MS online support for 10

[timmeh]

Contacted recently due to possible virus/malware, more to see whether Sec. Ess. or Safety Scanner Tool missed/could miss something and report if it did. They tried to sell antivirus... $99- or $149- which one you want...
As finishing up, they ask for Name, Email and Phone number "for documentation purposes"...
I hightailed outa there...
Doesn't seem right to me, any thoughts, ideas or suggestions?

 

[Regedit32]

Microsoft do not contact you unless you first contacted them and arranged them to call you at a specific time.

So if someone called without you first requesting that call it was a Scam.

 

[Jake B]

Contacted recently due to possible virus/malware, more to see whether Sec. Ess. or Safety Scanner Tool missed/could miss something and report if it did. They tried to sell antivirus... $99- or $149- which one you want...
As finishing up, they ask for Name, Email and Phone number "for documentation purposes"...
I hightailed outa there...
Doesn't seem right to me, any thoughts, ideas or suggestions?

That sounds like a scam. Like was said MS, Norton, MA Affee and the others will never contact you and say you have malware or viruses. They pay try to sell you their product with popups but thats about it.

 

[timmeh]

No, I initiated online contact with Microsoft Online Support to try and determine if I had a problem.
Been having a few issues last few days similar to when I had vista, ended eventually with complete disaster.

 

[Regedit32]

No, I initiated online contact with Microsoft Online Support to try and determine if I had a problem.
Been having a few issues last few days similar to when I had vista, ended eventually with complete disaster.

OK, so you used the built in Contact Support within Windows 10 to contact Microsoft. If you did that then that is fine.

What precisely did they want to sell you? Did they tell you the name of the AV products they are selling?

 

[timmeh]

Yes, built in Contact Support. I contact them, I say "I think I may have a problem."
They say "can fix that, 2 options. $99- budget or $149- premium antivirus/antimalware. Which one you want?(don't recall a name)
I say "Can't afford, looking for guidance and support on what to do, how to confirm one way or the other. Rely on Defender.
They say "OK, try Malicious Software Removal Tool and/or 'other such tool, can't remember name'.
I say "Done that already, came up clean.
They say "Win Defender very good, all those scans clean, your Ok, no virus.
I say "OK I'll go have a look into performance/power/something else to adjust.
They say "Can have Name, Phone and Email for documentation purposes
I DISCONNECT chop chop!!

 

[timmeh]

Have now run free Malwarebytes as well, it has identified one possible PUP. How do you determine if it is malicious or not?

 

[Regedit32]

Have now run free Malwarebytes as well, it has identified one possible PUP. How do you determine if it is malicious or not?

Probably not a malicious pup:

PUP's were first used by the McAfee security services in response to a number of complaints by Third party Software suppliers who were unhappy their programs were being identified as Malware or Adware etcetera.

Their argument was all the Terms of Service, ad Privacy Polices were clearly given in their Installation documentation and it was up to the user to read and agree to these before agreeing to downloading and installing their software.

As you know most people never read these documents at all because they are too lazy to.

Even the most basic thing to read the handful of splash screens as you begin to install a third party application are often ignored which is why literally millions install a program then wonder why suddenly their browser has a new extension like ASK ME, or they insist they did not want to install X as well. All they had to to in this case was click no before installing the actual program they had downloaded.

Given this form of identifying a potentially unwanted program (PUP) was created by McAfee your best bet may be to use their online list of threats to look up what your scan found so you can read about it and decide whether you wish to keep it or remove it.

That site is here: http://www.mcafee.com/threat-intelligence/malware/latest.aspx

Alternatively, you could visit the Official website of the security software giving you this alert and review their database on the PUPs.

Regards,

Regedit32

 

[timmeh]

I've never used McAfee myself, relied on MS Sec. Ess./Defender since Oct. 2009.
Some short terms with Trend Micro + Avast after purchase of new machine Dec.2008, both of which I found no better or worse than the free stuff(MS).
Although after reloading Vista in Oct 2009, the tech put something called Acronis on a partition, no problems until I accidently deleted something to do with it in the program list about july last year.
About a month later everything went horribly wrong. Something got in and infiltrated registry files all over the place.
Had to reload Vista again, got all the way through updates/SP's etc. Bang, happens again.
Go for Win 10, issues getting online. Back to Vista for online work. Stuck at SP1(?), call tech. He loads 7.
Got 10 + Vista up and running myself, now have all three.. On a eight yr old machine.
No issues until last week or so, hence the enquiries. Really want to avoid the headache if possible.
Everything looks good so far, probably me being paranoid. Time will tell.
Cheers for your time. Will check out Malwarebytes and post progress if any... and if possible.