Tuesday, January 29, 2013

fastheal.net - a telephone scam

I just got off the phone with a particularly nasty person from what I can only determine was from Kota, India.

They were claiming that our computer was sending out error messages and that they were a Microsoft Certified Professional and if we visited their website they could help fix the problem.

The website in question was www.fastheal.net (no link here on purpose). The female on the phone directed us to the site and wanted us to click on the connect to a technician link 3. This link attempted to download a program called soft3.exe. Seeing as we were connecting to the fastheal site using an iPad iOS did not know what to do with program so we were safe.



Doing some research on this activity I found a number of other websites that have had dealings with these jokers. The most enlightening was the one I found on the Guardian website:
You can read all about the antics of this operation for yourself. Needless to say the caller was offensive and resorted to calling me a liar and used profane language.

The call was ended with the caller threatening to hack into my partners computer, she was the one that took the call originally, and make it so that she could not use it again. All this time I was connected to the Internet on another Windows computer and so far nothing has gone wrong with it or any other of the many computers that are on our netowrk.

17 comments:

theikmarket said...

Definitely a scam. I got a call like that yesterday which I reported to Callercenter and I posted the scammer's phone number on there as well.

This scam came out a long time ago and I didn't expect for it to still continue til now. Well, anyway, people know better now. These scammers don't stand a chance.

Anonymous said...

Got the same call except I opened my computer thinking they were mircosoft and once in he took over and showed me the errors. He then said I had to purchase or he would lock me out and I wouldn't be able to use computer. He then added some stuff to my computer. Afterward I noticed that he also sent 2 emails to LIZ INFOTECH PVT LTD. from my computer with first sentence starting with I (my first and last name )understood the terms of these services,..blah blah....and how happy I was with everything....ending in Thanks (my first and last name)then my ip address.
I phoned and screamed fraud and have spent the last two days on the phone screaming at them. Have had credit card blocked and will have computer redone.

UK Musings said...

I wrote this event up in more detail on my website www.tempusfugit.ca.

Sorry to hear about your experience. The more that this is reported the less likely they will be able to pull it off.

As I was saying (in the blog post) we only visited and clicked on the "connect to a technician" on an iPad so we were not either infected or went as far as to download the LIZINFOTECH remote-access software. The emails that you found are proof that FastHeal and LIZ INFOTECH are one and the same.

In our case the "technician" apart from using abusive language (i.e. swearing at me) threatened to make me partners computer unusable. When challanged with how they were going to do so I was met with more abuse!

Also at the time of writing this reply I was presented with another of my "pet peeves", that was in the form of updaters (for legit software such as Adobe and Oracle) that try to install other software without you telling it otherwise. Examples of this are the installation of the Google Chrome browser, the ask.com browser and a free McAfee Security scan. The first and third are attempts by Adobe when they want to update their Flash Player, the second Oracle when it wants to update Java (which is questionable as it is well known as a security risk in its own right).

If you look on my website you will see that there have been complaints made against LIZINFOTECH and you will also find to the "unwanted software installs".

Anonymous said...

