WARNING SCAM SUPPORT HELP WARNING

[BristleCone]

I started a discussion yesterday about a non-profit problem I was having. I received a private message from a JaclinMemare1211 Experienced Member that said: 

Non-Profit Fund Question

Call community support team for instant help at  [removed] No hold time.

I called and discussed the problem. I was asked if it was okay for them to connect to my machine so I could walk them through what I was trying as It should be working as I described what I was doing. I agreed to allow this. They connected and looked around my QBO online windows, then said part of my problem was my database was 78% corrupt and that is what was causing the problem. After more discussion and showing me a dump of the HTML code for my session which contained this: </div>Company File Damage 78%. Error Code (-6150,-1006). They then proceeded to tell me that if the corruption reached 85% I would not be able to login and would loose all data. Then they ask if I had a support contract because in order to fix the database I would need a support contract. This is the file they left with that information:

TFN:- [removed] The html checker removed the phone number...if you would like it I can send in private email
Tech Name:- Edward Lamb
Ext ID:- 92025

Basic Support Plan :- 1 Year + 1 Year $1095 + Taxes
------------------------------
* Email Support
* Data File Migration
* Software Customization
* Any error in Quickbooks
* How to Issue
* Data Repair
Advance Support Plan :- 3 Years + 2 Years $2295 + Taxes
------------------------------
* Email Support
* Data File Migration
* Software Customization
* Any error in Quickbooks
* How to Issue
* Install/Uninstall
* Data Repair
+
* Data Recovery
* Payroll Support
* BookKeeping Help
* Accounting Help
* Tax Filling Suggestion
* Third Party software Integration
\
Advance Support Plan :- 10 Years $4095 + Taxes
------------------------------
* Email Support
* Data File Migration
* Software Customization
* Any error in Quickbooks
* How to Issue
* Install/Uninstall
* Data Repair
+
* Data Recovery
* Payroll Support
* BookKeeping Help
* Accounting Help
* Tax Filling Suggestion
* Third Party software Integration

Luckily I have great security on my system - hopefully they were not able to leave any data loggers lying around. However, I think QBO should be made aware of this!

[qbteachmt]

I'm not sure posting their contact info again, was really a good idea. Yes, many of us try to block or warn about these scammers. Thanks.

[BristleCone]

Not sure where I posted contact info?

[VivienJ]

Welcome back to the Community, BristleCone.

Thanks for bringing this matter to our attention and spreading awareness about this. We are committed to protecting and securing the personal and financial information you entrusted to us. 

Thus, we have dedicated team who continuously manage and delete any spam information posted in the website. There are other users and Allstars (Accountants), like @qbteachmt who help us block those fraudulent activities as well. 

I think @qbteachmt is referring to the link you included on the information (it's already deleted) posted above. Please note that we provide contact information through an article, it is discouraged to contact phone numbers directly entered as answers. 

Additionally, if you receive an email message that you believe is from Intuit, you can verify its identity by looking at the email address used. 

Please refer to this list:

• Payments@intuit.com
• PSD_iCareTeam@intuit.com
• BusinessServices@intuit.com
• notification@email.merchancenter.intuit.com 
• paymentnotification@email.paymentsolutions.intuit.com

You'll want to also forward any suspicious email or person directly to Intuit at spoof@intuit.com. For more details about it, check out the article below:

Is this email I received a legitimate communication from Intuit?

We're relieved that you didn't give in to the demands asked by the spammer. Once again, thanks for letting us know about this. 

If you have any questions about this, don't hesitate to leave me a message below. I'll be around!

[kyleknapp]

Almost the exact same thing happened to me yesterday, a few minutes after I posted about a problem I was having printing a 1099 report.  (see that thread here)

I got a call from Quickbooks Tech support regarding my 1099 problem.  The technician (Manaan Beig) knew my name and my company's name and phone number and other details, sounded totally legit, so I let him log into my computer.  He used the same 78% corrupt scare tactic.  He said a few other things that  gave me pause too - like asking how often I "start a new company file".  I've used the same company file (which gets reconfigured with each major upgrade) since I first installed QB at this company in the 1990's, but he says I'm supposed to start fresh with a new file every year or so, to avoid data corruption and to keep the file size small.  He pointed out that my file is over 400MB in size (he repeated this many times, and highlited it on the screen to emphasize it), but I don't know whether or not this is unusually large.  He also showed me some kind of log file, and pointed out a number of error codes in it (again, these codes were not meaningful to me).  He also scolded me for not using cloud backup - he said doing a local backup was resulting in simply saving corrupted backups, but backing up to the cloud somehow filters file errors.

Then he did something I thought was strange - he opened the company file with WordPad, which displayed mostly nonsense characters.  He presented this as proof that my file was corrupt and filled with errors.  "See all those missing extentions?" he said.

He then checked to see if I was enrolled in FSP (I think that was the acronym, something like "Full Support Plan"), which I knew I wasn't.  He offered to sign me up for $2495 for one year ($2995 for 2 years, $3495 for 3 years)

I'm just a bookkeeper, so I don't have authority to authorize this, and it seemed unusually high to me anyway, so I took his number and told him I would talk to the boss about it.

