Shopsmith Forums

This is a warning to all people on this site. If you ever have a computer problem and get a referral to a site that claims to be a microsoft third party help site DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES CONTACT THE SITE. They are NO microsoft affiliate. I got scammed but not for a lot of money but they did fix the problem the first time around. Now the second time around and they want big bucks. I could buy 10 computers for what they want. Once burned twice cautious.
The particular site I am referring to is called Aspire Marketing.
I am posting this to warn all my friends on this site.
Bill V

Details please. Email, phone call? Do you have good paid anti-virus/anti-malware software installed? I thought everyone knew these Microsoft sites, emails, etc. were all scams.

You say they fixed the problem the first time. Did you have a problem or did they convince you that you did? What they did was install malware on your computer. Now they want big money to fix what they did.

JS
We had virus protection on both computers. My wife clicked on the info and her computer was infected, mine is OK.
It was disguised as a Microsoft and had a microsoft logo so she clicked. They actually fixed the problem the first time probably to lull us into a sense of security. The computer now actually works but it will not access the internet.
Will have to go to a local trustworthy computer shop. Sorry for my rant but I am very frustrated.
Bill V
JS I do have a phone number but my wife already put the file away

I get similar calls all the time telling me that my Microsoft computer is sending errors and they will fix it for me. The problem is that I don't have a Microsoft computer or any other product from Microsoft, so that tells me how stupid they are.

I also get the calls from "Apple" telling me that my Icloud account has been hacked. The problem there is that I don't have an Icloud account or any Apple device so they are just as stupid as the other guys.

Then, I get the ones telling me that my Amazon account is being billed for something. Again, I don't have an Amazon account so that is a lie too.

Or, another regular call is from the guys who tell me that they can lower the interest rate on my credit cards. But, I don't use credit cards so why would I care about interest rates?

I have a small handheld audio recorder that I keep by my phone. When any of the scammers call, I simply play my robo-recording for them like they do to me. And, I don't click on the popup crap on the internet. Use a good popup blocker on any computer on the internet.

I don't think the scammers like me.

The barrage of this garbage is constant. Yesterday I received about ten calls in three hours to my cell phone all from different "local" (yeah right) phone numbers all leaving the same ICloud BS message. I don't use ICloud. After the first few calls I turned my phone off only to find the rest of the messages later after turning it back on. I spend more time ignoring phone calls than I do answering them because they are from unknown numbers. If I don't know your number I don't answer your call. Leave a message and I'll delete it later.

Gee, I feel deprived. I only get spam calls about my car's extended warranty that "recently expired."

For what ever reason I get very few ROBO calls. Less than one a day. I have never answered a call from a number I don't recognize. Many people don't have that luxury depending on their job. Yes, many of them spoof a local number. I figure if the caller really wants to talk to me they can leave a voice mail.

One of my responses to those warranty calls is to say I have a 1919 Hupmobile.! Loooong periods of silence follow!

It does seem to me that the scam calls slowed down a lot over the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Years holidays and haven't yet quite ramped fully back up. Maybe all the scammers took a long vacation and will be back as soon as they spend all the stolen money.

garys wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 1:06 pm It does seem to me that the scam calls slowed down a lot over the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Years holidays and haven't yet quite ramped fully back up. Maybe all the scammers took a long vacation and will be back as soon as they spend all the stolen money.

I think we were benefiting from COVID lock downs in India.