It is often enough to install supposedly free programs that hiddenly contain adware.
But you can also see it through some websites or advertising pop-ups: “ You have XYZ viruses on your system! Call us to have it removed! But
what at first looks like a serious virus warning is actually so-called “scareware”: pages, advertisements and pop-ups that are intended to scare you and then trick users into buying completely overpriced protection software Buy something that actually doesn't do anything.
Scareware goes even further, where you first have to call supposed Microsoft support, because they then want direct access to the PC, supposedly to eliminate the viruses, but install real viruses and Trojans in the background (they want to keep the customer ) and would like to add software up to 200 euros for protection!
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Entire call centers are busy with this
These are not even individual perpetrators; such calls actually always end up in call centers, which are usually located abroad. The employees working there rarely have an Indian accent (like many of the alleged Microsoft employees who call ), but speak standard German, are eloquent and, if necessary, can put pressure on users with the right words.
So it can be quite unpleasant if you have caught such scareware through a supposedly free program, and even worse if you call them in good faith that they will help you.
But you can also turn the tables when you're bored! Klaas Heufer-Umlauf had fun and called under three different names and personalities to put the call center employees to the test.
You can see what happens when you call as a shocked man, as the head of a homeopathy practice and as a hard-of-hearing, senile pensioner here:
Also interesting:
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