text:
"I am calling you from Windows…"
We've all had the calls, but what can we really do about the Windows Tech Support scam? Should you hang up, or lead the callers on? Is there anyone you can report them to, and if so, should you even bother? Let's find out.
The Windows Tech Support Scam: A Recurring Nightmare
Anyone claiming to be from "Windows" could be expected to know if there was a virus on your PC, right? And when they guide you into checking the Windows Event Viewer (where harmless errors are logged) and reading out a string of numbers, they usually manage to snare you into their swindle. After all, you don't want to lose your hard work, or be without your computer due a virus, right?
The aim of the scammers is to talk you into installing remote software on your computer, so that they might then take control. Once done, this will either allow them to steal data, introduce a Trojan horse How To Simply and Effectively Deal With Remote Access Trojans How To Simply and Effectively Deal With Remote Access Trojans Smell a RAT? If you think you've been infected with a Remote Access Trojan, you can get easily get rid of it by following these simple steps. Read More or other malware (the remote software itself may be a malicious tool) or just perform a bit of "tech support theater" to make it seem as though they know what they're doing.
Once the "virus" is discovered, of course, the scammers will demand money for their services of "removing" it. This can go a number of ways, but if you refuse, there is the possibility that the scammers have remotely changed your password or encrypted your files, transforming this into a one-on-one ransomware scam Ransomware Keeps Growing - How Can You Protect Yourself? Ransomware Keeps Growing - How Can You Protect Yourself? Read More .
Perhaps you've just received one of these calls, or you know someone who has. What should you do next time?
Handling a Scam Call
So, how should you deal with a scam call?
Well, the answer is simple: hang up.
Now, a lot of people – mostly those wise to the scam – think that the best way to deal with Windows tech support scammers is to keep them talking. By diverting the caller, leading them on by pretending you're looking for the "error code" or installing their remote software, the thinking is that you're stopping them (for a short time at least) from finding a less savvy victim. A common method (one I've used myself) is to omit to mention that you're using Linux or Mac OS X, which naturally are not targeted by the scammers (between them, they account for just 11% of the computers currently online).
While this approach makes sense, it isn't without its dangers. The scammers are aggressive and pushy by nature, and have been known to be sleazy as well (a fact revealed by one of our readers Readers' Windows Tech Support Scam Stories Readers' Windows Tech Support Scam Stories The Windows Tech Support scam prevails. Little can be done to counter it, except to hang up. We have collected stories from our readers who engaged the scammers and their tales are obnoxious. Read More ). Throw in some threats by the scammers Just Hang Up: Why You Shouldn't Taunt Fake Tech Support Scammers Just Hang Up: Why You Shouldn't Taunt Fake Tech Support Scammers There are thousands of examples on YouTube where people have wound up "Windows support" conmen asking for remote access to your PC. But trolling these tech support scammers can turn dark, really quickly. Read More and unsubstantiated reports of violence and doxing against victims who called them out, and you see that it really isn't worth stringing the scammers along.
Should you find yourself still talking, avoid sharing any personal information. And don't go to the webpage that the scammer directs you to; certainly don't install any software.
Hanging up, then, is the best option. If everybody simply ended the call as soon as the scammer's voice reveals he or she is from Microsoft (the company probably doesn't have your phone number, unless you're an employee), then this would help push the scammers out of business far quicker.
Finally, make sure you tell people. Anyone and everyone – the more people who know about the scam, the greater the chance of it being abandoned by its perpetrators.
What If You Already Gave the Scammer Access to Your Computer?
Something that concerns a lot of people is the condition of their PC after the scam. Many find themselves partially taken in before installing the software, or worse, after installing it. Perhaps you saw the mouse pointer moving around and felt something was wrong. Perhaps you ended the call and switched off your PC. Perhaps… perhaps you gave access to the scammer, believed their lie, and paid up.
If any of these scenarios sound familiar, this is what you should do.
Did you give remote access before having second thoughts and ending the call? If so, you're probably safe, but make sure you run a scan with your anti-virus software and Malwarebytes's Antimalware tool. You should also restart your PC to force-end the remote session; if for some reason this isn't possible (due to remote access) hold the power button on your computer down until it shuts down.
