Scam-baiting YouTube channel Tech Support Scams taken offline by tech support scam
(2021/07/27)
- Reference: 1627415052
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/07/27/youtube_channel_tech_scam/
- Source link:
The Tech Support Scams YouTube channel has been erased from existence in a blaze of irony as host and creator Jim Browning fell victim to a tech support scam that convinced him to secure his account – by deleting it.
"So to prove that anyone can be scammed," Browning announced via [1]Twitter following the attack, "I was convinced to delete my YouTube channel because I was convinced I was talking [to YouTube] support. I never lost control of the channel, but the sneaky s**t managed to get me to delete the channel. Hope to recover soon."
To fool Browning, the ruse must have been convincing: "I track down the people who scam others on the Internet," he writes on his [2]Patreon page . "This is usually those 'tech support' call frauds using phone calls or pop-ups. I explain what I do by guiding others in how to recognise a scam and, more importantly, how to turn the tables on scammers by tracking them down."
[3]
Browning has made a name for himself with self-described "scam baiting" videos, in which he sets up honeypot systems and pretends to fall for scams in which supposed support staffers need remote access to fix a problem or remove a virus – in reality scouring the hard drive for sensitive files or planting malware of their own.
[4]SSD belonging to Euro-cloud Scaleway was stolen from back of a truck, then turned up on YouTube
[5]YouTube acquires Indian social commerce platform Simsim
[6]Journo who went to prison for 2 years for breaking US cyber-security law is jailed again
[7]YouTube's recommendation engine is pretty naff, Mozilla study finds
"I am hoping that YouTube Support can recover the situation by 29th July," Browning wrote in a [8]Patreon update , "and I can get the channel back, but they've not promised anything as yet. I just hope it is recoverable."
Whether Browning is able to recover the account, and the 3.28 million subscribers he had gathered over his career as a scam-baiter, he's hoping to turn his misfortune into another lesson. "I will make a video on how all of this went down," he pledged, "but suffice to say, it was pretty convincing until the very end."
[9]
Tech support scams have been going on for about as long as people have needed technical support, but a report published by Microsoft last month suggested the volume [10]may be declining . The same report found that the 18-37 age group was the most likely to fall victim – and that 10 per cent of those surveyed had lost money to a scammer.
YouTube was approached for an explanation of how deleted accounts could be restored and what precautions it has in place to prevent its users – even those with considerable experience in the field of con-artistry – from falling victim to tech support scams, but was unable to provide comment in time for publication.
[11]
Browning did not respond to a request for comment. ®
Get our [12]Tech Resources
[1] https://twitter.com/JimBrowning11/status/1419765976074268682?s=20
[2] https://www.patreon.com/JimBrowning
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YQCCEzgWqjzWbQ3A6hrXCAAAAAI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/27/stolen_scaleway_ssd_recovered/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/21/youtube_acquiring_simsim/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/20/journalist_prison_offending/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/08/youtubes_mozilla_algorithm/
[8] https://www.patreon.com/posts/what-has-to-my-54152015
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YQCCEzgWqjzWbQ3A6hrXCAAAAAI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/23/microsoft_tech_support_scam_research/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YQCCEzgWqjzWbQ3A6hrXCAAAAAI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
"So to prove that anyone can be scammed," Browning announced via [1]Twitter following the attack, "I was convinced to delete my YouTube channel because I was convinced I was talking [to YouTube] support. I never lost control of the channel, but the sneaky s**t managed to get me to delete the channel. Hope to recover soon."
To fool Browning, the ruse must have been convincing: "I track down the people who scam others on the Internet," he writes on his [2]Patreon page . "This is usually those 'tech support' call frauds using phone calls or pop-ups. I explain what I do by guiding others in how to recognise a scam and, more importantly, how to turn the tables on scammers by tracking them down."
[3]
Browning has made a name for himself with self-described "scam baiting" videos, in which he sets up honeypot systems and pretends to fall for scams in which supposed support staffers need remote access to fix a problem or remove a virus – in reality scouring the hard drive for sensitive files or planting malware of their own.
[4]SSD belonging to Euro-cloud Scaleway was stolen from back of a truck, then turned up on YouTube
[5]YouTube acquires Indian social commerce platform Simsim
[6]Journo who went to prison for 2 years for breaking US cyber-security law is jailed again
[7]YouTube's recommendation engine is pretty naff, Mozilla study finds
"I am hoping that YouTube Support can recover the situation by 29th July," Browning wrote in a [8]Patreon update , "and I can get the channel back, but they've not promised anything as yet. I just hope it is recoverable."
Whether Browning is able to recover the account, and the 3.28 million subscribers he had gathered over his career as a scam-baiter, he's hoping to turn his misfortune into another lesson. "I will make a video on how all of this went down," he pledged, "but suffice to say, it was pretty convincing until the very end."
[9]
Tech support scams have been going on for about as long as people have needed technical support, but a report published by Microsoft last month suggested the volume [10]may be declining . The same report found that the 18-37 age group was the most likely to fall victim – and that 10 per cent of those surveyed had lost money to a scammer.
YouTube was approached for an explanation of how deleted accounts could be restored and what precautions it has in place to prevent its users – even those with considerable experience in the field of con-artistry – from falling victim to tech support scams, but was unable to provide comment in time for publication.
[11]
Browning did not respond to a request for comment. ®
Get our [12]Tech Resources
[1] https://twitter.com/JimBrowning11/status/1419765976074268682?s=20
[2] https://www.patreon.com/JimBrowning
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YQCCEzgWqjzWbQ3A6hrXCAAAAAI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/27/stolen_scaleway_ssd_recovered/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/21/youtube_acquiring_simsim/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/20/journalist_prison_offending/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/08/youtubes_mozilla_algorithm/
[8] https://www.patreon.com/posts/what-has-to-my-54152015
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YQCCEzgWqjzWbQ3A6hrXCAAAAAI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/23/microsoft_tech_support_scam_research/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YQCCEzgWqjzWbQ3A6hrXCAAAAAI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Criminny Rickets
Them getting him to do something that would cause him to delete his account didn't ring any alarm bells with him?
SImon Hobson
Deleted his own account ? That must have been a really REALLY good scammer.
Anonymous Coward
That must feel as annoying as telling someone online they're being stupid and only spotting after edit time has expired that you misspelled "intelligent" :).
Ouch.
Hate that
Ouch