Scams and posts advertising "HP support" telephone numbers

[stephen_ford]

I've been scammed for £250 based on a support telephone number posted on the HP forum. See below. I allowed myself to get into a vulnerable condition and then paid for a support contract when, all along, I was not happy with the technical information I was being given. However, I believed I was talking to HP and when they told me I had a virus that they could manage, I was hooked. I trusted everything they said after that, even though the technical aspects of the work that were doing did not appear correct.

The phone number was to a third party support agency (Revlight Solutions - in California so they told me this morning). Is there a rule about such posts? I ask becasue I can't find one. And when the moderator deleted the relevant reply, and, it appears, all the other replies from the same person, I began to wonder why. 

The person posting was Nancytome3123. The forum in question is on this link. I have included her(?) name in case someone searches for it in the HP Forum. Hopefully they will then find this post.

They passed my call to AnalytiqIT here in the UK and they made me think they are Microsoft. AnalyitiqIT persuaded me to part with £250 for services they are not actually able to supply, and again, the technical help was largely ineffective.

Mind you, in view of the damage they could have done, I have probably got away with this pretty lightly. Nevertheless I hate throwing money away...

[Lil_Boy_Blue]

Hi

I sympathise, HP have a different take on it methinks....

##############

Hi

Well I hoped a timely warning may stop the OP ringing the number and avoid getting ripped off, and later coming back and bad-mouthing HP.

So sorry if my concerns are mis-placed.

##########I posted several warnings that the number was a scam. 

[stephen_ford]

I'm not blaming HP. It's my responsibility. But HP haven't helped.

There should be a protocol for recognising genuine HP numbers on the forum. I looked for rules of behaviour and couldn't find any. I assumed I must have missed something. Usually there  are posts at the head of each group describing how the forum works. In this case I think there needs to be a rule that any numbers posted as text have to be regarded as scams.

I notice that the MOD who entered the conversation presented a link to HP numbers. I imagine it would be more difficult to duplicate a contact web page.

I searched for the number at the time and didn't pick up any posts with warnings. Only multiple posts from the OP. I reasoned that in that case they were likely to be bona fides. I searched today for the number and no hits. I would be interested to see a link to your post. I'm sorry, the thread above appears to have no relation to the current context eg it does not show the relevant number - assuming that's to what you are referring.

I've been on this forum for years and never encountered anything like this, and certainly no warnings . There needs to be a specific group (if that's the word) that includes guidance for this type issue. HP has not helped in this respect.

[Lil_Boy_Blue · Accepted solution]

Hi

The mods removed the number, it was an 0203 TOLL free number, which is the UK isn't toll free. 

I did ring the number, Free weekend call package you know.

0203 used to be Coventry in the West Midlands, but where that one routed to, is anybodies guess.

Terrible line so hung up after about 20 seconds.

And they are back again today, attempting to SCAM people.

[stephen_ford]

Thanks for your comments.

I was on the call over the 59mins so have a small charge but under the circumstances that's a relief. My connection was good.

After a discussion with AnalytiqIT they have offered an 80% refund, which I have accepted. So it seems they could be genuine and maybe caught like me. It's difficult to tell. There where other issues that are not worth elaborating here.

I think HP have some work to do - and it appears to be simple to me. Forum members should be protected at least in similar ways to my suggestions above.

Now all I need is an answer to the original question. I have posted TP-Link as well...