Technical Support

[woodstock]

We had a phone call today from a company called technical support and told Fi that she had spyware on her computer he asked her to turn on one of her computers and allow remote access so that he could have a look at the problem,She handed the phone to me and I asked the guy
1 where he was calling from he said his company was world wide so I asked again where was HE calling from to which he replied Birmingham England. I then asked for his full name and post code from the address in Birmingham so that I could check before I continue guess what he said I will hand you over to someone who can help with your inquiries and put the phone down, how rude is that. No seriously it is some sort of scam and im not sure if anyone has had a similar call but I thought I would just let people know.

 

[Mesquite]

We had a phone call today from a company called technical support and told Fi that she had spyware on her computer he asked her to turn on one of her computers and allow remote access so that he could have a look at the problem,She handed the phone to me and I asked the guy
1 where he was calling from he said his company was world wide so I asked again where was HE calling from to which he replied Birmingham England. I then asked for his full name and post code from the address in Birmingham so that I could check before I continue guess what he said I will hand you over to someone who can help with your inquiries and put the phone down, how rude is that. No seriously it is some sort of scam and im not sure if anyone has had a similar call but I thought I would just let people know.

It's a scam Mick...

 

[steve a]

It's a scam, I've had a couple of calls from someone claiming to be from Microsoft and wanting access to my pc, yeah right.
total scumbag scammers

 

[Ed]

We've had the microsoft one a few times now ...... normally asking us to download a piece of software so they can fix the problem. There are quite a few versions of this scam going around.

Ed

 

[Shewie]

My father-in-law got stung with the same scam about five years ago. Not being at all IT savvy he went along with it, the outcome was they reckon they identified a number of issues and offered to fix them for around £90 I think He rung me before paying luckily and I explained what they were up to, the next day they rang back and he got rid of them.

I expect loads of folk fall for it everyday

 

[rik_uk3]

Its a well known scam. Microsoft and the other big companies will NEVER PHONE YOU so if you get a call feel free to tell them to go forth and multiply in your language/words of choice.

 

[Rosahane]

It can be good fun to string them along and see how much time you can keep them on the phone.

I tell them that the PC is knackered and takes ages to boot up and then pretend to be dumb and not understand what they are asking, got 18 minutes the other night before they copped on and hung up.

It used to be guys with an Indian accent, the other night it appeared to be west Africans.

 

[dwardo]

Absolute dirt bags. Big problem that needs dealing with.

 

[g4ghb]

I have been known to wind them up too (to swmbo's ammusment) - last one called from 'microsoft' I acted very pleased that he had called as I hadn't realised there was a problem and was overjoyed that he had called and was going to help me out. About 10 mins in when I was 'having problems' when I mentioned my ipad he seemed to get rather confused..... but I only have an ipad I said, and you told me you could help me!

quite proud that he bailed out of the call before me

 

[xylaria]

I handed the phone over because the blokes english was dire . Being a bit deaf I cant be bothered with attemping to understand john from Mumbai. He started off with hello I ring from technical support do you find you have slow broadband with frequent stoppage. My house is in welsh village the cables were laid by chartest movement they are that old. He didnt know what Internet provider we had. He sounded like he learnt english off phonejacker, I was finding it amusing until his english totally failed. It was the question so how exactly do you fix a zombied computer with out a total reinstall was greeted with some garble about the brand computer not matter, so I gave up.

 

[Teepee]

I get them a few times a year. I've strung them on a few of times, I figure their time being wasted is one less potential ignorant victim.

The last 2 have been greeted by Bob Flemming but they didn't hang around for long, I'm probably more Flemming than Bob and quite vile.

For the next one, I think I'll do a crazed gunman holding a hostage.

 

[rik_uk3]

Absolute dirt bags. Big problem that needs dealing with.

Not really a big problem is it, bit of perspective and all that.

We're exdirectory so get little or no calls other than family and close friends and work since opting out of cold calls but I do have a nice loud whistle hanging by the PC for the next call

 

[snozz]

I Moooo or Baaaaaa at them . I had one miaow back once...

 

[dwardo]

Not really a big problem is it, bit of perspective and all that.

We're exdirectory so get little or no calls other than family and close friends and work since opting out of cold calls but I do have a nice loud whistle hanging by the PC for the next call

Go on ill bite,

It is actually. As older folk such as my grandparents start to wet there feet in the world of IT these numpties are ready to try and take them for every penny. Its not only the fact hey say its a "virus" etc its the fear they instil at the same.
Sayings like "do you know you are sending out viruses to people you know" "they could end up in trouble too?" "We are obliged to inform the police if you do not pay"

These are some of the more sedate forms of attack.

No one will ever call you from Microsoft, I know it costs me a fortune to try and speak to them and that's if they listen!

Even if you have a virus and its sending out junk you will only ever be called by your internet provider and no one else, and they will have your personal details from your account. Even then they will only say your mail usage/internet usage is high and there"might" be a problem.

 

[nitrambur]

I had one tell me his name was Peter Parker, I turned to the missus, said "I've got Spiderman on the phone" and hung up.

 

[shaggystu]

The trick is to keep them on the phone for as long as possible, it's got to be costing them money. Problem with my windows security you say? restart my computer you say? No problem at all, but I hope you don't mind waiting, it's a really old computer and takes absolutely ages to restart. Not a problem sir, I will wait (although 35 minutes is apparently too long for them to wait )
Today we had a guy ringing up from some kind of ambulance chasing firm, about an accident that a member of my family had been involved in; cue gobsmacked, overly-emotional response from me, "oh my God, who's been hurt? what kind of accident? which hospital are they in? are they dead?" etc. etc. all at a rapidly increasing pace and level of hysteria. It took him a good 20 minutes to get me to calm down and convince me that no-one had actually been hurt and that he was just a salesman making a speculative call, he sounded utterly traumatised by the whole experience. Happy days :evilangel:

 

[rik_uk3]

I'd love to do this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s898wpcgcJM (a bit of adult humour)

 

[British Red]

Tom Mabe is my hero

 

[demographic]

Anyone who rings our house phone who I don't already know gets asked if they have ever heard of the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) and could they please remove out number from their calling list. Just saying that usually takes them off their script and they lose where they were.
Nobody ringing up gets details off us.

 

[ammo]

It's all good when your onto them, but these people are scam artists. It's a numbers game, and every now and then some poor sucker falls for it.