New telephone scam targeting PC users.

GKWelding

Just a quick heads up, I received a call today from 'Microsoft' claiming that my desktop PC had sent them an error report that they were now following up. Alarm bells immediately started ringing as I know for a fact I hadn't had any error reports sent from my PC in the past 6 months, I never send them, I always refuse when prompted.

Now, my home number is ex-directory so I asked the guy on the other end of the phone how he'd gotten my number. His answer was so funny; I can't believe people are actually falling for this. Apparently, they'd got my number from my IP address, they'd typed it into a 'special Microsoft database' (his exact words) and they'd gotten my contact details from that, I suspect the only thing special about this phone call was the tool on the other end of the phone. A rather idiotic guy calling himself Kevin Kumar.

Now, I'm a web developer and very knowledgeable about computers and knew this was a complete crock, I could smell the BS coming down the phone line. When I confronted him about this and that I knew this was untrue (most people in the UK with standard ISP's don't even have static IP's anyway), he got very rude and very aggressive claiming that I was only a web developer and had no idea what Microsoft could do.

Don't be intimidated by these idiots. It's a scam, they will ask you to go to a website and download some software, after which they will have control of your PC. After searching the internet there is another variation of this scam in which they ask you to confirm whether your PC is running slowly and claim you have a virus already installed on your PC. They will get you to go to a website and install software. Don't do this, under any circumstances.

Microsoft will NEVER cold call a user no matter what, if you really want to mess with these idiots then just waste as much of their time as possible. Act like you're on the site they've told you to go to, pretend like you're having issues installing the software etc... then tell 'em to get screwed.

shuaibf

haha what a waste of space .. people have tomuch time to waste trying stupid scams

John_Gray

I couldn't find this particular scam on Snopes, so it might be worth you telling them about it?

GKWelding

Tried submitting it to snopes but their form for submissions seems to be knackered.

Bambi234

Any cold callers who I do not wish to speak to, and that includes stupid scammers like this I always do exactly the same thing. I say to them I am not the most technical of people that if you can hold on a little bit I will go and get my partner. I then put the phone down on the side and go and do whatever I fancy i.e. taking a shower or bath or make myself a cup of tea.

Or if I am in the mood for a conversation I start giving them random answers such as fish bicycle and colander. I know they will get hacked off before I do

I have only had one company that seems to being employing people who were totally IQ deficient who was still there after 20 minutes. It's their phone bill.

slick132

I had a call yesterday from an Indian call centre. DAVID (hmmm?) told me he was from Microsoft and they were aware of my recent error report.

Coincidently, 5 days ago I DID allow my PC to make an error report to MS, which I have never done before.

They wanted to help me cure my system which they said had a "deadly Bassington Bug Virus". They would also help speed up my system and it would only cost me £69.95. The product they offered was the Advance System Protector.

I have no idea how they got my phone number or whether it was linked to the error report. I'd have hoped that such a report would be entirely confidential. :eek:

David's headset made it almost impossible to hear half of what was being said and I told him, if his virus cure is as bad as his communication equipment, I wasn't interested.

trisontana

I got that call a couple of days ago. After doing some research I found this from Nottingham Trent University

Leopard

We got one of these calls.

I told the guy that I was horrified to hear of it and asked him which of our eight Apple Macs had sent this Windows error message to Microsoft, so that we could identify the ailing computer.

This phased him, somewhat; he asked me to stay on the line while he asked his manager. So I put him on hold. Ten minutes later, when i checked, he was gone...

elvch01

I simply told the muppet that I am a software developer for (a major software house) and in accordance with my previous instructions to Microsoft, these messages should be ignored. When they started blustering about infections etc, I simply commented that its hard to develop anti-virus software without having viruses to test upon

inspace

What annoys me most about these scams is that some peole would fall for it - my mum for one she is very gullible and would go along with it all the way - very annoying indeed.

Some company has sold their database to the scammers that is for sure - if only we could find out which one - then we could refuse to deal with them.

trisontana

inspace wrote: »

What annoys me most about these scams is that some peole would fall for it - my mum for one she is very gullible and would go along with it all the way - very annoying indeed.

Some company has sold their database to the scammers that is for sure - if only we could find out which one - then we could refuse to deal with them.

I was listening to this morning's consumer programme on BBC Three Counties Radio which had mentioned this scam. Right at the end a woman rang in and said she had been taken in, paid out £60, and had given the scammers her card details. Because it was right at the end of the programme they couldn't follow this up today, but are promising to speak to the woman again tomorrow morning.