Scam "Ringing from Microsoft about your errors"

szam_

TonyMMM wrote: »

I've never had one of these calls either ....very disappointing.

I've seen the numbers on the landline as missed calls, or at least similar numbers, but I'm out during the day (probably the best time for them to get hits on people who fall for it). The landline is also barely ever plugged in.

I'd love to get the chance to string one of them along. I myself work in IT, so this would actually provide some entertainment.

If I ever do, I might pretend like they're calling about a 'made up' issue by saying "I've been waiting for you to call and fix this for weeks!" and pretend it keeps shutting down at random while having them walk me through it each time. That should waste some time, maybe even get them sounding frustrated.

Hern

szam_ wrote: »

I'd love to get the chance to string one of them along. I myself work in IT, so this would actually provide some entertainment.

So long as you view it as that, then fine. Anything other than that, then it's pointless -- which is why I told the poor sod on t'other end of the line that the computer he was ringing about was an Apple.

As will be apparent from the quality of the 'conversation' and the calibre of the caller, these are desperate individuals living in desperate circumstances in a country where the gulf between rich and poor, and one caste and another, is as great if not greater than in the days of the British Raj. Corruption has for so long been institutionalised in India that it's a fact of life.

Working for the scammers is slightly better than begging in the street; it's not some evil person who's on your phone but an individual who deserves better than to have his / her dignity stripped away by amoral exploiters who frankly couldn't care less how long a target wishes to play silly sods at the end of the phone line because the ultimate loss on that one call is more than made up for by success on another.

As Stevie Palimo rightly says, India's IT scammer elite -- and that includes the phony software companies with fake Canadian addresses -- is beyond the reach of UK Law and, precisely because they are in India, beyond the reach of what passes for Law over there.

Me, I wouldn't tease a beggar in the street. Either give, or walk on by. Having fun with the desperate individuals who, having struggled to learn to English only to find that their achievement entitles them merely to read scammer scripts, honestly doesn't strike me as any kind of entertainment at all.

Azari

Hern wrote: »

So long as you view it as that, then fine. Anything other than that, then it's pointless -- which is why I told the poor sod on t'other end of the line that the computer he was ringing about was an Apple.

As will be apparent from the quality of the 'conversation' and the calibre of the caller, these are desperate individuals living in desperate circumstances in a country where the gulf between rich and poor, and one caste and another, is as great if not greater than in the days of the British Raj. Corruption has for so long been institutionalised in India that it's a fact of life.

Working for the scammers is slightly better than begging in the street; it's not some evil person who's on your phone but an individual who deserves better than to have his / her dignity stripped away by amoral exploiters who frankly couldn't care less how long a target wishes to play silly sods at the end of the phone line because the ultimate loss on that one call is more than made up for by success on another.

As Stevie Palimo rightly says, India's IT scammer elite -- and that includes the phony software companies with fake Canadian addresses -- is beyond the reach of UK Law and, precisely because they are in India, beyond the reach of what passes for Law over there.

Me, I wouldn't tease a beggar in the street. Either give, or walk on by. Having fun with the desperate individuals who, having struggled to learn to English only to find that their achievement entitles them merely to read scammer scripts, honestly doesn't strike me as any kind of entertainment at all.

I have considerable sympathy with your viewpoint, but when it comes down to it, these are people who set out each day to go to work knowing that they will be spending their entire working day attempting to cheat people. That's all they are doing. There is no useful purpose to their occupation.

If enough people could waste enough time it would eventually make the operations unprofitable.

nearlyrich

They usually say they are from Windows I ramble on about the seals on my double glazing and when they patiently explain they are on about Microsoft windows I ask about the health of some of the people I know who do actually work for them, nearly always leads to the phone going down...

lincroft1710

Hern wrote: »

As will be apparent from the quality of the 'conversation' and the calibre of the caller, these are desperate individuals living in desperate circumstances in a country where the gulf between rich and poor, and one caste and another, is as great if not greater than in the days of the British Raj. Corruption has for so long been institutionalised in India that it's a fact of life.

