Phone call scam- received call from a technician who said my system was infected

[Paul Marsh]

I've been getting phone calls from a "technician" saying by online chat that my Windows Computer is full of viruses and offered to access my computer to "fix" my problems. Obviously this contravenes Microsoft's mandate and wound never contact a user by cold-calling.

I kept this idiot second-guessing and having fun with him, saying my computer is in bits, and logged onto a Linux system (laptop upstairs), saying I can't follow his advice, as I'm under ubuntu. lol

Therefore if you get one of these calls, NEVER allow them to access your machine. They will do this by asking you to run a program -Alarm bell #1 and then giving a password allowing access to your files. Massive Alarm Bell #2!

Has anyone had a similer problem?

[Tony Bennett]

i used to get these calls alot, but as my son works for microsoft i just them for their contact number and he will call them back to sort the problem, they soon hang up

[Paul Marsh]

I got one yesterday and one today. Always with a poor indian accent. I thought they said they were a "Window Company". Their english was sto badd that eye ad to run it thru a Universal Translator to understand. Another stupid scam wasting my time and could be spend building a model or buying more bits on ebay...

[sharpy1071]

I too have received these phone calls kept them talking for five minutes asking them questions then told them I have a Mac!!! phone line goes dead immediately!!!

Brian

[John Privett]

I hadn't had any of these calls for a while, but I had one about a week ago. I kept him busy for a while, getting him to repeat everything twice as I told him I was having difficulty understanding him...

He asked (several times) if I had a 'peassee' and when I eventually admitted to understanding the question he took quite a while asking if it was a 'dektop' or 'latop'. Then I asked him which computer he was asking about as I had more than one. "How many you got?" was his next question, The reply, about 5 + 3 laptops didn't seem to phase him and he asked if my main 'dektop' ran 'winnows.'

After a while I got bored getting him to repeat everything, so I asked him if he thought I was an idiot. This seemed to upset him a little - he asked "when did I say you is idiot?" I told him he hadn't, but I reckoned he was one. And a scammer too. For some reason he ended the call at that point. Can't think why!

Well at least for those 5 mins or so he wasn't scamming my mother-in-law or somebody else who may have fallen for it hook, line and sinker.

[malcolm woodcock 1]

Hey HAL are you infected "No Dave, I feel fine", open the podbay doors HAL "I'm sorry Dave, I can't do that". That kind of conversation should get them hanging up pretty soon.

[Alan Randall]

We have had a number of these recently. If my wife answers, she tells them to ring back and talk to me as she doesnt understand.

I strung one along and then asked him if he thought i had dropped off of a Christmas tree.

Another told me that I had a virus and then asked me what system I was operating, so I said you tell me, you claim to know about my pc.

[GrahamC]

These people really are something I'm not allowed to put in the forum.

I now play them along until I get bored, and then tell them that I know its a scam, I'm deliberately wasting their time, and that I think that they are dispicable preying on the old and the vulnerable.

The last one got very cross and shouted down the phone at me for twwo or three minutes. {I'm not exagerating} I don't really know what he said as I put the handset on the desk after about 20 seconds.

Edited By GrahamC on 16/07/2012 21:29:02

[Paul Marsh]

I asked him to send some documents to my address so I can send the information to the Internet Fraud Office. If it was genuine, but I said to the person you don't know how to use a computer, just a drone at a desk spouting gibberish and using good electricity.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Rob Lewis]

I quite often get these. Always from an indian sounding voice that says their name is something quintessentially British, and they are usually in Manchester or Birmingham.

Depending on my mood i tend to:

1. Keep them chatting with random questions for as long as i feel, then either just hang up or tell them i know its a scam until they hang up.

2. Go all moral on them. Saying things like do you like working for a scam company? Do they pay you well? Do you work on commision? etc. until they hang up.

3. Say i don't own a computer or i run linux etc.

4. (One of my favourites) When they say can i speak to Mr Lewis, i say hold on i'll just get him for you and then put the phone on the table. I only go back to it when it starts beeping to say its off the hook.

[MikeS]

I know these calls cause a lot problems for people but I have had a good laugh at some of your responses to these muppits

[Jon Laughton]

Suggestion - after playing them for a few minutes blast a whistle down the phone at full belt!

Edited By Jon Laughton on 17/07/2012 11:20:54

[Mart49]

I love getting these calls as I'm a techy and within a few minutes they will often hang up on me as they reaslise they've been uncovered. Alternatively, they'll say they are phoning from Microsoft, so I'll just keep going on about how great that someone from Microsoft has phoned me personally. 2 minutes of that and the have soon had enough!

[Allan Bowker]

LIKE

I wish they would call me, it's not fair that your all getting the fun

[ericrw]

I tell any cold caller that I'll put them on hold whilst I do something. But what I actual;ly do is put the 'phone next to the radio and leave it. They have gone by the time I pick up the 'phone again; except one poor chap who I had left for about 5 minutes, who was still waiting; he asked if I was a business.

