The last 3 mornings at 7.45 I’ve had a call from Microsoft tech support, it was “Hugo” this morning, “Sean” yesterday..

Sean hung up on me when I suggested he wasn’t really from Microsoft
Hugo was a bit ruder as I kept him on the phone a bit longer. Apparently I need to go look at porn and **** myself…

I suspect these calls are going to get tiresome, am I now on a list to be plagued until the end of time??!!

Oh, and and good windups if I’m so inclined..?

just keep telling them there is someone at the door and could they hold – a few times, each time a bit longer. See how long you can achieve.

BT tech support seems to be the new one.

Mate of mine told them he worked for Lancashire Police cybercrime unit and was tracking their IP address.

My favourite cold call response is to ask for their name, date of birth, details of their home address.

This usually provokes the response of “why would I give them to you?”

‘Well maybe because you just asked me to do that for you…’

“But I’m calling from [insert name of telecoms/marketing company here] you can trust me.”

The non-logic of this always escapes the cold caller.

It always astounds me that in the modern world anyone gives details to a cold caller.

I managed to get one of the Microsoft callers to tell me to f off once. I was quite proud of myself.

The old favourite when they ask to speak to me is to say “I’ll just get him for you” and then stick the phone in the kitchen.

Oh, and and good windups if I’m so inclined..?

I’d wondered about a VM and a degree of patience – 2 hours scamming a scammer, but a high-pitched whistle by the ‘phone is quicker.

Send them some ransomware back like this guy..

garage-dweller, I do that even to those that are probably legit. I got a call from my “new” (they change every 6 months) Barclays premier account manager to introduce himself and obviously try and sell me some rubbish product that Id never buy from them. When he asked if he could confirm some details with me I pointed out that he had called me, obviously at a contact coordinate on their system. I just tell them then to email me anything specific I need to know at the address against my account and have a good day.

Depending how busy I am, it’s always fun to wind them up. Best complement so far was to be called a Fu@@@@@ Wa@@@@ which took at least 15 minutes of piss-taking to get

It always astounds me that in the modern world anyone gives details to a cold caller.

That’s why the usual victims are the elderly.

I bookmarked this thread a while back but never had the chance to use it.

To my eternal shame my (not usually gullible) wife almost fell for ‘BT’ saying she hd to pay an extra £50 or they would ‘disconnect the internet’. She called me to check first. Our broadband isn’t even with BT ffs!

Been getting loads of those recently. Tiresome. I ask them if their mother knows they are doing this.

Depending how busy I am, it’s always fun to wind them up. Best complement so far was to be called a Fu@@@@@ Wa@@@@ which took at least 15 minutes of piss-taking to get

Well it only took me about two minutes for “Hugo” to get a bit potty mouthed..
I might have overdone the joy that he rang to help…..

Speak in a very low voice & inform them you are glad they’ve called, you are unable to talk any louder, & could they perhaps increase their volume so they can hear you.
Then blow a whistle down the phone.

Got another call this morning (from 00732 026494).

“How are you today?”

Me: “Terrible, my computer just blew up”

Them: (click)

When he asked if he could confirm some details with me I pointed out that he had called me
I did this to Barclays insurance. (Went on their system as a ‘complaint’).
Makes you wonder why they don’t set up a password for them to use with their customers, as they must get it quite a lot.

I ask them which computer, the one I do banking on or the one I do w*nking on? 😉

Had the BT one yesterday. String them along and after they ask you to hit some combination of keys and tell them what you see on the screen you play this game.

Twunt: Please tell me what you see on the screen?
Me : Do you?
Twunt: Please press Control + Windows (or something – I never listen)
Me: Yes I’ve done that and it says on the screen ‘Do you think’.
Twunt: Do you think?
Me: Yes. ‘Do you think I was’. Thats what I can see on the screen.
Twunt: Please press control + windows
Me: I’ve done that and I get the message ‘Do you think I was born yesterday’.

At this point they either get frustrated and you continue the game or they get it and hang up.

My theory is the longer you keep them on the phone the chances of them getting a hit on a vulnerable person are reduced slightly.

Marko

I did this to Barclays insurance. (Went on their system as a ‘complaint’).
Makes you wonder why they don’t set up a password for them to use with their customers, as they must get it quite a lot.

HSBC used to do that to me, cold-call and start asking for details to prove my identity. When I objected (“you rang me, I know who I am, who the frank are you?”) they went, “fair enough, call us back on the number on your card.” I suggested setting a password they could give to me and they said they hadn’t got the means of doing that.

They’ve stopped doing it now, but it was pretty poor practice getting customers into the habit of divulging personal info over the phone.

I’ve not yet had any of these types of calls. At home, or at work. Lucky I guess.

Some good ideas up there…

I’ve never had these calls before.. but the good lady bought a laptop via amazon last week. The coincidence is massive but nowhere on the orders, or our online profiles is our landline. I actually don’t know what it is!

Let’s see what tomorrow morning brings.. so they try to scam on the sabbath???!!

I managed to get one of the Microsoft callers to tell me to f off once. I was quite proud of myself.

I also managed that. I think it was on the one where I wouldn’t let him follow his script – instead I kept asking about their DPA registration given that they apparently held details about me.

Frankly, I couldn’t be bothered with all that crap, so, unless I recognise the caller ID, I NEVER answer the phone.
If it’s important, they can leave a voicemail…

Bt callguard phone means I miss out on all this fun

good windups if I’m so inclined..?

If it’s an Indian accent, kick off with “Tendulkar, eh? What a rubbish batsman.”

bruneep – Member

Bt callguard phone means I miss out on all this fun

BT Callguard means we only talk to people we want to talk to 🙂

Frankly, I couldn’t be bothered with all that crap, so, unless I recognise the caller ID, I NEVER answer the phone.

Me too, if it’s important there’s voicemail.

I’ve just had them on, saying they are from BT this time. Seems they’ve got wise to the IP address game, and were trying to get me to log on to ‘logmenin123’ for a remote session. Complained about a bad line so they started swearing. Breaks up the morning a bit.