It�s that time of the night (usually around 6:30pm) and the phone rings. A lovely Indian voice from Support On Click tells you that your computer has serious problems which must be fixed by paying them a subscription fee for a remote support session. Would you be suspicious? What if the caller told you that they were actually from Microsoft, or that they were calling on behalf of your internet provider (even mentioning BigPond by name)?
On first glance, the Support On Click website seems to be for a legitimate, remote support business. As a provider of remote support services, I understand the value of this kind of support and how it really can benefit someone with computer problems. But like most human beings, I struggle with handing over my credit card details over the phone to a company I�ve never heard of, especially when they then will gain remote access to my computer and the rest of my personal files and identity details. Does this mean that the company is in fact a scam? Well, it was worth investigating further anyway.
Google revealed many people talking about similar marketing/direct calling tactics. More than anything, that�s the part that worries me. Even if they were randomly going through the phone system drumming up business, the practice of pretending to be another company (especially Microsoft) or stating to be sanctioned by your ISP is deceitful if not illegal. But dose this make them a scam?
Their website pitches that they will deliver a remote support service in return for an agreed fee. If they do indeed provide this service, then they are a legitimate business. So, next step � is there anything in the fine print?
To save you having to read nearly 6,500 words of Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions, I�ve done it for you. Here are the highlights that rang alarm bells with me:
You agree that beyond the Personal Information identified in the Privacy Policy, any information or data disclosed or sent to SUPPORTONCLICK.COM over the telephone, electronically or otherwise, is not confidential or proprietary to you. � Hmm, so I have to agree that my information is NOT confidential.
IN NO EVENT SHALL SUPPORTONCLICK.COM ANDOR ITS RESPECTIVE SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF SERVICES, MATERIALS OR SOFTWARE, FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE SAME, OR INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN THE MATERIALS. � And I have to agree to a big liability waiver that says they are not responsible for anything.
f) Sharing. We will share aggregated demographic information with our partners and advertisers. This is not linked to any personal information that can identify any individual person. � So they will pass on my demographic details to advertisers, gee thanks.
g) Log Files. We use IP addresses to analyze trends, administer the site, track user movement, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use. IP addresses are not linked to personally identifiable information. � Big brother is watching me.
And to save you the boring details, both the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions can be changed without notifying you, and it is your responsibility to visit their website and review the 6,500 words to become aware of any changes.
The internet is a very faceless way of doing business and, as seen with many email & virus scams, some people believe what they read or hear without giving it a second thought. That doesn�t mean it is wrong to do business this way though. But personally, when something like my computer is involved, I�d rather have a relationship with the people that will be fixing it, even if they then do use remote technology. At least I will have met that and built some level of trust with them. To me it would be like handing over my banking details or discussing my financial plans � you know I want to meet and trust that kind of service provider in person too.
I�m not going to leave you with a verdict on Support On Click, but at least I�ve uncovered some more of the facts to enable you to make uo your own mind. If indeed you do feel you have been scammed by this company, let me know.
-SCuffy
Categories: I.T. � computers � internet � technology
john // Thursday, 2 April, 2009 at 1:13 am | Reply
Thanks for the information !!!
Why don�t you take some action ???
teach them a good lesson!!
David // Friday, 10 April, 2009 at 6:01 am | Reply
My 70+ yr old mother got a call from them a couple of days ago. They said that Microsoft had given them a contract to sort out her PC which was causing problems in the Internet (sending bad files to the server). Luckily she has heard enough Internet horror stories from me to know that it was a scam. She also knows that I use Logmein to look after her PC for her. She wrote down all their details, said no thanks and called me � thank goodness!
Silly Person // Thursday, 16 April, 2009 at 7:46 pm | Reply
Well dont I feel like an idiot. I gave them access to my computer and paid the fee. I have asked them for a refund, because the guy on the phone was really rude, I have cancelled my credit card, and I am now going through and changing all my passwords.
I cancelled my credit card an hour after I paid, does anyone know if the money would of gone through already??