Did the scammer install any software, or go looking around your personal files and folders? In this case, there is a strong chance that they copied (or attempted to) data from you. If this data features personally identifiable information, this could be used to determine one or more passwords. If you use Facebook, for instance, and your password can be guessed, then a whole load of information can be harvested about you. This is how identity thieves get their claws in.
Have you paid a Windows tech support scammer to "remove" a "virus"? Call your credit card company right away, tell them you have been scammed, and they should cancel the transaction. You should also change the password for your credit card account… and every other password you use, too.
By giving your credit card details to the scammers to pay for their "service", you're also likely to give them the information they need to use your card. By sharing the 16-digit number, the valid until date and the three-digit number on the reverse, you've essentially given them everything they need to steal from you. Remember, they called you: this is not a safe way to conduct business!
Our dedicated guide looking at the aftermath of a tech support scam call What Should You Do After Falling For A Fake IT Support Scam? What Should You Do After Falling For A Fake IT Support Scam? Search for "fake tech support scam" and you will understand how common it is across the world. Some simple precautions after the event could help you feel less of a victim. Read More explains futher.
Can You Report the Scammers?
Whether you can report the scammers for their criminal behavior depends on where in the world you live. But as a general rule, the police can't do anything about this, unless provided with location-based information (they will, however, act if given sufficient information by an industry regulator or government department).
So who can you get in touch with?
In the USA, the target of your complaints should be the Federal Trade Commission. Calls to the FTC on this scam are treated seriously, but you need to have kept a note of the name of the person calling (it's fake, but still important) and the number they're calling from. You should be able to get the number from your handset, or by dialing your regional "last incoming call" number.
If you're in the UK, contact Action Fraud and log a report.
Scammers preying on unsuspecting computer users cannot be allowed to win this battle. We suggest that in addition to hanging up and reporting the callers that you also consider abandoning your landline, if practical. Should mobile numbers then be targeted, whitelisting and blacklisting call management apps can be used to block them,
Have you fallen victim to the Windows tech support scam? Did you report the scammers, or simply hang up? Tell us in the comments.
Image Credit: Robber making phone gesture by Luis Molinero via Shutterstock, SpeedKingz via Shutterstock.com, lolostock via Shutterstock.com, Alexandru Logel via Shutterstock.com
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I get these calls quite often.
I have resorted to asking them if their parents know what they do. They says yes and they are proud of me since i work for Microsoft. I tell them that they prey on older people and they should be ashamed of themselves. I just spoke with "Markus" and I think I got him to think about taking another job. He was very quiet at the end of the call and I left it with, make your parents proud.
I'll continue to use this tactic as it gives me some satisfaction that maybe, just maybe, I will get some of them to rethink what they're doing.
Its worth the 5 minutes.
Just got phone call from a windows tech about security problems and firewall shutdown. A foreigner kept asking me to turn on my computer. I said it's my husbands—he's the only one who uses it. Plus we have McAfee security. I said email me... he asked again and again to turn on my computer and I said EMAIL ME...HE hung up. I live in Alberta. 8452888060 Beacon, NY, United States.
I just had a scammer call me from a restricted number, not give me a name, claim to be working for windows, etc. The 'gentleman' actually called back after I hung up the first time and ALMOST reeled me in with his persistence. In my mind, why would a scammer call back once the 'jig was up'... The answer? To screw with my mind and get me to think he was actually worth talking to.
The biggest giveaway for me was how pushy he was. I dont think anyone from any legit business, cold calls you about malware and then is pushy about checking out your specs. I've gotten plenty of viruses before and NEVER had a call to inform me about it, in retrospect. People are sneaky!
Ontario - got a call from 1-831-385-5718 told me I had errors they were from Windows. She was so uncomfortable i could tell it was a scam, so I told her i was googling everything she said hit the Windows button + R, okay then type eventvwr, google that and then all I see is Call Scam, so I told her it was a scam and she promptly hung up. She said she was from New York, but definite Indian accent.
Got a call wasn't able to answer recording said my license was expired to call 844-441-7400. Googled the number turned out it was a scam number. This is scary to us older people who are not as tech savvy. Was having problems with my laptop since I have no important info on it I reset it to factory but now after that phone call I'm afraid to use my laptop any suggestions on what I should do.
