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Bruce Volden
10-13-2014, 7:54 PM
I just rcv'd a call from Microsoft Windows. They kindly let me know my pc was slow and had viruses!
Has anyone else rcv'd such call? The kind man from India had me do some things to my keyboard so that he could "take over" my pc and fix all my problems!
I did as he instructed---several times----- and he somehow could not believe he could not "fix" things.

I guess there are not a lot of folks running Windows 3:11 for work groups?? I don't know why he hung up on me.

Well anyway I had some fun.

Bruce

John M Wilson
10-13-2014, 8:27 PM
Had one of these fellows occasionally calling my dad -- who does not own a computer!

My dad finds these type calls very upsetting for some reason. It would wreck his whole day.

One day while I was visiting, the "Windows" guy called. I answered the phone, and told him how delighted I was that he had called, as my (non-existent) computer was acting very strangely. :cool: I then told him symptoms and error messages from every blue screen of death I could recall from memory. I followed all of his directions, interrupting him every few minutes to let my "computer" reboot. Then we would start again from scratch.

I kept him on the phone for about 45 minutes. When he figured out I was jerking him around, he got very, very angry, and used some not-nice words. I reminded him that he had called me, and could have hung up at any time. He was not amused.

My dad was at first befuddled, but then found it quite funny. I told him that that particular fellow would never call back, and so far he hasn't.

Phil Thien
10-13-2014, 9:11 PM
I own a computer shop in the Milwaukee area, and you guys would be stunned by the # of people that fall for this. And it isn't just PC's, it is Macs, too.

Jerry Thompson
10-13-2014, 9:13 PM
I have had three recently. I ask them to put someone on the line that speaks English. The persist and so do I. They eventually hang up and I get a few moments of giggles.

paul cottingham
10-13-2014, 9:22 PM
I tell them I have Linux on my computer (the truth.) They insist that exactly the same problems plague Linux machines. And they get really really angry when I laugh at them.

Joe Pelonio
10-13-2014, 9:24 PM
Twice in one night, 9:30 and 11:10PM. Very annoying, and if you are going to do scams, at least use someone that speaks understandable English.

Myk Rian
10-13-2014, 9:24 PM
I feel left out. Nobody has ever called me. :(

Phil Thien
10-13-2014, 9:34 PM
I feel left out. Nobody has ever called me. :(

Post your phone number.

ken masoumi
10-13-2014, 10:32 PM
I feel left out. Nobody has ever called me. :(
They don't call me for computer problems either but I get enough from Westjet to make up for it.

ray hampton
10-14-2014, 1:10 PM
I feel left out. Nobody has ever called me. :(

will you post your phone number ?

Myk Rian
10-14-2014, 1:36 PM
Sure. Just like some of the scam calls, it's 000-000-0000

Jim Rimmer
10-14-2014, 1:38 PM
I got one just a couple of days ago. When he said "I'm from Microsoft Windows" I said "No you're not" and hung up.

Jim Becker
10-14-2014, 4:02 PM
The really sad thing is that there are a lot of people out there who fall for this gig...and end up losing money because of it. Especially the elderly.

Duane Meadows
10-14-2014, 4:02 PM
Not sure why, but they hang up as soon as they here my voice... can't have any fun with them anymore!

Jim Becker
10-14-2014, 4:17 PM
I'm now using nomorobo.com to screen "known" robo calls and haven't had to answer a call from "Windows" in some time now. You have to be on phone service that supports certain features to use it, but if you are, it cuts out nearly all of the calls like these that are either scams or others blatantly ignoring the do-not-call lists.

Larry Browning
10-14-2014, 4:57 PM
I had sort of a reverse scam call. Last month, we lost internet and I was trouble shooting. SWMBO was "strongly encouraging" me to call Cox tech support, while was not quite ready to do that just yet. Apparently she had a real need to get back online ASAP. I finally asked her to look up the number for me, and she did so on her smartphone. I called the number she gave me, and had one of the weirdest tech support calls ever. First thing was that I got right through to them without being put on hold, this should have been my first clue! The guy had a thick Indian accent, but I could understand him. I kept asking him to check my connection, but all he wanted me to log onto a website. logmein2.com or something like that. So that he could have a look at my system. He was sure that I had been infected with the nastiest virus know to man. I tried to explain to him that I could not go to any website because MY INTERNET WAS DOWN! At one point he put me on hold and after a short period, I got a dial tone. He then called me back! After quite a bit of jiber jaber he decided he needed to know the names of my children and all their email addresses. that's when I hung up.
Take away from the story, is that these guys are even posting phoney tech support phone numbers on the internet. I just assumed that since I had called Cox tech support, that I really was talking to Cox. It took me a little while to actually discover that I was not talking to Cox, I really couldn't remember if I had given him anything he could use, but I don't think so. Nothing has come of it yet at this point, but I am still on high alert, just in case. I asked SWMBO if she could find the site where she got the number again but could not.

