# Ammyy admin scam



## Kajet (Jan 27, 2011)

For those who don't know, It's a scam where someone cold calls you, tells you that your comp is fucked and they make you run ammyy admin to fix shit.

They got to my parents and got it running for about a minute before I yanked the ethernet cord (yay wired routers and people who searched for "ammyy scam" on google)

Anyway I wonder if I should worry about viruses from them or if I should just forget it?


----------



## Aden (Jan 27, 2011)

I don't think they're after planting viruses with that scam, but you can run a scan just in case.


----------



## Smelge (Jan 27, 2011)

Sorry, but I still insist that anyone stupid enough to give a stranger access to computers or online accounts deserves what happens. It's so fucking obviously a scam, yet people are retarded enough to fall for it, then whine that they got conned.


----------



## Runefox (Jan 27, 2011)

This is what is called a social engineering attack.


----------



## Kajet (Jan 28, 2011)

Smelge said:


> Sorry, but I still insist that anyone stupid enough to give a stranger access to computers or online accounts deserves what happens. It's so fucking obviously a scam, yet people are retarded enough to fall for it, then whine that they got conned.


 
That's a bit like saying someone who doesn't know anything about cars deserves to get ripped off when their mechanic charges them for headlight fluid isn't it?


----------



## Lobar (Jan 28, 2011)

If they went to that much trouble, they likely opened a back door before anything else.  Back up your data and format your hard drive.  It's the only way to be sure.


----------



## LizardKing (Jan 28, 2011)

Kajet said:


> That's a bit like saying someone who doesn't know anything about cars deserves to get ripped off when their mechanic charges them for headlight fluid isn't it?


 
No, it's more like someone calling to your house in the middle of the night and saying, "Hey mate, the carbodefibrilator on your vehicle is broken, give me they keys and I'll get it sorted for you".


----------



## ArielMT (Jan 28, 2011)

Kajet said:


> That's a bit like saying someone who doesn't know anything about cars deserves to get ripped off when their mechanic charges them for headlight fluid isn't it?



This is exactly it:



LizardKing said:


> No, it's more like someone calling to your house in the middle of the night and saying, "Hey mate, the carbodefibrilator on your vehicle is broken, give me they keys and I'll get it sorted for you".


 
It certainly took long enough to make it to the States, but cold-call PC repair scams like this have been widespread in the UK since last summer.


----------



## ukbeast (Jan 30, 2011)

A really dangerous scam.
read this report at WOT.
http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/finallyfast.com


----------



## ArielMT (Jan 30, 2011)

ukbeast said:


> A really dangerous scam.
> read this report at WOT.
> http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/finallyfast.com


 
Those sorts usually advertise on TV and radio, where the age-old rule of "free" applies: If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.  Follow the money.


----------



## Armaetus (Jan 30, 2011)

How the fuck does garbage like this get allowed on TV without a thorough review of the product by the government? There's obviously some palm greasing going on to get it on the air...


----------



## ukbeast (Jan 30, 2011)

I don't  know but it is fucking unfair to newbies who own a PC.


----------



## ArielMT (Jan 30, 2011)

Glaice said:


> How the fuck does garbage like this get allowed on TV without a thorough review of the product by the government? There's obviously some palm greasing going on to get it on the air...


 
Carefully skirting around truth-in-advertising laws, I wager.  They promise that the scans are free, which they are, but the scans exaggerate the alleged problems found, sometimes crossing the line from exaggeration to outright lie but always skirting that line, and demand money to remove the alleged problems found.  That's never revealed or alluded to in the ads.

The ad business is an interestingly convoluted one.


----------

