Just fell for what I think should be described as a scam. My Windows 8 (very high spec) laptop was reporting that I needed to update the display adapter driver for my Radeon 2GB card, finished up paying for and downloading and installing DRIVER DETECTIVE. They then proceeded to tell that my computer was showing large numbers of 'unfixable' errors, then offered to arrange to 'fix' them for approx. £200! Listened with increasing scepticism to the operator for a few minutes and I eventually got fed up, put the phone down, and uninstalled their software.
First apparent scam I have ever fallen for. Morfified at my stupidity, although in my defence the company is apparently affiliated with Microsoft!
To further expand. The only problems I have had during my ownership of this custom-built laptop have been it's habit of occasionally failing to restart the first time when installing Windows updates, and the fact that it now refuses to communicate wirelessly with my Epson XP700, and that I cannot use the scanner driver software properly for that device (annyoying, but fixed by using USB connection and getting a much nicer Canon flatbed scanner)
John
Posted on: 21 April 2014 by Mr Mole
My sister fell for a similar ploy, in her case fifty quids worth of "system optimisation software", but eventually managed to get a refund.
Posted on: 22 April 2014 by Derek Wright
I love getting these calls - I play them along trying to follow their instructions but telling them I either do not get the result they want to see or that I do not have a specific key or icon on the screen. The callers get very frustrated and end up calling their supervisor who asks if it is a Mac, I affirm, they then disconnect the call.
However they are now catching on that there is a system made by Apple which is different ....
Recently they have been wanting me to download and log into TeamViewer which is a legitimate Remote Control, Remote Access program to get hold of the Mac. As soon as they mention TeamViewer I make my excuses and and hang up - perhaps when I have a sacrificial system I might let them have their wicked way with it.
Posted on: 22 April 2014 by Dungassin
I must have been having an off day yesterday. Normally, the moment someone starts asking for money for things like drivers, I immediately look somewhere else. Driver 'Defective' may well be a genuine company, but I believe them to be guilty of trying to con customers into paying for things that are not true - i.e. "Your computer is faulty and needs urgent attention". Makes me wonder whether they are one of the companies that cold call pretending to be part of Microsoft.