Friday was the first call. He told me he was from Best Buy. I asked what the problem was and he told me that my IP address was doing something. I told him that my computer tech would take care of it. He insisted that only he could solve the problem. I explained that I knew what he was doing was fraud and that I would be reporting him. I hung up and called the Best Buy fraud line and gave them the information.
The second call came the next day, Saturday, St. Patty's Day. It sounded like the same guy. I told him he had been reported and hung up.
The third call came today, I told him I knew what he was up to and that he had already been reported. He insisted that something was happening on my computer after midnight. I told him that when I was not on my computer, for security purposes, it is physically disconnected from the internet (and it actually is because my office must be secure for my job.) He still kept insisting I was wrong so choice words were flung as I was having a low sugar moment and I hung up.
As I said, this round, he is claiming to be from the tech department at Best Buy. I had pretty much the same experience last year, right about this same time. The caller ID says: Yancey Celia (503) 284-1791.
My call log says he has called 5 times in the past 5 days.
I just got a call. I am laughed at the guy. He then got a bit nasty and then asked me how did i know my computer didn't have a virus? I said it would have to to be plugged in for that and it's not! He hung up fast! Asshat..
I hang up on these scammers, now they have started ringing straight back again. Anyone had this problem
I am an IT person and have not fallen for this scam. I have actually called them back repeatedly and harassed them to the point where they won't answer the line, even if you try them from another number. I have even blown a loud police whistle in their ear. 1-877-389-0630 is today's number (03-05-18). I plan to call them again in a few hours and harass them a little more. Don't know if this will be effective, but it aggravates them and gives me some satisfaction. I am otherwise a kind person.
Me too Dale. Had a good ole time with them. I love how my guy got mad that I wasted his time when I pretended I didn't know how to work the computer for 10 minutes until I finally called him out! Hopefully my bugging him for the last 2 hours kept him from bugging one potential victim
Yeah. They have discovered that persistence is actually a thing for scamming too. *sigh*
I just received a call from a guy with a strong Indian accent. He was very pushy and kept saying that he was from tech support. I was taken by surprise and followed his advice. Deep down I felt something was wrong so I forced shut down of my PC. I hope that I didn't lose any thing. # 1-877-786-2227 Don't answer this call.
Just got a call from a guy with heavy Indian accent from "Windows Help & Support Department" in Redmond, WA, even though he was calling from 212-216-9711, a New York City phone number. I hung up on him, he called me back which I didn't answer
We've been receiving these calls 4 times a day for months. Nothing works-they just keep calling. I kept saying "hello?" every time he said something. He yelled "YOU MOTHERF@#KER!" and hung up. 855-505-7809. I called back and got an "unavailable" message, BUT there was an option for leaving a message. I left many messages (some were real works of art), but they called back an hour later. There has got to be a way to stop this one number, at least.
You can stop the number. Get a google voice # online. Then text that number with anything. Go to numbers texted (or texts box) and find that text you sent. Click the drop down choice for "block number" and you're done. Usually they just call you with another number after.
Received the call in Canada from Charles Smith, 1-800-690-3683. I called the number and they answered saying it was a Microsoft support center. I would think that MS and Bell could handle this if they wanted to.
On 23rd December 2017 I received my first ever "Windows Technical" call, from a guy who sounded as though he came from the Indian sub-continent. I live in Germany, and the caller spoke english, claiming to be from Windows Technical Services, and to be calling about my computer. At that point I politely said that my computer was fine, no help needed and started to put the receiver down. I just heard the guy saying "No sir, its's ..." before the call ended. I thought that would be that.
However the next day, whilst I was on the phone to a friend, my Dell M90 notebook (connected to the web) stopped working - and hasn't worked since. The HDD is OK (I'm using a USB caddy to copy the files from it right now), but the mainboard (BIOS?) or some peripheral is well and truly dead. When I press the power switch, it lights for half a second then goes out. No boot possible.
Can something like this be provoked remotely or is this just a very weird coincidence?
Correction: the call was on Friday 22nd December 2017, and the number shown was 03834841622.
I've not tried calling it.
Corection: the call was on Friday 22nd December 2017, and the number shown was 03834841622 (which I've not tried to call).
They have gotten so aggressive the last 3-4 days-up to 20 calls a day and it is driving me crazy! I let the machine pick it up usually, but I have answered on occasion telling them to drop dead-I hope your whole family gets cancer etc... I hate these people. I really do. They show up as a 1-800 number. How the hell is their not a way to block them?!?!