Working for the scammers is slightly better than begging in the street; it's not some evil person who's on your phone but an individual who deserves better than to have his / her dignity stripped away by amoral exploiters who frankly couldn't care less how long a target wishes to play silly sods at the end of the phone line because the ultimate loss on that one call is more than made up for by success on another.

Having fun with the desperate individuals who, having struggled to learn to English only to find that their achievement entitles them merely to read scammer scripts, honestly doesn't strike me as any kind of entertainment at all.

Having spoken to literally dozens of these individuals over the years, it is apparent that they are well aware they are scamming and some clearly aren't "desperate".

trotter09

szam_ wrote: »

If I ever do, I might pretend like they're calling about a 'made up' issue by saying "I've been waiting for you to call and fix this for weeks!" and pretend it keeps shutting down at random while having them walk me through it each time.

Brilliant!

Paddy2eyes

I have got them to hang up on me by repeatedly asking to be put through to Bill Gates.

Kernow666

we get a call most days , if my mum answers she says she hasnt got a computer ( she hasnt ) and they say you must have one blah blah blah

szam_

Hern wrote: »

So long as you view it as that, then fine. Anything other than that, then it's pointless -- which is why I told the poor sod on t'other end of the line that the computer he was ringing about was an Apple.

As will be apparent from the quality of the 'conversation' and the calibre of the caller, these are desperate individuals living in desperate circumstances in a country where the gulf between rich and poor, and one caste and another, is as great if not greater than in the days of the British Raj. Corruption has for so long been institutionalised in India that it's a fact of life.

Working for the scammers is slightly better than begging in the street; it's not some evil person who's on your phone but an individual who deserves better than to have his / her dignity stripped away by amoral exploiters who frankly couldn't care less how long a target wishes to play silly sods at the end of the phone line because the ultimate loss on that one call is more than made up for by success on another.

As Stevie Palimo rightly says, India's IT scammer elite -- and that includes the phony software companies with fake Canadian addresses -- is beyond the reach of UK Law and, precisely because they are in India, beyond the reach of what passes for Law over there.

Me, I wouldn't tease a beggar in the street. Either give, or walk on by. Having fun with the desperate individuals who, having struggled to learn to English only to find that their achievement entitles them merely to read scammer scripts, honestly doesn't strike me as any kind of entertainment at all.

Regardless of whether they are desperate or not - they are most likely aware that they are wrongly impersonating a company in order to extract details from vulnerable people and is probable that they know that theft is wrong.

I wouldn't tease a beggar in the street - those are completely different circumstances and I don't think are comparable, I actually have some sympathy for some beggars. But the beggars (or at least most of them) aren't stealing from you - because that's what the difference is, it amounts to theft - it could amount to thousands, if not tens of thousands of pounds, maybe more, stolen right from under your nose.

You seem to be advocating putting the phone down immediately as to spare thieves the, i suppose you could call it, "embarrassment" at not getting anywhere after 30 minutes or an hour, enabling them to therefore move on the next person to try and con in the hope they will get a successful hit - so you're arguably, indirectly approving of them being able to steal from the less tech-savvy or naive people in this country - just so long as it isn't you. I'm not implying that's what you said, but that's how it comes across to me.

If me keeping them on the line for a period of time prevents them from committing the main offense here, law or no law, theft - then I shall do so whilst keeping myself amused doing it, and if it stops just one person from being scammed by this, I'd consider that a job well done. I don't care if they're desperate, being complicit in theft is wrong in my books, end of story.

[Deleted User]

I had one few weeks back.. he ask me to go to windows so i went to my front room look out of my window.. i said right im looking at window. He ask if i could click on start button bottom left.... so i said hang on, (move sofa so plenty of room to find this start button) I said cant see a start button... he said bottom left... i said i know but not there.. She said hang on and male voice came on.. Hi sir can you click the button on bottom left of the window.. i said i dont have one.. .. what can you see sir.. few cars, hills,house and some sheeps.. called me a time wasting ba______