Then I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about all these questionable things he said, realizing I'd probably been scammed, and wondering if he still has remote access to the computer, or if he may have planted a trojan while he was logged in. 

So I came in to work early this morning to uninstall the remote access app, and do a thorough malware scan.  Is there anything else I should do?

I noticed this morning in Manaan's contact info that his website is "qbproadvisorshelp.com" - I presume this is not a legitimate QB url.  Clever.

[qbteachmt]

Wow; I wonder how they got your contact info, and so quickly. There are a lot of scammers, and they are even able to set up real-seeming usernames. Many of us that are "All Stars" under the old community platform are still trying to get Intuit to address this; just now, we are communicating with Intuit about the spoofing of our usernames, as well as the usernames with Intuit in them, when that is a scammer.

It costs about $10 to set up any Domain Name that is not taken and you can seem legit, of course.

You seem to have taken the right steps: Removing installed programs you don't recognize, setting up malware and warnings for remote connections, etc.

And of course, nearly everything you told us they used on you, is a scam.

I'll go Update your 1099 topic for you.

[hastigjm]

Wish I had read this sooner. This just happened to me Friday. They contacted me after I posted my question to the community. I don't know how they were able to get my phone number. They sounded legitimate. I allowed them access and was told the same story about 84% data corruption. and they attempted to "extort" money to fix the problem.  That is when red flags went up. I said I would have to check with my franchise abut my current support coverage then has my outside IT guy check them out. He discovered many more red flags.  It is very concerning that this has been reported numerous times, yet Intuit is unable to stop them.  

[BlueHavanaII]

After posting an issue in thee Community  Forum (here), I received a phone call from “QuickBooks Support “ wanting more information and then wanted to connect to my system. I thought this was exemplary support but it seemed odd that I would get this call.  How they got my phone number is a mystery.  I googled their phone number and found this was a scam to corrupt my data and hold it hostage.

[Steve_C]

Hi BlueHavanaII. In a situation like yours, I recommend you reach out to the phone support team in order to make a proper incident report on the scammer. Here's the link to the most up to date Intuit Phone number. Let the agent you get in touch with know the situation and they can handle properly escalating the issue to the proper team. Let me know if you run into anything else. I'm always happy to help. Have a great day. 

[duesmeraldi]

HELP I was just victim of this scam asking for 2000 $ - they called me pretending were from Quickbooks - and since I do have an issue with my company I gave them access... entered in my computer and in the lines of the software , highlighted saying that there are errors ..then asked for a yearly subscription ... when I realized it was scam it was too late , I closed the computer but now I am scared !!! WHat to do ? How do I get in touch with a technical expert?

[DivinaMercy_N]

Thanks for joining this thread, @duesmeraldi.

I want you to know that helping you is our priority and rest assured that we are committed to protecting and securing the personal and financial info you provided to us. We are bound to help you out and to keep your account secured, here's how you can get in touch with our QuickBooks Online technical support:

1. In QuickBooks, go to the Help icon.
2. Select Contact us.
3. From the What can we help you with field, enter the keyword of your concern.
4. Click Let's talk.
5. Choose Get a callback.

Please know that our support is available every Monday to Friday 6 AM – 6 PM Pacific Standard Time (PST) and on a Saturday at 6 AM – 3 PM PST. For more details please check our support hours. 

Also, you can leave a detailed comment or post here again so we can further assist you. QuickBooks Community is open 24/7.

Here's a great source where you can find articles that can help you in managing your account in QuickBooks, please visit our QBO help articles page. This includes topics such as setting up and connects apps, track employees' time, set up online payments, etc. 

Let me know if there's anything else you need. I'll be here every step of the way. Keep safe. 

[doubleshort]

This number reaches no one, it is purely an automated system that tries to send you an article and tells you to use the help feature in QB

---

[doubleshort]

Our office was contacted out of the blue by someone telling us our Quickbooks was not updating, and upon review, said our database was corrupt.  His name is Edward Lamb and he left a phone number with an extension ,and an email of [email address removed]

He was extremely rude and condescending, and was trying to get us to sign up for an almost $10,000 three year contract for database recovery.  We said we would think about it, and he has called nonstop since last night.  Is this a legitimate employee or is this a scam?

If this is a legitimate employee, he needs to learn some manners.

---

[doubleshort]

I tried to call the number that has been posted here for support and reporting of this scam and it was purely automated with no way to reach a live person.

[JoesemM]

Thanks for joining this thread, @doubleshort.

I appreciate you sharing this incident here in the Community. I'm here to help share how we can prevent these fraud calls from parties claiming to be affiliated with Intuit.

I want to inform you that Intuit will only initiate contact if you requested a call back from our Support about an issue in QuickBooks. Also, our support is free as long your QuickBooks subscription is active.