I was just contacted by a man with an accent from India; he claimed to be calling from California... He started the call claiming he was with "Windows" and that I had several errors and spam wear that was sending error messages to Windows and that I needed to resolve this issue. I told him that if this was a sales call that I was not interested, to which he replied “no ma’am this is not a sales call I am with Windows (1st thing that tipped me off, If he was with Windows he would’ve said “Microsoft” not “Windows”) and we are strictly contacting you because we are receiving error reports and messages from your computer.” Which I do know that my computer is set to send error reports etc to “Microsoft” (not windows) but I immediately thought it was a scam BUT recently was contacted by our ISP at work because an email acct had a virus that was sending those crazy emails, so I decided to listen. Thank God I’m a bit computer savvy so I knew that if he told me to do something too strange I would know NOT to do it. He instructed me to get my computer and he would 1st show me these errors.
He had me click on the windows button between the Ctrl and ALT buttons and the letter “R” which opened up the run window. He had me type “eventvwr” which opens your computers “Event Viewer” (which I knew by itself was harmless) Once there he had me click on “Custom Views” and then on “administrative events” which does show you all of your errors and such. (I know if he had me type in anything with an .exe or different command line that he was trying to infect my computer, but no matter what he had me type I would still be able to NOT hit “OK” or enter) Then he wanted to show me how to “fix it” by opening the same “Run” box and typing in www.fastheal.net. Once he told me to type in a web address I knew there would be a chance that I would be infecting my computer just by going to the site he gave me, especially since he didn’t have me go to the site thru an internet browser window. He wanted me to do so by typing the URL directly into the “run” command dialog box. So I told him I was doing that and waiting for the computer to respond, while I opened another window to the internet and then searched “what is fastheal.net”, which is where I found numerous complaints saying that once you go to the website they download something that locks you out of your computer and they will not remove it until you pay them money. Based off of other complaints I also noticed they offer to remotely access your computer and change the passwords etc. What didn’t make sense from some of the complaints was how they would lock you out of your computer using your email address??? Anyways…
I obviously did not actually go to the site. I asked him to hold on but he ended up hanging up, but of course he called back. That is when I asked him exactly where he was calling from. The phone number he called from said Toronto Canada 416-364-1111. When I tried to call him back it said it wasn’t a working number. Go figure. I asked him if he knew he was working for a company who was listed online as a scam and that there were several complaints online. (I could hear him telling his coworkers about me finding their company online and listed as a scam) Then someone told him to repeat what they were saying. He asked where I found this info, so I told him just go online and type in “what is fastheal.net” and he can see all of the complaints. He response was “oh those are just complaint websites and anyone can put whatever they want on them they aren’t accurate” to which my response was, well I’ll just follow up with the FBI internet crimes division and the FCC because I’m sure you’re not registered with the “do not call list” (because I’m on it) and before I could get another word out he hung up…. Hope this info helps anyone else out there… Good luck, make sure you let Microsoft know there is a company impersonating them.

Unknown said...

Pretty much the same scenario as Anonymous! As he was giving me instructions we were using my iPad to search for info on them and of course there was none. My grandson found these comments, then they disconnected. They called back and I ended the call with letting them know people are onto them. Thank you for taking the time to post your warnings!

Anonymous said...

I have had same experience as everyone. My pc is blocked, am getting it fixed. My caller gave his mobile number, 07937452710 that I am giving to the police. My caller did respond on this mobile. I am currently receiving emails for £125. Have had to cancel all my cards.

Anonymous said...

My mother in law bought into this scam last night. I'm now moving everything from her laptop to a portable hard drive. One of my interns will then scan the hard drive while I wipe her computer clean and reload her laptop with Windows 8. Let me be clear, this is a nasty thing to have on your computer. Malware can jump around on your computer so that scans can think they have found it, but they won't. This is a new scam that is hitting a lot of people, mainly the ones that are looking for the Windows 8 to 10 upgrade which is free. Warn all people who don't know a lot about computers, Microsoft will never call you!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Hello, I hope someone can clear things up for me, I am not computer minded so simple answers are the best for me.
This happened to me 2 days ago, the caller said he was from talktalk checking my computer for errors... well anyway I was foolish and I let them on my computer soon as I did I knew I had been caught!
Anyway my computer needed a password to get back on which I didn't have.
I contacted my bank right away and got my online banking frozen, I changed all my passwords with my other laptop (not the infected one) I got help from Sony which is my laptop make and they talked me through resetting my computer to factory setting which removed everything from my computer (I lost a lot of photos) after this I bought Mcafee security and and downloaded Malwarebytes, I have done full security scans using Mcafee and Malwarebytes everything is coming back clear, My question is I'm I now safe? do I need to worry? this as really effected me and I'm even scared to go on the internet now... do I need to do anything else? or have I done enough to keep me safe? thank you

Anonymous said...

