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David Masters
01-24-2014, 12:05 PM
Here's a new one. Just received a call from someone identifying himself as a technician from Microsoft. He told me that my system has been blocking the updates that Microsoft has been trying to send to my computer. The background noise on the call had a definite Indian boiler room sound. I challenged him immediately and to my surprise, he kept right on script (obviously read) that he was from Microsoft and he would prove that my computer was blocking updates, if I would follow his directions. At that point, I just laughed and hung up.

In hindsight, it might have been interesting to have a little fun with him. I could have sat down in front of my iMac and struggle with his directions as he walked me through the process he intended for me to follow.

I did a search on "Microsoft phone scam" and it appears to be a problem enough that Microsoft has a security bulletin about it.

George Bokros
01-24-2014, 12:12 PM
I received a similar call a few weeks ago except it was that my computer was infected. He did identify himself as being from Microsoft.

George

Jerome Stanek
01-24-2014, 12:20 PM
I get those all the time and play with them just clicking keys and say ok then I say my linux software won't except those commands. they get mad at me and sometimes call me names. One time I said I was from the FBI and would transfer him to our IT department.

Bill Bukovec
01-24-2014, 12:31 PM
I had a scammer call me about ruducing my mortgage rate.


He asked me what rate I was paying. I said I didn't know but asked him if he could wait.


He said sure. Five minutes later I picked up the phone and he was still there. I finally hung up on him.

Dave Sheldrake
01-24-2014, 3:42 PM
I usually say "Hold on I'll go and power up my PC" then leave the phone off the hook while I go and watching TV in the other room.

cheers

Dave

Dan Hintz
01-24-2014, 6:56 PM
I usually say "Hold on I'll go and power up my PC" then leave the phone off the hook while I go and watching TV in the other room.

I just place the phone down near the computer, find a porn online and let it repeat. Don't want to make it obvious, just close enough so they hear the noises.

Matt Meiser
01-24-2014, 7:04 PM
I just place the phone down near the computer, find a porn online and let it repeat. Don't want to make it obvious, just close enough so they hear the noises.

Google Tom Mabe.

Shawn Pixley
01-24-2014, 9:54 PM
David Thome wrote, "The Internet is a Playground." Read it and you will have all sorts of ideas in how deal with this ... After you stop laughing, of course.

Shawn Pixley
01-24-2014, 10:07 PM
When I am not too tired and my malicious side comes out, I employ different ploys of wasting their time and / or annoying them. My favorites are: the burgler / stalker, multi-level marketing, echo chamber (with repeating their words through a digital delay), druid sacrifice. I know, I'm a bad, bad man...

I have some sampled sounds (machine gun fire, explosions, collapsing buildings, etc... ) that I'll loop through next. I know they're lying, as we are a Microsoft-free zone (complete mac household).

Brian Libby
01-24-2014, 11:02 PM
Yup, we had this one yesterday, he sounded Indian and very hard to understand with a very noisy back ground. If I have nothing to do I usually lead them on for a while.

Jim Koepke
01-25-2014, 12:02 AM
I find them all annoying.

I also know they all have those head sets on and if you press one of the keys on your phone it is sometimes painful.

Usually though before doing this I talk softly and tell them they need to speak up since they seem to be difficult to hear. After they turn their head set to full volume I accidentally hit one of the keys.

I have learned some of what are surely curse words in the national language of India.

Usually I do not get more than two "accidents" before they go away.

jtk

Kevin Nathanson
01-25-2014, 4:09 AM
I have a friend who handles these calls by telling them that he's Amish.

K

Curt Harms
01-25-2014, 11:49 AM
I read about a solution that kept the caller busy for quite some time and presume it wouldn't put your machine at risk. Install virtual machine software, virtual box, VM player etc., install Windows but set it up with absolutely minimum memory allocated and some processes running in the background for good measure. Make the windows session run at a speed that makes molasses in January seem speedy by comparison. Then let the caller 'fix' the problem. The time he spends 'fixing' your problem is time he isn't possibly doing damage to someone else. When he finally gives up, wipe the VM image and get ready for the next one.

Dan Hintz
01-25-2014, 1:24 PM
I read about a solution that kept the caller busy for quite some time and presume it wouldn't put your machine at risk. Install virtual machine software, virtual box, VM player etc., install Windows but set it up with absolutely minimum memory allocated and some processes running in the background for good measure. Make the windows session run at a speed that makes molasses in January seem speedy by comparison. Then let the caller 'fix' the problem. The time he spends 'fixing' your problem is time he isn't possibly doing damage to someone else. When he finally gives up, wipe the VM image and get ready for the next one.

Only the most masochistic would want to spend the time to set up a VM appropriately... but if you're into that, it would be funny.

Chuck Wintle
01-26-2014, 5:31 PM
these scammers are very persistent people who are not easily put off their task. It seems very hard to make them stop or to even thwart them.

Jeff Erbele
01-27-2014, 12:08 AM
Fortunately I never had such a call yet. What is the point of the scam? I assume they want permission to take remote control of your computer, but than what? Of course I would never give it to them but what are they going to scam?
...look for personal and sensitive data?
...use your machine / IP address for something illegal, hiding behind your ID?
...plant malware to take over the machine at will anytime in the future?

David Masters
01-27-2014, 1:29 AM
It appears that the point of the scam is to collect $300 for the privilege of fixing your computer. They walk you through various logs that Microsoft collects on the computer and attempt to convince you to give them access to your computer so they can fix the problem. After they gain access, they request you pay them the $300, and if you refuse to pay, they trash your system. There is a good chance that even if you pay them, they will plant some form of malware on the computer.

You wonder who can be fooled by something like this, but they are convincing if you don't don't have a background fixing computers. I know of several people that I help out that would fall for something like this.

Jeff Erbele
01-27-2014, 2:37 AM
It appears that the point of the scam is to collect $300 for the privilege of fixing your computer. They walk you through various logs that Microsoft collects on the computer and attempt to convince you to give them access to your computer so they can fix the problem. After they gain access, they request you pay them the $300, and if you refuse to pay, they trash your system. There is a good chance that even if you pay them, they will plant some form of malware on the computer.

You wonder who can be fooled by something like this, but they are convincing if you don't don't have a background fixing computers. I know of several people that I help out that would fall for something like this.

Thanks and understood. I was wondering what the motive of the scam was, how they profit. Simple, just ask for payment. I can see people falling for it. It's a numbers game, just keep calling people, a bit like sales, get past the no's, find the yes's.

Besides the fact that not all updates are required. The machine was working just fine last week, before the current update....
I know that is not always true, updates fix bugs or provide new features, etc., but it probably is not the crisis the scam-sters make it out to be, besides the fact their line is baloney to begin with.

It's blatant for none-Windows systems, but I can even see some falling for that, if they don't stop and think or have no understanding of the most basic technical things.