I am really worried now, what did they take from my computer.
Who else can I contact, and how else can I get my money back??
scuff // Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 11:18 am | Reply
Silly Person, I would contact Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 and let them know.
-SCuffy
NOZX // Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 12:10 pm | Reply
I work at a retail computer store an have had a number of customers call and say this so far. I have called Crime Stoppers and they are aware of it at this stage but took no further action. This is something that should be making the news as its a huge risk for a lot of people who really have no idea how the world of computers works
Terry Kennedy // Friday, 24 April, 2009 at 11:12 am | Reply
I got one call and told them I was not willing to let any one log into my computer execpt my son. Got a phone number didn�yt work when I rang it.
My wife got a call called me asked her to get info she got two phone numbers. Rang both ended up in India speaking with same bloke.
Same as Bank scam as far as I�m concerned.
A Nony Mouse // Saturday, 2 May, 2009 at 8:27 am | Reply
I had mailed Dell about a blue screen problem. The next day I had a call from support on click. I asked them if they were with Dell and because of the East Indian accent I thought it was Dell. To make a long story short they tried to bill me for a 5 year contract at $405. That�s when I found out it wasn�t Dell and my laptop is useless.
Hummingbird3 // Saturday, 2 May, 2009 at 6:16 pm | Reply
I got the same call last evening. After talking to the agent for a few moments, I went to their website. I did not sign up, but, I am now worried that they have my IP address. What can they do with this info?
ducky // Wednesday, 6 May, 2009 at 7:54 am | Reply
I�m a daffy duck who paid �275 to them,I�m asilver surfer so when they rang and said they were from microsoft i believed them as i was having problems.My bank won�t stop the transaction , trading standards said they can�t do any thing as there based in India and the police wasn�t interested.I was mugged and feel aright mug.
Tegan // Wednesday, 20 May, 2009 at 11:33 am | Reply
I to got a call from an Indian Accent claiming they were from Windows.. We didnt give them ant bank details but i want to know if they can actually look into a computer as they were saying they were problems on there, got up to the bit where they were asking for money and we were like no.. They were very pushy and rude.. we said we had no money on the credit card, And they said we will call back 2morrow and u can pay it then.. But im just gonna say i know its a scam and i have spoken to crimestoppers..
Rob // Wednesday, 27 May, 2009 at 1:44 am | Reply
Hi.
I have a friend who has just (hopefully) cancelled a payment of �170 due to be taken from her credit card by these people. The issues discussed above are hauntingly familiar so I won�t repeat them � one thing strikingly different from the above posts is that my friend had been inundated with pop-ups prior to supportonclick calling her. These were of the �there are serious problems with your computer� variety and, when the company called, they said it was because she had been ignoring their warnings. Clearly, she has acquired some spyware at some point (although she rarely visits anywhere other than e-bay) and somehow, supportonclick have gotten hold of her home phoner number, strange indeed due to the fact that in asny online correspondancem she will only ever provide her mobile number, in order that her aged mother will not have to deal with any cold calling on the home phone. My ultimate concern is, where has the spyware come from and how have they got her home number? Her phone/broadband provider is TalkTalk. A few months ago, I spent a long time on the phone to India (on here behalf) to rectify a problem with her broadband service and, while I am not implying any kind of foul play on their part, it would be interesting to know if anyone above, or reading this is contracted to the same company and has found themselves in a similar set of circumstances.
Regards, Rob
colin campbell // Wednesday, 27 May, 2009 at 4:15 am | Reply
I HAVE BEEN SCAMMED TODAY WHICH COST ME �120 I AM WORRIED BECAUSE THAY COULD CONTROL MY COMPUTER,
WHAT CAN I DO NOW ABOUT THIS
Keith // Thursday, 28 May, 2009 at 9:09 am | Reply
This morning I have reported this as a scam to the ACCC (1300302502) and it is in fact a scam.