The same scenario happened to me just now. Very abusive and certainly not trustworthy. I just wrote down the command he wanted me to run. He yelled that I was just wasting his time. Just beware. I worry about the people that don't know that the internet has a lot of underhanded people and do what they are told to without question.

BTW, I'm still waiting for my $400,000 to come from Nigeria. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Report from the Netherlands: The scam is still active, got a call last night. I already know the stories, decided to have some fun. So I shut down my computer and asked them if they could see me online now.
Yes, yes, I will put you throug to the senior technician.
I did a search on his instructions, combined with scam and kept him busy with every kind of mistake and misunderstanding I could think of. After about 15 minutes of "trying" to open the eventviewer, I faked great concern about what I was "seeing": Oh no, what a lot of errors and warnings, what should I do, I should turn my computer off right now, shouldn't I?
I guess he was already imagining what to spend my money on by then. No, no, we will help you, I will tel you what to do.
He then instructed me to go the fastheal website via the run window. And I decided to stop plating along. I said that I had entered all of his instructions as an online search and that he was the threat to my computer. I had expected that hé would hang up then, but he kept on telling me he really was from Windows.
So you really believe what you are telling me? Yes, yes, I can proof, I have unique key that only you and I can know.
I knew what was coming, opening the DOS prompt, typing Assoc, and then he would tel me the unique code I was seeing there. So I fake followed the instructions again and expressed how amazed I was ... that my other computer had the same key. No, no, I was wrong. But sir, my computer at work shows the same as well. By the way I work in IT ... and then he hung up on me.
At least managed to waste 20 minutes of his precious time that he couldn't use to scam others.

So if you get a call like this turn off your computer and have some harmless fun!

Never go to that website or let them take over. My parents' neighbour fell for it and got to a "level 4 technician", lost the 3 computers in his network and had had to block his accounts for weeks to prevent losing 3000 Euros, which was supposed to be 30.00 but had to be exchanged to another currency of course.

Anonymous said...

New scan now claiming there is a refund from Microsoft if you let a technician connect to your computer. Reported to Microsoft as it is their interest to get this fraud closed down.

d twigg said...

Variation of the same scam from the website fastheal.com. Caller introduced himself as a microsoft person, and his pitch was that the microsoft server was showing errors generated by my PC and he needed to help me remove them.

Anonymous said...

I am French and nonetheless have been called with exactly the same script. Hopefully I had an appointment so had to end up the call before anything dangerous was done.

Anonymous said...

This still running how can this website still be up.

Anonymous said...

crazy this scams still running just got a call from them went through the whole eventviewer thing with them go a bit suspicious when they asked me to jump to their website through the command box thank god for this website almost fell for it. Be careful these guys are getting better

Anonymous said...

I answered a call on my 82 year old father's cell. It was a "Microsoft Windows" rep trying to give me a refund of $169.00. Same thing as others have posted. I ran the fast heal . net in a new window and verified it was a scam. When I played along further, I told her that the computer was a new one and not the same as one he'd had previously. She, in her thick accent, just kept repeating the same thing, I'm with Microsoft Windows...trying to refund $169.00. She says, "Are you rich? You do not need $169?" So, I ask why she's trying to force a refund on someone, let your company keep the money, we no longer have that computer blah blah. And I also asked her why I needed to enter that into the computer and not just provide my bank account info?? Thought that tasty crumb, they'd appreciate. She just got thicker in her accent and at that point, I said to no longer call and hung up. Effers...

Anonymous said...

This scam is still going. Hey I am in the wrong business.

Got the call. Told that an app that I had bought in pct 1995 had failed at their server end. Told that I had to remove it from my computer and I would receive a $199.99 refund.

I was lead thru to the "run" box, where I was to type in www.faslheal.net.

Somewhere in the story I told this fellow that I was using Debian Linux, whereupon he asked if I had a windows key. Then I strung him out saying Linux was put on the computer, etc.

No matter he kept going about removal of "FastKey," and me running Fasthelp.net. What he had no clue about is use an ethernet connection, due to high WiFi traffic volume locally.

Finally after a while I just hung-up.