Everything I have read and even the recorded phone call I just watched is exactly what happened to me. Once i saw what they were doing on my computer i used a different phone and called my bank and froze my accounts canceled my credit cards and filed a dispute. The next morning I took my computer to the geek squad and they will cleanup everything and put on real protection. This has been a horrible experience but i had protected myself before they were even finished. Now I know. These people are the scum of the earth.
I have received about maybe 30 or 50 of these calls over the years and I'd have to agree that hanging up is probably best NOTHING WORKS. I have tried:
* Asking that they never call back and pleading that they remove my name.
* Suggesting that they should feel shame or quit their job for perpetrating a fraud.
* Telling them I don't own a computer.
* Screaming into the phone REALLY loud (despite trying to blow the guy's eardrums out, they just call back).
* Saying, "Windows Technical Support! Great! Thank God! I have a virus I need help with. Oh, could you please hold on?" [Play on computer for a minute] Then say, "Sorry, just a bit longer." I keep doing this until they finally hangup.
* Saying "hold on" and then whisper "It's them. Start the trace."
I'm sure some of you have tried these. If you think they work, you're wrong. They always call back. So try these if you want for your own amusement but they got you. The guy you are speaking to simply doesn't care. He has a long list of names and cannot be bother note that YOU should not be called again, so some other schmuck at the same place calls you. And they are always men, always Indian, and always anonymous. There is really NOTING you can do, so hang up, unless you feel playful, but don't fool yourself into thinking you have solved the problem.
i have just received a call from 401-388-4287 they said that they r with the windows main server detection department
he asked me to go to main event log
I told him that he was full of crap
What I would want to know is how they got our address and phone number
We have never given anyone permission for it to be put on the internet so please tell me how to take care of this problem
Had call from Windows told them it was a scam and would report number on my phone. 01447215245254
Received this type call 12/02/2017. Told the caller I didn't have a computer and didn't like computers. She hung up after showing,disbelief I didn't own a computer.
Received 2 calls today, first one I hung up, second time I decided to play along. Strong Indian accent arguing with me that my computer was being hacked. Asked her when and which one. Said my laptop and notifications were the last few days. Told me repeatedly I was lying when I replied that it couldn't have been as my computer is broken and hasn't been turned on for the last 2 weeks. It's not broken but I haven't used it in the last two weeks, they eventually hung up.
I was just called and told that they were with windows support and that my e mail had been used in another state. My question was why was windows calling about someone else using my e mail? My e mail account is with yahoo. If there was a problem why was windows involved? Also I ask where they were calling from and the lady said Ohio. I asked to speak with a supervisor he said they were calling from Michigan. So I told him I didn't want my computer fixed and he said then quit wasting his time, but they called me so who is wasting whos time. I also asked if they worked for Microsoft and he said no they worked for windows support. As far as I know windows is owned by Microsoft. I don't see how they could fool anyone.
I received a phone call from someone claiming to be from Windows IT. it was a Washington DC phone number he said his name was George Martin and that there was illegal activity detected on my computer and asked me to turn it on so they could show me my IP address and what was going on. I asked him to give me a phone number and I would return his call which he would not do so I hung up. Since then he has called about 6 times in a single day which I have not answered and I immediately ran a Windows Defender scan and update.
Got one today from 6472822958. Strung him along until found my whistle and blasted it in his ear. He hung up!
I played along. When he told me what address to put in my browser, I kept him talking while I typed "who is" in this case techhelp20, so in effect I read the Wiki page about this scam and told him to hold on until I read it. All the rest is just as I am seeing here. He said he was from Windows. Heavy Indian accent. Hung up and blocked the number, which BTW was without an area code, but a local looking prefix. I called it and it went to a recording about not being available. BEWARE: TECHHELP20SCREENHELP! I am sure they would have bombed my hard drive and then charged me $600 to fix it.
I get these scams all the time and last night I delighted my teenage daughter when I recited the Liam Neeson monologue from Taken. When i got to the end, instead of telling him I would kill him I said "I will find your family." I must have repeated that 20 times, everytime he started to speak. "If you let.." "I will find your family..." "Sir, I..." "I will find your family.." and so on. Then I morphed into a weird Neeson/Shatner impersonation with long pauses between each word...I may have been drunk.