As I said to the bullsh*t artist from supportonclick on the other side of the phone, if he hadn�t seen or accessed my grandmothers laptop or data usage stats how did he know her pc was �currupt� or �infected� (his words). My grandma contacted me after he had rang back twice even after her telling him not to ring back. Eventually by using mentioning Bigpond and Microsoft the dog had an 80 year old lady scared into entering her personal details into their database. Bloody scum!
All I can say is find a local computer guy you can trust stick with him and his advice, make sure you always have your three levels of security.
1. Anti-virus and Anti-Spyware Software (Ex: Computer Associates) � the free software out there is free for a reason, just spend the $50 or so a year subscription and keep it up to date
2. a hardware firewall � a modem/router does only that, check that it yours has a Stateful Packet firewall (Ex: Linksys WAG54G for ADSL)
3. Keep you operating system (Ex: Microsoft Windows) up to date with windows firewall running.
Always remember never give your details out over the internet or phone unless you are 110% sure who you are talking to!
If you are in Australia and feel like giving these pricks a mouthfull (02) 8014-7593
Good luck
Keith
Kare watson // Saturday, 6 June, 2009 at 10:10 pm | Reply
Tonight I had a phone call off support on click saying we have to up date our computer and we have problems with it.As we have paid $380 to fix it and to up date it. Later thinking about it I thought I will ring them and enquire on a few things but they hanged up on me then I rang back and they were very rude I thing I have been sucked in but they have all my details on my compter and bank details ���.help
David25 // Tuesday, 9 June, 2009 at 12:48 am | Reply
Like one of your previous contributors my elderly mother was cold called and persuaded into signing up. Later the same day when I realised what had happened I contacted them to cancel � whether they can provide a service or not their sales approach is thoroughly nasty and I would not want to take a chance with them.
They called back and assured us we would get a refund. However this never arrived. In following up they now claim the cooling off period has expired and they will not now be refunding our subscription after all.
They are based in India, their operatives adopt unlikely English sounding names on the phone.
My advice � steer well clear.
David Spens // Thursday, 18 June, 2009 at 12:13 am | Reply
They are still doing it and very plausible they are indeed adopting English sounding names such as Shaun Michael and Nick Wilson (supervisor) although speaking with a pronounced foreign, probably Indian, accent.
They persuaded me to disconnect from the internet and then �prefetch� but baulked when I asked them to send me all the details by email so I could read it at my leisure and check them out.
By wary of them and stay well away.
Magdelaine // Sunday, 21 June, 2009 at 10:49 pm | Reply
Yep, I had these buggers on the phone last night in Victoria doing the hard sell with me, implying they were with Microsoft etc etc. They kept swapping me to a new �technician� when my questions were I getting too tricky for them. I asked many times if they were being honest with me, but I felt they were not to be trusted. As soon as he wanted my bank details I said I would have to go check with a computer friend first. They were very, very pushy and well organised to scare the unknowing, average computer newbie. Bad, bad karma: you�d think Indians would avoid creating such karma!
David Morgan // Thursday, 25 June, 2009 at 7:22 pm | Reply
I to got a call from an Indian Accent, one ladysaying her name is mis jenifar (one guy )claiming they were from Windows.. Microsoft given the contract to her.We didnt give them ant bank details but i want to know if they can actually look into a computer as they were saying they were problems on there, got up to the bit where they were asking for money and we were like no.. They were very pushy and rude.. we said we had no money on the credit card, And they said we will call back 2morrow and u can pay it then.. But im just gonna say i know its a scam and i have spoken to crimestoppers..
Spud // Saturday, 27 June, 2009 at 3:12 pm | Reply
Yeah jus got a call from these assholes, Indian accent �Michael� says I have serious computer probs, he is in Nth Sydney ph 0280147593. Claims to be aligned with McAffee, says if I do a google to type the support on click name carefully because there are �scammers� trying to ruin his business lol but he totally denied being a scammer when I asked him. He wanted my mobile number to start with before I said bye bye
scuff // Saturday, 27 June, 2009 at 3:32 pm | Reply
Wow, I�m amazed at the number of visits that this topic has generated.
