Ok, so the FedEx scam was pretty obvious, but is anyone else getting calls claiming to be from the Windows technical department. I cant stop these people callin 3-4 times a day for the past four days.

They have my name and claim that they are from Windows and have received error messages from my computer indicating that when browsing the internet, I have been downloading “something” (cant remember their script) that is corrupting my operating system.

The callers have strong Indian sub-continent accents and from the background noise seem to be in a call-centre. I would normally ignore but my computer has slowed recently so I gave them a few minutes to explain.

I asked if they were part of microsoft? No
I asked where they were calling from? Technical services team at windows in California (9:40 UK time, unlikely?)

They ask me to go to start up screen and tell me certain details.

At this point, I ask them if it matters whether I open up my M’soft computer (dont have one) or my Mac? They say the former as this is where the error messages come from. When I say that I dont have a M’soft computer they hang up.

At one point yesterday, the lady was replaced by an aggressive blike who at one point states, “you are not listening to me, you bloody idiot.” I told him that since he chose to be rude, that I was ending the call and they should not contact me again. Today, two more calls?

Am I alone?

just go for the “hang on while it boots” and put the phone down approach.

Apart from being really irritating, I cant quite see what they are trying to achieve?

Trouble is yesterday, I got quite cross with the the constant calls and picked up the phone in a less-than-friendly manner, only to find my mother on the other end!! 😳

Apart from being really irritating, I cant quite see what they are trying to achieve?

Either trying to install malware to steal CC and login details or they’ll ‘fix’ the problem then ask for a one off £50 payment is the way it usually unfolds.

So they expect you to be stupid enough to give details over the phone? I wonder if I can pay the £50 via paypal gift? 😉

If they call again, answer, then just say “hang on I’ll go and boot the computer up…” place receiver down and bugger off for a bike ride. If they are still on the line when you get back, it’s a scam…..

I told them the computer user was away for a two month business trip and I couldnt access the PC. Seemed to do the trick.

Lots of videos on Youtube of people playing along to have some fun with them.

Use to get these almost daily and started by hanging up, the the saying I don’t have a PC, in the end would just say hold and pretend I was doing it act massively dumb before doing the old hold I’m just going to try that out the phone down and wander off to watch TV.

Keeping them going and on hold for ages seem to work as I guess it costs them, not had for ages now.

Oh and calling them scammer seems to get them to hang up straight away.

Ok, just nipped on to YT – so not a new thing!!!!!

I guess, I have a few more days of this before they give up!!

I had them going for over 30 minutes and 3 different staff, including his supervisor. I got bored after a bit. Picked my slowest computer (ancient Dell Laptop) and kept them hanging.
Got fed up so when he asked me to check my broadband router by unplugging it and plugging it back in I “accidentally” unplugged the phone.

If i’m trying to avoid work i have been known to string them along a bit and play the role of the idiot with these sort of calls (playing the idiot comes quite natural to me!)

Well i turned the box on, its slowly coming on. It is now asking for my password before i continue. Do i need a special password number or just put my normal one in? I can never remember it, let me go and get my bit of paper with it written on, it is in the other room please hold on.

I disappear for a while and come back and then apologise saying it took a while to find the bit of paper. They get me to enter it…ok wait a moment i am a really slow typerist….P….A….S…S…do you know where the W is i cant see it, where is it?…oh there it is….W….zero…hahahahaha maybe i should not have said that as it is my secret code a zero looks just like an O when typed noone will think of that will they, please dont tell anyone my secret code …..R…..D. Thats it now got the box on.

Then start with the small talk: did you see american pie last night? i love this movie, have you seen it before? The bit with nadia in jims bedroom i have a clip of that on my computer…..Do you want see me it? You can even see her boobs! Continue talking shite for a while, it becomes a battle of will to see if they will cave in and hang up first.

(typing this out makes me realise how pathetic i am, maybe i’ll just tell them to **** off in the future 😀 )

Do whatever they suggest but on the microwave. It winds them up a treat.

I had one that i wound up for a while, in the end we both knew the craic. He started calling me a thicko, i maybe said something about “do you live in a slum like on the movie slumdog millionaire” possibly shouldnt of. Anyway, the next thing he read out my telephone number, full address and email address and name. AT that point i got a bit freaked out.