Is there a phone company that can provide service where we are not subject to these harassing calls? Phone block service is not a viable solution. If not, I will have to cancel my phone service permanently.
got the call, asked the guy what website he wanted me to go to and what software to install so he could get access to my computer.
guess he didn't like it, got ticked off, asked me if I thought I was being clever, and why I was being so clever....
told him at least *I* wasn't being rude
good fun
I got caught. I kept saying I thought she was a hoax but she went to great lengths to convince me she wasn't. At the exact moment I entered a code she told me to, the phone dropped out. I immediately turned off the computer and she rang back. She once again tried to convince me she was genuine but I said I'll go through it all next week with my technician. I'm worried now whether she has gained access to my confidential info. I have a problem with my computer since yesterday, which is why I went along with it.
Is there a way to check if they're accessing info from my computer now and block them?
The reason they have your name and address is because these guys buy up phone books. When they called me I asked them for my full name and they could only tell me my first initial. That's because it is how it is written in the phone book. They knew my address because it is published as well. I told them Windows has my full name when I registered with them so if you can't tell me what it is then you are a scammer. Then they hung up.
They've been calling me for well over a month possibly longer and I've ignored their calls each time. Lately, it's been daily and I answered just to get them to stop calling me. I don't recall a name being given, but I didn't have any patience with the guy on the phone because he wouldn't get to the point about the reason for his call. He said, "if you let me talk, I will tell you." So I told him to get to the point because I don't have a lot of time. He said blah blah blah (I don't remember this part or I had a hard time understanding his accent) that's why we've been trying to get a hold of you. I told the guy how I found it fishy that they didn't have a number when they keep dialing me. I said that this seems like a scam and the guy hung up. There's your clear answer which is a big reason why I avoided answering their calls to begin with, but I was getting sick and tired of it so I hope that by answering it this time, that they'll finally stop calling me.
August 30th, 3:20pm. Just received another call from Windows tech support. I played for a minute or so and hung up on him. Immediately after the hang up the guy calls back and becomes belligerent. I asked name and phone number and he said1-800-456-1212 and name was S-a-n-j-a.
I generally start with just hello. As soon as they say: im from microsoft, is when i start bullying them with texts like hey friend how are you, my pc broken again. Or just real harsh. With words i wont put here. Sone get scared of it and stop calling. Next i want to act like im secret service to scare their pants of. Those 5 to 10 seconds really make my day!?
Just got one. I strung him along a little...I said "If you have reports from my computer, you must have my IP address. What is my IP address?" "Sir, only hackers keep your IP address." "Okay, then you must have my Mac address, or the number of my digital license from Microsoft." "No, we don't have that." "Okay, then f**k off."
Here's a great alternative. Tell the caller "Oh, I got a call about this same thing the other day. I took some notes...hold on". Then, grab one of those cans of compressed air that has a REALLY LOUD horn...put it next to the phone. Hit the button for a good 5 seconds. Hang up. Problem solved.
8/3/2017 at 1:51pm: Just received a call from 877-864-6440 and it was from "Windows 35 Technical Center". They said my Windows had a serious threat and was I the owner. I hung up. My cell phone is unlisted and I get suspicious of any calls that don't recognize.
My girl just got the call last night.. I took the phone asked all the w's and then said out loud are you getting all this ? as being recorded.. Then another guys came on and said F(*u dk head.. and hung up.. traced the number they did give me but no answer.. last call came up as unknown.
This page was a interesting read Thx..
Just had one of these calls, asked where they'd got my number from as I belong to the telephone preference device, she was a bit flustered, then I said don't have a computer and hung up. We got done by one of these about 20 years ago( or should I say my husband did) paid out £120 as a security to stop things happening to our computer. We are wiser now!! ( or should I say he is) !
My husband had been on the phone to them for ages, they even rang back the next day to check everything was ok!
And I thought that I was the only one!!