To prevent this from happening again, I'd suggest reporting any suspicious calls and fraudulent acts directly to us by emailing it to spoof@intuit.com.

Also, the best way to reach our Customer Support Team is by clicking the Help icon. You can follow the steps shared by DivinaMercy_N on how to reach us and report this kind of incident.

You can also check out these articles that explain how Intuit protects your data from suspicious emails and calls.

• Recognize and report suspicious emails (Phishing)
• Recognize Suspicious Email & Websites

If you need help with QuickBooks, you can also visit our site for references: Help articles for QuickBooks.

Please don't hesitate to comment below if you need anything else. I'll be here to help you. Take good care!

[doubleshort]

The legitimate Intuit/Quickbooks security team contacted me over the phone and by email.  We turned over all the contact information we had for the scammers, as well as the files they placed on our system (discovered by our tech team).

---

@JoesemM wrote:

Thanks for joining this thread, @doubleshort.

I appreciate you sharing this incident here in the Community. I'm here to help share how we can prevent these fraud calls from parties claiming to be affiliated with Intuit.

I want to inform you that Intuit will only initiate contact if you requested a call back from our Support about an issue in QuickBooks. Also, our support is free as long your QuickBooks subscription is active.

To prevent this from happening again, I'd suggest reporting any suspicious calls and fraudulent acts directly to us by emailing it to [email address removed].

Also, the best way to reach our Customer Support Team is by clicking the Help icon. You can follow the steps shared by DivinaMercy_N on how to reach us and report this kind of incident.

You can also check out these articles that explain how Intuit protects your data from suspicious emails and calls.

• Recognize and report suspicious emails (Phishing)
• Recognize Suspicious Email & Websites

If you need help with QuickBooks, you can also visit our site for references: Help articles for QuickBooks.

Please don't hesitate to comment below if you need anything else. I'll be here to help you. Take good care!

---

[stephaniewallace]

This just happened to me as well and I am very concerned that they took information from my computer while they were connected. 

[Fiat Lux - ASIA]

@stephaniewallace 

Who are "they"? Did you call a certain number to get the support?

[hwd1wendy]

I just received the same phone call from Edward Sunny Lamb to  help me fix my printing of 941 without the watermark; he also ran this report that showed all these errors and that the corruption had reached 85% very same scenario that you had; he then told me that for basic support it would cost me $9.95 per M.B which would cost me almost $1,700 or I could do a 1 year plan at $2,495 or 3 year at $3,995.  Never the less I told him I couldn't spend that kind of money and he left me some phone numbers and a case number (800-297-0044 and 800-221-5150).  I  hung up with him and immediately scanned my computer for viruses; I also ran some diagnostic on QuickBooks and found NO file errors; I have since fixed my  own issue with the 941.

After reading this I can probably say that whole phone call was a scam considering I see that QuickBooks charges like $300 for a tech support subscription...I am feeling pretty stupid right now for allowing  him access to my computer!

[pp2021]

This just happened to me as well, and I am wondering if anything happens to the data/bank information/personnel?  Should I put a fraud alert on my bank account?  Anything happen with personal account if employee has direct deposit?

I sure hope not.

I've been struggling with help on this one issue and have spend many hours online attempting to figure it out.  I sure wish Quickbooks didn't make receiving support so difficult.  

Patty

[Adrian_A]

It isn't the kind of experience that we want you to come across, Patty.

We've taken note about this issue. With QuickBooks, the technical support is already included on your subscription. Thus, we will never ask payment for any system/technical issue about your account.

Also, if you encounter error in managing QuickBooks, feel free to visit our Self-Help page. We've laid out articles that will help you resolve the matter.

I'll be around if there's anything that I can help with. Keep safe!

[Thousand]

Could you provide any information on what happened after this incident? Did they access any information on your QuickBooks file? 

[bbtx]

I was also scammed.   My tech team didn't find anything in the scan of files that needed to removed.  They did remove the one notepad file that was saved to desktop.

Did anyone find specific files that needed removal and if so, what were the file names/types so I can alert my IT team.

Also has anyone had any follow on issues of unauthorized use?

[Fiat Lux - ASIA]

@bbtx @Thousand 

Login to your CAMPS as Primary Admin and make sure you are still find your license key in there. We found many cases the criminal stole the keys and sold them as refurbished licenses.

https://camps.intuit.com/

[bstehr]

I can add my name to the list of QBO users who received a similar scam...I was speaking to my bank when they suggested doing a 3 way call with QB support...next thing that happened was my bank rep was no longer on the call and I was speaking to Nick who had a Asian accent.  He asked for access to my computer and he showed me that my database was corrupted with Quickbooks and that they could repair it at similar tier pricing that others have shared on these posts. I began asking questions and then told him I need to confirm this with QB Support first and he offered me his phone number:  855-907-0704 X9009.  

After calling the real QB Support #, they confirmed this was a scam...what is confounding is how these scammers are going through QB/Intuit channels...is there anyway that Inuit can go on the offensive to reduce this risk to your customers?