As far as I am concerned, the investigation and subsequent findings by the Queensland Police is a definitive enough answer for me. (See the followup Update on Support on Click post).
Pretending to represent Microsoft, McAfee, Dell, Bigpond etc is just plain wrong.
Daniel // Saturday, 11 July, 2009 at 6:57 pm | Reply
Got a call from them a few days back. Asked if my computer was running slow. the darn machine was nagging me for past few days, so I said yes. The guy was quite helpful, and solved the problem in a few minutes.
Now the machine is considerably faster. I am happy with supportonclick service. And I don�t understand, if they provide quality service in lieu of money, how can they be regarded as scammers?
Jessica // Wednesday, 15 July, 2009 at 2:03 am | Reply
Ok, now it�s my turn. Ahhhhh, support onclick�. Got a call from these people today at lunchtime at home. Asked me what my PC anti-virus was. I told them it was the free version. �Ahhhh no, no that is bad. You might have viruses from the free version� so he told me to look at all these files in my Microsoft Word, like Task Scheduler, Event Viewer, Shared Folders, Event Properties etc. etc. then he said click on the Windows button and press �R� simultaneously, type in the empty box http://www.soc321.com and then click on �Windows Logs� then click on �Application� and click on �continue� option and he went on and on and on like that for the next hour! something is wrong with my computer if a �WARNING� sign came up, which infact there were �WARNING� signs. This Indian guy had me answering his questions on the phone for way too long! I was getting very grouchy as I was working at home to finish 2 deadlines that day. The thing was though, everything he was saying was coming up on my computer. They then had access to my computer after I registered with them and they were clicking on all these different menus on my laptop and in the process of �clearing things up� ie. getting rid of the �WARNING� signs. They said they�d ring back in 10 mins when it was complete. There was no mention of cost as it was apparently a free service. I found this hard to believe. But they rang back and said that the process was almost complete when I then challenged them about it being free. �Well over a 3 year period it will be $360.� �Oh right, so IT�S. NOT. FREE�, I said. �You never mentioned this an hour ago.� He kept me on the line for a further 15 mins and i began to get too stressed out that too much time had passed by and I still had work to do. He then asked for my credit card details to complete the transaction. I got antsy and said �Look, how did you get my number anyway? Where are you situated?� He replied that he got my number as I was a Windows user, and that they were based in North Sydney, ph no. being 02) 8014 7593. I said �this is strange considering it�s a very bad line. You sound very far away�. He shirked this off and then asked me again for my credit card details and I�m like �Look, I can�t deal with this right now ok? I�m very stressed about this, i�ve been on the phone for over an hour, you want my money for something you said originally was a free service and I don�t have $360 in my account�. �oh well, you can pay for 12 months� he said. I�m like �NO. I can�t do this right now ok, call me back tomorrow� and I eventually hung up.
Very very strange.
mrsncook // Saturday, 25 July, 2009 at 9:34 am | Reply
I received a call from �Support On Click� yesterday and was dismayed to hear them tell me that my computer had a problem and to type something in on it. I asked how they got my number, and they only told me �their team� got it. After several questions that confused the caller, I handed the phone to my husband who is an Information Technician of a dozen years. He asked several simple technical questions, which they could not answer. I demanded a business number, which was a long distance number. I used my cell phone to call the number, and the person on the other end didn�t even know they were Support on Click when I asked them several questions. Finally I asked if they were SOC, they stammered an answer, and they tried to pass me to someone else. I hung up and told the person on the phone that my husband was talking to that they were full of crap.
Today I received another call from a person who couldn�t answer my questions. At first they refused to give a business number to me, then they finally gave a 1800 number to me. They absolutely refused to give a business address. I called the 800 number, and the person told me they weren�t authorized to give a business address and kept trying to change the subject back to my computer needing to be fixed. I hung up on them, because my computer is fine. They are a complete scam, and I hope noone falls for their lies.
