"Hello sir, Im from Windows support..."

[toc]

Anyone else getting phone spammed by people (obviously out of an Indian call centre) claiming to be from Windows Support (never 'microsoft') saying that my computer is infected with viruses?

Ive had about 10 or 15 calls this month...

[supernova1965]

SCAM SCAM totally ignore Microsoft Support is just not that efficient:P:D. Technically they are correct in that if you give them access to your computer you will have all sorts of Virus and Malware to deal with not to mention all the info they will have on you and your online activities:mad2::rolleyes:

[astronut]

Tim,
I've heard a lot about them, but not received any.
Can't wait to though....I think I 'll have some fun with them.:lol::lol::lol:

[Allan_L]

Yeah, been going on for a few months now (and there was a thread here about it then).

Scarey, they know your full name and address and call you by name.

And they can totally destroy your computer if you follow them.
Some then extort money in pretence to fix it again.

Best response is, ...
"There must be some mistake, I don't own a computer thingy"

[pgc hunter]

I just don't pick up the phone anymore. 99% of the time it's some flesh eating parasite trying to sell me something I already have. The other night, one of these cretins called up at 9pm, too bad my parents got to it before me...opportunity for a bit of fun lost!

It's great being creative with your responses. One I suggest is: (using an accent) 'so sorry me no speak engrish'

All my important contacts use my mobile number.

[TrevorW]

A "whistle" by the phone

[renormalised]

I'd say to them..."Well, you must be really 'silly'":):P:P

[ballaratdragons]

When I was working at the guitar shop the boss and I had fun with these idiots. There are about 3 a day, every day :rolleyes:

He would talk faster than them and attempt to sell them guitars until they hang up :lol:

or he would argue with them in some made up language that sounded sort of like Klingon :lol:
They hung up quickly!

and one I liked doing was to put the phone down and leave them talking to themself, and I would go back out to the front of the shop.
I would go back out to the phone about 10 minutes later and they were gone.
BUT!!! once a guy was still talking non stop :rofl:
I just said "I'll take 2 thousand, and I want them delivered this afternoon" and then I hung up while he was blubbering "2 thousand? huh, what?" :P

Yep, It can be fun ;)

[Suzy]

Sab, I put myself on the "do not call register" and it has been very effective. I've only had one anauthorised call in the last few years. Except now I get every charity ringing me, because it seems there allowed to :rolleyes:.

[AstroGuy]

Yep, downright annoying.

I feel like recording them and next time they ring...just play it back to them!
:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: :lol::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl: :rofl::rofl::P:P:P:P:P

[mithrandir]

I've only had one, and when I asked how his M$ virus could infect Linux he got flustered and I hung up.

Interestingly, at work the next day one of the other guys had the same story.

Andrew

[toc]

My wife likes to play with them - pretty amusing to listen to, so I guess they are good entertainment value :)

[ballaratdragons]

I have no idea why, but we don't get any of these calls at our house.
No sales bufffoons, no Microsoft conmen, nothing. Never have had any on the house phone.

It's a silent number. Maybe that's why :shrug:

[mithrandir]

If it's silent, how do you know when it's ringing? Boom! Boom!

Unlisted is a better term, and that does not stop the ones who use random or sequential dialers. Even if those are illegal it won't stop the offshore scammers.

[Waxing_Gibbous]

Yeah.
I posted on this last month. They actually had me fooled for a second as I had been talking to Redmond the day before requesting some help with an Enterprise problem.
Tricky *******s.

[pgc hunter]

lol brilliant creativity there!




I just don't answer the phone. Genuine callers usually leave a message on the answering machine , if that's the case I'll answer the phone. I freaking hate charities ringing me, I really try my best to be kindly tell them to take a hike. It's hard enough keeping my own head above water so I ain't giving anyone any money. And who knows where that money goes anyway (a la Vic bushfires .. people still living in caravans :mad2:)

That brings me to another thing.... bloody derrr brains asking if you want to take part in a survey, like "would you be interested in including yourself as part of a study of the property prices in your area?"...

[Waxing_Gibbous]

Gotta be said tho' it IS fun to play with them.
Carron and I do a "knife murder over the phone routine". Had the cops show up once. Oops.
And one time a guy phoned up selling, get this.......something I actually WANTED!!!!!

[RAJAH235]

I keep one of those small, 110 db +, personal alarms near the phone, just for such occurrences.
Sounds like a heap? of really small piglets, all squealing for their mother.
;)

I like Ken's idea of the large order though.
Good one.

[AstroGuy]

In the old days of pure analog phones, I remember someones eardrum got blown out like that.

[MrB]

I haven't received one of these calls in years... oh yeah, I haven't had a phone for years.


Wow, impressive earpiece!
:rolleyes:

[Benno18]

yeah dont use the fixed lines anymore.

My mum got such a call from a 'Windows tech' person. My mum isnt a tech person as such. eg we had to show her how to download itunes for the ipod she had and had no idea what it was.........

Any hoo. from what she was saying the person gets you to go through the control settings on the computer, to change all your security settings, making security null and void. The person only got so far when he couldnt explain the next move properly there wasnt a button or file or something and thats where dad got involved, Well got the phone and the man hung up

Loving some of the suggestions to get rid of them. Very impressive!!

[Octane]

What these morons actually do is get you to go into your Events Viewer and try and show you some items flagged with a white cross on a red background. These are normal items and appear on pretty much every Windows desktop machine.

They use this little screen that's rarely looked at to prey on the vulnerabilities of people on the other side of the digital divide.

H

[ZeroID]

Local surveys etc I tell them I'm busy right now but if they give me a number I can call them at home ........ they say that's not allowed
, ... you can guess the rest.

Overseas callers, Windows support etc either get the suggestion of travel associated with their private parts or I leave the phone on by the TV for a while. Once had a caller on there for a half hour or so, kept popping back to it while I was cooking and making interested noises. The Sky TV people are the biggest PITA, regular as clockwork they are, every two to three weeks. We got enough rubbish on TV wiithout paying for more.

[Vartigy]

ROFL.

While I hate all unsolicited callers with a passion. I do enjoy the odd game with them.

One I remember vividly was pretending to be a Radio Show host and playing out the scenario where they were the 100th caller and had won a trip to Fiji.

[wasyoungonce]

Nyet...the telephone handsets didn't have the ability to put out the sort of db noise intensity nor the frequency range needed for that.

Had another Indian caller for windows support this morning...I spoke harsh words to them:mad2:...they have been calling back, to abuse me back, for the last few hours. Although the freq of their calls is abating now.:shrug:

I thus don't recommend abusing them as they can eek revenge calls.:question: This lot are beyond the Australian state and Federal laws.:mad2:.

India is getting the reputation like Nigeria..nothing but a country of scammers.

edit:
Oh I'm on the DNC register...have been for years. Doesn't stop this lot as they are beyond Australian laws and call thru VOIP. Fat lot of good the DNC is.

[Terry B]

We get absoultely no unsolicited calls due to my number being unlisted. Much better than the "do not call" list.

[sasup]

I just got the call tonight. I just hate having to pick up and here that s*&t....

[pgc hunter]

Some indian called me up yesterday asking about our mortgage....he was asking for my mum so not sure if she arranged anything here so left my ill temper in the bag for now.... but probably was most likely was someone offering a "better" deal :rolleyes:

[danielsun]

I found that having an answering machine does the trick, so if I see a withheld number or a number I don't recognize I let the answering machine get it and sure enough they immediately hang up.