Brian Ashton
10-15-2014, 3:13 PM
When I lived in Queensland I once listened to a radio interview by the head of the Queensland Police Fraud Dept. I was stunned by how much money was taken out of Australia every year but such scams - 75 million. when you consider there's only 22 million people that's a lot of suckers... They have an office in Nigeria trying to recover as much as possible.

Duane Meadows
10-15-2014, 3:56 PM
I'm now using nomorobo.com to screen "known" robo calls and haven't had to answer a call from "Windows" in some time now. You have to be on phone service that supports certain features to use it, but if you are, it cuts out nearly all of the calls like these that are either scams or others blatantly ignoring the do-not-call lists.

Thanks, Jim. Time Warner does support nomorobo. Think I'm going to give it a try!

As I understand, you must have VoIP phone service, though.

Jerome Stanek
10-15-2014, 4:00 PM
I just got one from them. He wouldn't let up even when I said I don't have a computer

Moses Yoder
10-15-2014, 7:13 PM
You guys must all have home phones. We got rid of our home phone a few years back, no more sales pitches.

Jerry Thompson
10-16-2014, 8:40 AM
I just got another call yesterday. I told him I had no on line connection and still used a Commodore 64. He sputtered something and bid me goodbye.

Jerome Stanek
10-16-2014, 9:58 AM
3 calls yesterday told them I don't have a computer but they still insist on it.

Mike Chance in Iowa
10-16-2014, 10:32 AM
I haven't received any calls. That would be fun. Respond all angry with "What?? I have a lot of viruses? Thanks for letting me know. I going to blank the last guy I paid to fixed it."

Jerome Stanek
10-16-2014, 1:35 PM
Wouldn't it be fun to set up a spare computer that would load a virus on their computer either to send all the info out to the NSA

Curt Harms
10-17-2014, 7:33 AM
I'm now using nomorobo.com to screen "known" robo calls and haven't had to answer a call from "Windows" in some time now. You have to be on phone service that supports certain features to use it, but if you are, it cuts out nearly all of the calls like these that are either scams or others blatantly ignoring the do-not-call lists.

Jim, thanks for the heads-up on nomorobo. I set it up as soon as I saw your post and ahhhhh, blessed phone silence.

Joe Pelonio
10-17-2014, 7:43 AM
I got another call from him at 9:30pm. I said I only had a Macintosh and he said that my Macintosh certification had expired. I then turned the phone aside and asked my wife "has the trace gone through yet?"
Then he was gone. Next time I'll say I'm Agent ________ from the FBI and we have now traced the line and the local authorities will be there shortly.

ken masoumi
10-17-2014, 8:19 AM
Jim, thanks for the heads-up on nomorobo. I set it up as soon as I saw your post and ahhhhh, blessed phone silence.
Unfortunately Nomorobo does not work up here in Ontario,Canada,(I'm with Bell,) it would have been great if it did.

Duane Meadows
10-27-2014, 8:51 AM
Gotta laugh out of this...

http://www.zdnet.com/court-pulls-plug-on-multimillion-dollar-fake-microsoft-support-operation-7000035075/

Ted Calver
10-27-2014, 10:48 AM
When my caller ID shows unavailable, Microsoft Windows or some other unwanted caller, I always answer in a combination of the three languages I know enough to find a bathroom and order at a restaurant from-- Thai, Italian and Turkish...it completely befuddles the usually foreign caller and they start raising their voice so I can understand them. What a hoot!

Dave Anderson NH
10-27-2014, 11:56 AM
I no longer feel left out. I got my call from "Windows" last week. I suspect that they finally got around to the 603 area code on their robo dial system.

Ole Anderson
10-27-2014, 4:32 PM
We have the triple play plan from Comcast, which includes phone service. I really was ready to give up the land line and phone number we have had for 30 years, but it was cheaper to keep the phone than go with another of their bundles. Long story short, the other day we received 9 calls, 8 of them from 800 numbers, even though I am on the do not call list (a joke). So I yanked all of my wireless phones, 5 of them, and just kept the hard wired one in my shop and set the ringer to very low. Comcast offers a central answering machine which forwards the actual and transcribed voice message to email. So my message now says if you want to speak to either of us call our cell (not leaving any number) or leave a message and we will be notified by email. 90% of 800 calls won't leave a message and all of our friends know now to call our cells. So far, so good.

Dave Richards
10-30-2014, 8:07 PM
I just got a call from some guy with an Indian accent identifying himself as Frank and he was calling from some computer service place. I was looking forward to his call but I made the mistake of saying, "I bet you're going to tell me there's something wrong with my computer." He promptly hung up. Bummer! I wanted to have some fun at his expense. :D :D