Can I pls check if this 'Microsoft provider' is a scam??

ruralruth

Apologies if this has been raised elsewhere but I wondered if anyone could advise me on a call I received this morning.
A call centre rang with 'extreme urgency' that as a 'provider' to Microsoft that they had a duty of care towards me. Apparently my recently purchased laptop has some hacking issues which they had identified (how? Because apparently they know the licence number of the machine........even as I write this down I can see it is ridiculous)
Anyway they wanted me to verify my licence number and were able to tell me my licence number themselves so I would know that they were not fraudulent.......Naturally my suspicion-antenna was high and I refused. They asked me to type cmd in the Run box and then assoc.......but I didnt.
I asked them to give me a number to contact them back on and thry gave me Microsoft HQ in London (which of course is different to the number that I 1471'd).
They were very persistent but I think I did the right thing in not proceeding with their instructions and saying that I would call them back if my enquiries proved that they were genuine.
Does anyone know if this is a scam or something more relevant? I cannot belive it is genuine - for Microsoft t have my home number (bless Bill) is a little out of this world - or is it?!
Any thoughts very welcome - thanks for reading through.
Ruth

Saver_Karen

It's a scam, you did exactly the right thing by not giving them information. Don't fret about it any more :money:

waddler_8

It's a scam.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/security/online-privacy/avoid-phone-scams.aspx

http://www.actionfraud.org.uk/microsoft-reveals-extent-of-phone-scam-june11

macman

Of course they are scammers! Microsoft do not call people under any circumstances . They have no idea what is on your computer, of even if you have one. They are just trying to sell you a fake 'virus removal', steal your credit card details and put spyware onto your PC
They don't 'have' your home number, they just dial thousands of numbers a day from purchased lists, hoping to find gullible punters.
You must be one of the last people in the UK not to have had these calls before.

ruralruth

Thanks everyone. I knew this would be the right place to come to. Appreciate yr support on a wer Saturday morning.
Have a great day!
Ruth

penrhyn

Was it from 0253 802 0308 by any chance?

ruralruth

Actually no.......02138251150

penrhyn

Guess I've got that one to look forward to, mine had an Indian sounding chap on the line. Still makes a change from the usual PPI call.

Save4ArainyDay

I have just had the "microsoft scam" call
He had my name and phone number
I gave him a 15 minute nightmare!!! I asked if Microsoft were calling all 10 million households in the UK!
Eventually I said - as a responsible citizen I would take his number and call him back before I handed over control of the computer to his specialist technician
He gave me the number - 0203 582 0789
I did not call and of course I won't - I will however send all my contacts this information.
Cheek of these people

vax2002

Oh how I had them on.
Wish they would ring again

johnmc

The longer you can keep these people on the phone the better, IMO.

Time wasted trying to persuade sensible people is time that is not spent stealing money from the gullible.