suspicious call

[robibaggio]

Today I have received a call from a person who claims to work for hp. He told me that my pc has a virus and I needed to turn on my pc. I replied saying that he oucl be an hacker. TO prove he is not, he was able to provided my HP s/n  (it is correct) he left me a phone number 800 680 1438 and his id (da1708).

He will call me back. Is he an HP tech?

thanks

[banhien]

Hi,

Please do NOT allow him to access your machine again.

Regards.

[robibaggio]

Thank you so much for your answer! I did not allow him to access my computer. What is scary is that he knew my hp s/n. Last night w defender found a virus that I removed.  Should I change all my pws? How did he know my hp s/n?

[mdklassen]

> What is scary is that he knew my hp s/n.

> Last night w defender found a virus that I removed. 

> How did he know my hp s/n?

The computer-virus could have extracted the S/N, and sent it to him/her.

> Should I change all my pws?

Although this article is almost 13 years old, it still applies: https://technet.microsoft.com/library/cc512587.aspx

"Help: I Got Hacked. Now What Do I Do?".

It was written by a Microsoft "Security" manager.

He states that the only way to recover is to "flatten-and-rebuild" -- backup all your files, and reinstall Windows.

This includes changing all your passwords.

Given that your computer has been "snooped", maybe your credit-card and online-banking information could also have been "harvested" by the virus.  Contact your local bank.

If you use Google Mail, or Yahoo Mail, or Microsoft Hotmail, change those passwords.

Check the "secret security questions" for each ID.

[royb1245]

I also received a call from a person call himself Josh Fisher, with a foreign accent.  He said he was from HP Genius support group.  He then wanted me to log onto a web site. I did not.  He gave me the 800 number to call back. 800 680 1438.  Found numerous complaints by Googleing the number.  I told him I would call to check.  

Bottom line.  DO NOT LET HIM INTO YOUR COMPUTER.

[mdklassen]

> call himself Josh Fisher ...

Definition of josh:  tease (someone) in a playful way

Definition of fisher: a person who catches fish for a living

Moral: don't be a "fish" to unsolicited telephone-calls by unscrupulous people trying to make a living by teasing you into wrongful actions (allowing them to remotely access your computer, or to obtain your credit-card information).

If you have nothing else to do, keep the "fisher" on the line (pun intended) for as long as you can, feigning computer ignorance, or being hard-of-hearing, forcing repetition of his technical jargon.  While the "fisher" is online with you, (s)he cannot be talking to somebody much more GULLIBLE to the bait.  Bonus points to you, if you get the "fisher" to "escalate" the telephone-call to their "manager" or to a "technical specialist", where you get to start all over again with that second person.