[Frank Skilbeck]

There was an article in the paper the other day about how stupid some of these scams are, apparently the scammers make them far fetched so only the gullible are taken in, after all why have something that is semi plausible but will get found out once you have invested your time and effort. It's a sort of screening process........................

[Kev Greenwood]

LOL that old scam, they rang me, told me my Windows computer had a problem, `Has it` i asked, yes sir (asian voice) oh can you tell me whats actually wrong with it ? yes sir there are some problem we have identified here on our system, showing you have a problem.....`oh dear, i will have to call the Apple help line and tell them windows has infected my iMac.......hahahahahahahaahahhaha he rang off.....LOL

I work in IT and trust me, Microsoft will NOT contact you in any way, the only time Microsoft will get involved with you is if your a pirate!!! and they will send the police, not some asian guy on a phone from bogistan!!!!!!

Kev

[ken anderson.]

answer the phone....put it down on the table-let them talk away-go and make a cup of tea....come back 10 min's later and see if they are still there..... ....

ken anderson ne...1......10 min dept....

[Jim Newberry - Nuviation Ltd.]

I like to keep them talking for as long as I possibly can. Tactics employed so far include claiming to be hard of hearing and getting them to bellow everything down the phone at least twice, then pretending that I am firing up my PC but it's very slow to start... "Will it be faster after you have done your fixing?" "OH YES SIR, WE WILL FIX THAT TOO!!" Eventually they ask me to press the windows key... I claim to be "a bit rubbish with computers" and say I can't find it. After they explain - twice - where it is I say that I must have a faulty keyboard as mine appears to be missing, maybe I should complain to Apple that they have sent me a dodgy laptop. "COMPLAIN TO WHO, SIR???" "Apple, it's an Apple computer so it makes sense to complain to them" Clickbrrrrrrrr.....

My personal best so far is eleven minutes.

[IanH]

Had to help a friend of the family sort his machine out after a scammer from "Windows Call Centre" told him he had viruses on his new computer he'd just bought and needed to do a remote connection to sort it out. Once he'd connected (yes he got that far) he opened the Windows Event Log and showed him all the scary red errors that meant his computer was broken, oh and he would need to give this chap his bank account details to go any further and "fix" the errors.

Fortunately he'd finally gotten worried by this point and pulled the plug on his internet connection and put the phone down. This friend said he wouldn't normally believe such a call other than the fact he had just bought a new PC. Not sure if it was just coincidence or if some scammers get inside information on lists of recent customers from some of the larger sellers of PCs/laptops.

It wasn't all bad though, I got a bottle of whisky for my efforts sorting his machine out (unasked for I hasten to add!).

To restore a bit of your faith in humanity, have a search for "scambaiters", people that make a hobby out of scamming the scammers, and seeing how far they can string them along. In some cases they've even managed to get the scammer to send THEM money!

[Paul Marsh]

What worries me that they know my phone number, address and maybe other details. I've not bought a computer for years - mainly assembled my own unit to my spec, apart from the old laptop nearly 10 years ago, which still works and mainly is used for downloading - being fast enough and reliable.

[malcolm woodcock 1]

IanH, you earned your whiskey. I like the the religious approach to these scammers, they don't know if your crazy or not.

[Simon Chambers]

I've unfortunately never had the enjoyment of one of these 'Windows support' scammers call to have fun with. I'm sure it would give me much amusement trying to get them to organise to have my double glazing cleaned.

I do however get much enjoyment out of some of the scammers (especially some of the 'lottery win' scams) by pressing the phone dial buttons and pretending to be very confused that I'm not talking to a friend! It does make them very confused about what to do next and say. Also, the push button dial tone make a very loud annoying noise at the other end of the phone apparently, especially if the other end is wearing a headset...!

Si.

[John Privett]

Posted by Simon Chambers on 17/07/2012 22:02:21:

I do however get much enjoyment out of some of the scammers (especially some of the 'lottery win' scams) by pressing the phone dial buttons and pretending to be very confused that I'm not talking to a friend!

A couple of years ago I was "between jobs" and at home a lot of the time during the day. I was getting quite a few automated calls, "Congratulations, you've won a holiday in Florida, press zero to speak to our agent..." which I just hung up on.

One day, more bored than usual, I pressed zero to see what the sales pitch would be. An American woman answered and started reading her script. I replied to all her questions in French... For a while she carried on reading the script even though she clearly didn't understand a word I was saying. Eventually she said, "Gee, I'm sorry, I don't speak Spanish." I nearly hurled some good old Anglo-Saxon abuse at her for not being able to distinguish between my (bad) French and Spanish! Instead I politely told her (still in French) what a shame that was. She seemed at a slight loss as to how to end the call before hanging up. Oddly I don't seem to get any of those calls any more...