Complaint Review: Live Technician - Select State/Province

2013-09-1817:07:26

I am having an issue signing into my Outlook account.  The error message said to sign in on the web.  I typed in Gmail and automatically jumped to the sign in page.  I updated my password and closed the tab.  Went back to Outlook and tried to open it again, but had the same issue of not asking for me to log in.  The error message says to log into the web site and so I typed in Gmail again and the first thing that came up was Gmail Technical Support, http://www.live-pcfix.com/gmail_support.php    with the number 1-888-822-8612.  It wasn't Google, so the first thing I asked was if this was a site owned and run by Google.  I was assured it was.  I ended up asking that several times as we went on and my suspicion built, but I just wanted to fix the problem and the person, Ray? said that was what Google used them for.  I was asked to download a program Gotoassist.   My mistake was being in a rush.  It is so obvious that they couldn’t be part of Google.

Within a few minutes, while having me download and install Gotoassist powered by Citrix, he mentioned there was a small fee if the problem was not easily handled by this free tech support provided by Google.  After spending several minutes doing nothing but tell me how this was only something professionals could handle and denigrating all free anti-spyware, anti-virus and anti-hijacking programs.  He explained that I had spyware on my computer and that Google was aware of the issue and had the latest, unavailable to the public, fee based suite that he could access once I paid a small service fee.  The fee was because the scope of the work is over and above the free tech support that Live Technician provides because of their contract with Google.  He opened my Google tab and showed me a screen from Security, Recent Activity and said that that was Google notifying him, not me, that he needed to use their special program.  I asked if Google got hacked because the way he explained it made it seem like that was the case.  He repeatedly said no, no one could ever hack Google.  I run avast! and on alternating days, at random times I run IObit as well.  I told him the programs I use, freeware.  He repeated that no freeware anti-virus, anti-spyware or anti-hijacking program could handle this spyware.  When I asked what program he wanted me to buy, he said no commercially available program would do it.  I couldn’t buy it.  Only the proprietary anti-hijacking suite developed by Google could do it.  So I asked him the name of the spyware.  He opened a tab and typed in spyware.  Then, he scrolled to wiki to show me the definition of spyware.  I told him I knew what spyware was, I wanted the name of the spyware.  But now I was really suspicious, so I asked him again to tell me the name of the spyware.  He opened my program manager and scrolled to CSRSS and said that it was infected and that I would not be able to fix it because I would not be allowed access to do so.   I actually tried to end the process and it didn’t work.

I then went to my program files and tried to open Malwarebytes.  It started to open but immediately closed.  That raised a red flag, I was suddenly almost positive that the tech shut it down via the remote access he had.  But, I also thought it might be a really good spyware program.   So I tried again, same thing.   That’s when I thought to ask about this service that only Google had and only the tech could implement.  I asked him who was paid the fee.  He said Google.  Then he said a bunch of gibberish in a strong Indian accent that had made the whole conversation painful.  He tried to use a bunch of terminology, most of which I recognized, but his accent was making it hard to track and he would not slow down.  So I asked again, this time he said that it was a third party, not his company.  The third party company worked for Google and would bill me, then notify Google.  Google would then notify his company to go ahead and run their suite and fix the problem.   I asked him how much this small fee was, he said $289.  So I asked him his companies name and typed it into my search.  The first entry was from Ripoff Report stating the company is running a scam.  I read the header of the report to him and then hung up.  I raced to uninstall the remote access program, started avast!Free for a full scan, updated Malwarebytes so I could run that after and then came back to Ripoff report to post this.  Since Malwarebytes responded immediately when the remote access was uninstalled, I am sure he blocked me opening it before.  Now I’m worried they installed a keylogger or something else while they had access to my computer.

Looking at it now, one would never mistake it for a Google site, or affiliate.  They have an address openly displayed as 187 East Warm Springs Road, Suite B156, Las Vegas Nevada 89119 and I know Google is in California.  I did ask repeatedly if the company belonged to Google and until the last time he said it did.  I naively assumed no one was dumb enough to mess with Google.

I filled out the report on Ripoff Report without the address and it won’t let me go back to fill it in, so I added it above.  Also, there is more than one complaint about this company but after having found each, the site only shows 1 report, but Google brought up at least two on Ripoff Report.  I added screenshots of them below.