I got a call from them once and i told the guy i didnt have a windows computer and then told him I had Ubuntu or (linux) running on my machine and it cant get viruses and the guy started to cry. So from now on if you get that call tell them windows suc k s and you only run ubuntu and they will leave you alone and yes my computer does have Windows OS but I also have ubuntu installed
Its true dont fall for those who randomly calls you saying youre having a problem on your windows computer because they really are a big fraud. I can say because i work from them. Most of them are company from india and calling you aswell from their call centers. Dont fall from their tricks HANG up imediately especially if the caller has a hard indian accent or any accent they may have its all scam . Do not also believe whenever they say that they knew your CLSID or computer liscence id to probe their legality cause its not true. Those indians company really know how to trick scam and make people stupid just for a money, they are scammers. And please take note do not give any credit card information and do not let them remotely accesss youre computer.
Wow, that's EXACTLY what just happened to me. He said he had my "computer's license." ...wanted me to go to the "command line" and asked me what I see and tried to get me to type stuff in.
...Everything you said including the "strong Indian accent." I led him on for 10 minutes, then when he asked "what do you see on the screen?" I said, "I see a scammer trying to take control of my computer!!" He said, "oh you stupid (not you ARE STUPID, but "you stupid") and hung up in frustration. IT WAS AWESOME TO "STRING" THIS DOUCHE ALONG!
By the way, I taped the call (just in case I find someone to report it to). Oh, and here's the number that called me: 610-777-1468. When I try to call them, it rings twice, then changes to a busy signal.
What anti-malware do you recommend and should I factory reset my laptop.
Yes I scammed to and I had to reset it. It barely worked. Then when u reset it it works like new.trust me I swear it will work
If I gave them my credit card details could they acces card and take money for other stuff and what pretection is best. Scam happend 2 months ago just a bit worried and can they re access my computer?
Hahaha...I proceeded to inform the man I did not possess a computer. He continued to exclaim that I MUST own a laptop! Lol......I answered the same, no I don't....he proceeded to hang up!
I just got another one on July 6. I could tell that the person on the other end was new, as he kept repeating the same thing after I told him I didn't have a computer. I finally asked him whether he was at the end of his script, or how many pages of the script he had. He ended up hanging up on me.
I get these calls on an average of twice a week. They always say they're from "Windows" when the company is actually Microsoft. They always called when my computer was off, so I knew it was a scam from the first. Depending on my mood, I alternate between blowing police whistles in their ears, describing perverted sexual acts they could perform, and treating them to my best imitation of Cornholio from the Beavis and Butt-head cartoons. Unless I just hang up on them.
Hahahahaha..if it's ok I want to use the EL CORNHOLIO routine! Lol
After receiving many of these 'helpful' calls from 'Windows' and 'Microsoft' I have found the most effective and satisfying approach is to say 'Not likely, you are fraud artists and should be ashamed of yourselves' or 'I will be praying for you that you can find a worthwhile job that doesn't include stealing from innocent folks'....then hanging up~! It obviously doesn't impact them or prevent them from calling again, but it does feel good! LOL
The newest version is a Error Code on your computer screen warning that if you close the tab or shut down your computer will be "locked." There is an alarm repeating that this computer has been taken over by hackers. The contact number 888-309-9890 is flashing on the screen. I made the mistake of calling thinking it was actually Microsoft Tech Support. They sound and act like actual MS TS with appropriate Microsoft identification and graphics. Thinking these people were Microsoft TS I made the mistake of giving them remote access. I was shown a log of IP Addresses which were identified as hacker attacks. I was fooled because my IP Address had been used in a Cyber Attack against Sony when I was at a Sleep Study. When I started questioning the alleged TS man he said the problem was that my Microsoft Security Key had expired. He wanted a payment of $30 to issue a permanent Security Key when I refused to pay I was told there would be a fee of $150 for "Level 4 Technicians" to remove the Trogans and fix the damage to my drivers done by the hackers" I said I would have to verify that this actually Microsoft and would need a contact number and location to provide Homeland Security. The man hung up claiming he didn't have time for such nonsense. He remotely activated my web cam and locked my computer. I cut the power and re booted in safe mode. I installed some updates after running diagnostics using Microsoft. I will screen my computer for malware and may do a clean reinstall of my operating system. I am angry for being duped. Now it is personal. LOL
