Does anyone recognize or have experience with www.support.me?

Anonymous
2011-08-24T14:26:00+00:00

I have received several calls from (999)910-0250 about errors occurring on my PC and supposedly affecting Microsoft.  I could not get the people to show or confirm that they were from Microsoft.  They wanted me to go to www.support.me and put in a technician number but I refused based on a lack of confirmation that they were from Microsoft.

Has anyone else experienced this or is this really Microsoft?

Windows for home | Other | Security and privacy

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments No comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2011-08-24T14:39:02+00:00

HI Steve,

It is a SCAM!!! This company has been seen here before - so there's no doubt. Microsoft does not do that nor do they have partners who do that nor do they hire sub-contractors or people or even get volunteers to do that. There are probably thousands of such companies out there doing this every day - we get two or three messages like this (or more) every day asking about it. You are the lucky ones who recognized the scam enough not to be sucked into it and end up with identify theft, infections, hacking of your computer, convincing you to buy software or services you either don't need or that don't really exist at all, and all sorts of nefarious tricks. You'd be surprised by how many contact us AFTER they realized they'd been suckered asking what to do. Do not waste time talking to these people, do not give them any personal information whatsoever, do not be tricked by what they may get you to see on the computer - in fact, don't do anything they suggest on your computer or even visit websites they recommend, and for heaven's sake don't give them access to your computer.

Microsoft knows this goes on but with these companies springing up like dandelions, or closing and changing names when discovered, and mostly operating in foreign countries, it would take an army of lawyers to pursue every one of them. They do the best they can, but there simply are too many and more get added every day. People have to be careful of these things. They not only occur by phone, but also by e-mail, instant messaging, regular mail and every way imaginable. Just remember that Microsoft does not do this and hang up or delete emails or messages or mail from anyone claiming they are doing this because they know information about your computer or want information from you to confirm your account so it won't be closed and ask you for your username and password and all sorts of other personal information. Microsoft DOES NOT DO THIS!

I'm glad you didn't get caught by these scammers and saved yourself a big headache. Continue to use the same caution and you should do fine.

Good luck and best wishes!

Was this answer helpful?

30+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments No comments
Answer accepted by question author
Monkey57 3,535 Reputation points
2015-11-10T18:32:49+00:00

support.me is a very valid tool, the scam has nothing to do with the tools they use.  Report malicious support people to logmein (that are using their tools):

https://secure.logmeinrescue.com/Customer/ReportAbuse.aspx

Do not let a cold caller into your computer.  If you have a trusted support person, & you can see, touch, and trust them, you may find, they use that good tool (at $1300/seat/yr-unlimited connections)..  

Before you have let the scammers into your computer,write down the code they give you to connect, then hang up and report it, immediately (use the phone number in the above link).  That will help stop those scammers from using that tech tool.

Was this answer helpful?

30+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments No comments

101 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
  1. Anonymous
    2015-07-27T21:32:13+00:00

    The main issue is recommending a pay to remove malware site and/or a third party paid tech support site.  I've never seen any problems for posters who  mentioned such sites and their phone numbers in an attempt to warn others of potential problems.

    This thread is all complaints about "SupportMe" until DianVayda  shows up paying them homage - that in itself is usually self explanatory.

    Quoting from a Bleeping Computer thread quietman7 **MS MVP** sums the situation up quite well with the following comment:  “Further, when searching for new malware or malware removal assistance (and removal guides) on the Internet, it is not unusual to find numerous hits from untrustworthy sites that provide inadequate removal instructions and then offer a tool that a visitor must purchase before it removes anything. These sites recommend a pay-to-clean program, rather than a free-to-clean program, because the site owner will make a commission on the sale of the program.”

    Regards...

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  2. Anonymous
    2015-07-27T21:04:28+00:00

    I posted their site more than once and phone number and also reported them to Microsoft.  I hope I will not be banned for ignorance of their policy.  I did not recommend them to anyone and twice avoided their request to access my PC

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  3. Anonymous
    2015-07-27T21:01:02+00:00

    Dian, yes, you can pay them and receive support.  However, if you are wise and computer knowledgeable, you should immediately after go to a Command Line prompt and run the Microsoft Malicious Software removal tool MANUALLY, with switches to force cleaning of your PC of any malware they may have placed on your machine.  Their site is a "Domain Name Hack"  (see Wikipedia) and if you Google them you will find much cautionary information about them.  I found them when I was in a stressed up rush at billingsmicrosoft.com and they are probably not a Certified Partner.

    If there is anything you are unfamiliar with what I have posted, please look it up online and become more technically proficient before you lose your credit card and other data to a unscrupulous business.

    Command line switches for the MRT tool are on the Microsoft site.  At the Command Line prompt enter "mrt /h" to get help for the switches (which is the same list) and then Run "mrt /F:Y" which is my best recollection of the correct option.

    Access "Run" window from your PC and use that to run the mrt tool, which will take a while and give you a full report

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments