I have been scammed from HP Smart

[Slim301061]

After having difficulties getting my printer to scan I went on line & following a live chat on the HP site.

It suggested that someone from Tech Support would call me, I stupidly allowed the person masquerading as a technician have control of my PC. 

I agreed to a £60 fee for correcting the issues as i no longer have HP Support cover.

He tried initially to fix the issue but then showed me pages on my PC which apparently showed security breaches, This all appeared totally legitimate, this then led to him selling me an HP Wolf security product for £150

which again with 20/20 hind sight was totally stupid I then paid for via PayPal.

To top it all the printer still doesnt scan!

[Pallipurath]

Hi @Slim301061

Welcome to the HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query.

I can hear how upsetting and frustrating this experience must have been for you. You trusted what looked like an official HP channel, only to be misled by someone pretending to be a technician. It’s completely understandable that you feel regret after allowing them access to your PC and paying for services that turned out to be fraudulent. Scammers are skilled at making things look legitimate, and many people fall into these traps—it doesn’t mean you were careless, it means they were manipulative.

I would request you to please share me more details like Link of the site or any case number to assist you further and check with that if its legit.

Take care and have an amazing day!

[Slim3010611]

Dear Pallipurath

I used the HP Smart App from my PC  and used live chat & they suggested I give them my phone number so a technician could call me back. The call came through via Whatsapp with a HP logo on my phone screen & was via a mobile number of Edited and the chap IMO was asian by descendence. He gave his name as David Jones , he gave ne a batch ID number of HP3454 he then went on to tell me he would charge me £60gbp for services to re configure the network, remove all un-authorised users, remove all trojans, re-install all drivers, restart all MS services, and clean the network. He then proceeded to dorect me to a website on my PC which gave him access to it. Having commenced this work he started to alert me to lots of security issues & apprent attempts of people trying to login to my computer. He then suggested that he should install  HP's Wolf security as it would prevent all these issues which he aledgedly proceeded to do . Then said it would cost an additional £150gbp & I would get 5 yrs cover.  I would recieve quarterly security calls & if I had any concerns I could call a number he provided of +44 7463 599920 aledgedly being the 24hr help line. He then sent me a PayPal link on my PC to make a transfer accordingly under the name Deepanjli Shakya.  Having later realised I had fallen for a Scam I contacted Paypal support & raised a case & they have duly looked into it & have refunded the money.   I now have had my PC's wiped and the OS's re-installed etc.  Also Contacts in my Whatsapp are now recieving a message that reads "Hi, I'm sorry, I accidentally sent you a 6-digit code via SMS, can you send it to me? It's urgent."  and a security code pops up on the phone. It looks like it was offically from me  and some of my friends have fallen for it.   I have since changed passwords etc & invoked 2FA on accounts etc. 

I would also like to re-iterate that this all started from within the HP Smart app on my PC.

[Pallipurath]

Hi,

Thank you for responding.

I understand how concerning and frustrating this situation must feel, especially when unexpected apps are installed or when you’re unsure about links that may have redirected you. 

Your caution in sharing these details is important, and we’ll work together step by step to ensure your system is secure.

• To help us investigate further, could you please confirm the following:
• Were you redirected to any third‑party website during the support process?
• Can you share any links that you opened on your PC?
• Do you recall the name of the company or any other details related to the interaction?
• Since you’ve only shared a phone number, we are unable to gather complete information without these details.
• Additionally, you mentioned that some apps were installed. Could you please provide screenshots of those apps so we can review them and guide you on the next steps?

Have a good day.

[Pallipurath]

Hi @Slim301061

Thank you for responding. 

I will go ahead and escalate the case to the specialized team so they can review and resolve this issue. Please be informed that the HP Smart App is no longer available. HP has introduced a new official HP App, which will be used going forward. Kindly follow the link below to install the HP App. https://www.hp.com/us-en/hp-app/overview.html 

Have a good day.

[Jerry_57]

Hi @Slim301061,

We have taken necessary steps, but we need some more information from you in a private message.

To access your private messages, simply click the private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Support Community profile, next to your profile and send a private message to me with the serial number, because we value your privacy.
 

Jerry_57

HP Support

[Slim3010611]

Hi Jerry 

I dont seem to have received a private message? The link you sent in text takes me to an unautorised area

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @Slim301061,

To access your private messages, simply click the private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Support Community profile, next to your profile name. 

You can use this link as well: 

Private Messages - HP Support Community

Best Regards,

[Slim3010611]

Hi  When I click on the link I get this in a red Box

"You do not have sufficient privileges for this resource or its parent to perform this action.

Click your browser's Back button to continue."

There is nothing to the top right hand side of my  user name? to the left is a bell with a blue box & the figure 1 but when i click on that it just takes me to the chat

[Pallipurath]

Hi,

Thank you for responding.

I regret to hear that you are unable to respond in the private message via link shared. Please be informed that I have escalated the issue to the relevant team for further Investigation. I would request you to please wait for an update.

Have a good day.