Just tell him you work for CTU and if he calls again you’ll invoke an extraordinary rendition and he’ll end up in Guantanamo Bay, if he’s lucky.

Dunno if TPS helps with this sort of scam call but worth registering if you haven’t already (I never get them anyway)

I’ve been getting less of these recently but had one yesterday. After the usual faffing they asked me what I could see on my computer screen so I said I had this page up (Microsoft’s advice on the issue), and read it out to them. Didn’t seem to faze them at all. 🙄

They put me through to their “supervisor” who eventually hung up on me after I couldn’t find the start button “on the bottom right of the screen” – I guess she got the script wrong.

You’d think in this day and age it wouldn’t be beyond the wit of telecoms providers to filter and blacklist spam and scam callers in the same way that email spam is filtered. The call centres these scams are coming from are static, the purposes of the calls are bogus – once a sufficient number of calls have been reported why would any of their future attempts to call people get past the exchange?

A friends elderly relative got sucked into this. Apparently the callers get aggressive quite quickly. The aim is to gain remote access to a computer. Don’t get too freaked out if somebody reads out your name telephone number and full address – surprisingly easy to get hold of.

If in doubt always hang up and dial a known number for the company you are dealing with. And never dial out unless you know the connection on your phone has been reset – scammers like staying on the line and many people don’t listen for a dial tone.

I’ve had these in the past. Seems to go in waves. Lots for a while then it goes quiet for a bit. Normally you can tell when you pick the phone up, slight pause before it connects at their end. If so I just put the phone down.

My mum was staying with us last year for about 4 months, she answered one from Windows Technical Support and kept them on the phone for about 5 minutes explaining why we didn’t want any double glazing.

I’ve done the act dump routine. Slowly turn the Mac on and sound all concerned, can’t find the start icon, etc. That really confuses them when you tell them it’s not Windows.

They’ve stopped in the last month after I told one of the supervisors “a lying, scamming, sack of sh***!” Seems to do the trick.

You’d think in this day and age it wouldn’t be beyond the wit of telecoms providers to filter and blacklist spam and scam callers in the same way that email spam is filtered.

well considering how well email spam filters work I wouldn’t hold out much hope for the telecoms lot getting it sorted.

bigblackshed – Member
My mum was staying with us last year for about 4 months, she answered one from Windows Technical Support and kept them on the phone for about 5 minutes explaining why we didn’t want any double glazing.

😀 😀

I might try that one!

Pity if the scammers employ people who dont know they are part of a scamming business.

I tell them that I do not have a computer which really confuses them.

I once vented spleen at Talk Talk after the Indian call centre called me every Friday evening. I then got called three times a day instead so I have stopped being too nasty to companies after that.

My dad gets loads of these calls and loves them.

He is a pensioner with bugger all to do except string them along and see how long it takes for them to hang up. I think his record is 25 minutes odd.

“My computer is very old and it takes a long time to start up, maybe because of the problems you’ve detected. Hang on a few minutes”

…

“Oh whoops, I’ve accidentally clicked shut down… hold on a minute, I really want to get this sorted”

etc.

Usually while sitting on the sofa reading the paper or something, nowhere near the computer

Can’t say I’ve ever had this.

Which is a shame I’m sure I could string them along for ages.

My current pest caller is Eco-Energy who phone me with a robotic message extolling the virtues of solar panels – in Scotland

Yeah I get annoyed by the ones that call then a recorded message says ‘please hold’

Er, how about no.

http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/index.html

And I always refuse marketing, ask any company that has my number (the insurers last week) NOT to pass it on or use it other than to contact me.

We get almost no junk mail (apart from barclaycard FFS) and never sales calls.

Unleash your inner racist on them. Every white man has one apparently.

Enjoy the read 😀

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/10/i-am-calling-you-from-windows-a-tech-support-scammer-dials-ars-technica/

Just had them on. Managed 16.51 minutes before they hung up.
My computer takes an age to start! Then when I confronted him he just kept asking me if the computer was on yet? Asked to speak to his manager who has the typical Indian name of Chris Coleman! In the end he just hung up, bit disappointed I recon you could easily get 30 minutes out of them.