEN BEACH — Treasure Coast Computer Repair, owned by Derek Bateman, has opened at 889 Jensen Beach Blvd. in Jensen Beach.
Bateman has 26 years of experience repairing and building computers. The business will buy new and used computers and parts, and donations are welcome.
For more information, call (772) 634-2416."
There it is again yet his card reads... "...Computer Sales and Repair." Why so many name changes?
He doesn't have an actual website but here is some local website with his business information. He also has an email address on there!
So, there you have it. A crooked computer "sales and repair" company screwing Jensen Beach residents and most likely the surrounding areas. This business NEEDS to be taken down so others don't waste their money!
Selling old computers and faulty used parts
Says the job will be done in a few days. It took over two weeks and the PC came back faulty. How do you think the other customer's PCs came back after they went to him?
His attitude towards ANYONE who walks in the door is outright HORRIBLE. He has shitty people skills for a man, let alone a business owner!
He installs operating systems on the PCs he works on illegally to get extra profit out of the customer's pocket
I can list more but I'll stop there. Also, I will importantly note: I am not against other computer companies out there. I actually have a pretty good business relationship towards another PC company out there who deals specifically with laptops as far as sales and repairs goes. He helped a few of my customers and I also sold a few laptops to him. I can work on laptops to a point. If it's more than I wish to handle, I hand my customer over to this PC Wizard. So, I don't want everyone to think I try to put all of the PC companies around down out of business for competitive reasons. I do not. I only choose the ones who SHOULD NOT be in business at all because it is those companies who make all of the other legitimate and ethical computer businesses look bad!!
I will finally end it with that.
If you have been burned by the above company or any other computer business, you let the Dragon know! He will do what he can to set things straight!
Oh, and by the way.... the "faulty" PC was able to be returned to HH Gregg for a full refund. I helped MY customer get a new PC and made Windows 8 easier for her to use just like 7! So, there is a very happy ending to this story!