i had someone call me today saying the were with e wizard and i had a virus on my pc lol i realized it was a scammer very heavy Indian accent so i asked him wheere his company was located he said new york mind u his number came up as an India or mexico area code 987-564-3231 invalid number on caller id i also asked him what kind of accent he had he said he was Filipino lmfao he was Indian from India clearly i then asked him what was wrong with my pc he said it had a virus on it and i asked him how he got my info if he had all my info b/c of this virus lol i was playing stupid then he asked me to do sumtin w/ my pc and i acted like i did and told him if we get disconnected what number should i call and what his company name was and his person name too he gave me this info... e wizard company 321-549-5483 a florida area code even tho he was calling from new york (my ass lol) so as i pretended to do all this stuff he asked me i told him my computer was freaking out and the screen was flicking off and on he said he didnt understand it that it was a frozen issue i said is this the virus he said probably and that when it stopped ficking off and on that i needed to press my windows button and wait for sumtin to pop up i said its asking me for a code so he gave me a code "enter w " or sumtin like that lmfao i said my pc is acting weird and he said i think u r kidding me. i said im not im serious he said no ur kidding me i said i want to speak to a supervisor b/c u r being rude to me.... he said "u think im being rude.... im not rude... u r.... ur kidding with me" i continued to say ur rude i want to speak with a supervisor now and he hung up i also called these numbers back and they were all disconnected lol so hopefully i f''''d up his calling today the fam got a great laugh out of it...next time ill record it and post it to face book or youtube.... i get a kick out of screwing with these scammers so i scam them back..maybe next time ill ask them for money as a security deposit that they arent goin to mess up my pc when they "fix It" lmao i bet they will hang up real fast when i do that lol ill tell them to pay pal me the money before i allow access to my pc in good faith of their company and return it when they have fixed my pc lmfao
I've gotten three phone calls from these despicable people in four hours. I told them to get a REAL job and immediately hang up on them. This is more than annoying.
I had the greatest pleasure in inviting the caller fro m windows 35 to avail himself of the services of a taxidermist, translated into simple language, to get stuffed. This business should receive far more publicity which alone would kill this hideous trade.
I fell for their scam because I had just recently used Microsoft Tech support (the real guys). They had me locked down before I realized it was a scam. I paid them by credit card and then called my credit card company. The credit card company did not charge me. About six months later they started calling me, some times more than once a day, telling me they wanted to refund my money. I tell them that is not necessary and hang up. The calls do not stop. Recently, I told one caller that I was sorry that he had to resort to crime to make a living but I was not going to let him into my computer. He then told me it was the only way he could make a living and he needed the money. He then asked me if I would send some money (any amount) via Pay Pal. This is a new twist. I told him "no". A few minutes later, I got another call and the man was very rude and used obscene language. I hung up. I've considered changing my phone number, but my luck, I'll get one that is already in their system. It may be true that this is the only way these people can make a living. It is sad but it is also very annoying.
I had fallen from this scam last year and paid $399 for a year protection. I was so depressed after I've realised it was a scam. They got all the info about me, email, birthdate, address, mobile no. etc. I have changed my credit card and did system recovery with my computer. And now its been a year and they keep calling me but I dont answer my phone anymore. Does anyone know how can I report this if I'm in australia? Will my computer be okay after the system recovery?
They called me for almost 20 minutes pretending to be Microsoft guy. What they did is:
1. Ask you to delete warning and error logs in This PC- > computer management -> System tools -> Windows logs -> System
2. Download anydesk remote control
3. I guess they will install malware through the remote control
I do not know how cleaning the logs will help them.
When I hang up, they called me 16 more times. Frankly cannot find a way to fight back.
I've just had a call from a woman from "windows" I was so appalled that it was 08.00 on a Saturday morning that I shouted over her whilst she was trying to speak to tell her how disgusting it was to call at that time! I then hung up. Unfortunately the number was withheld. The thing is I have literally just bought a new pc and could easily have fallen for this if it hadn't been for the time of call.
just received a phone call from the 'windows service' people. The number was; 25 89 74 510.
We have been harrassed by these calls for months--unfortunately, we need a land line for operation of the gate in our community---The callers become VERY aggressive & today threatened to turn off our computers....thanks, everyone, for the input & suggestions--but if there is something else we can do short of getting rid of our landline, we'd sure appreciate the info!
I got a call from them today. I automatically knew it was a scam. So it's some guy with an Indian accent he's say he's from windows and he notices a problem with my pc.(the usual) I'm asking him questions about his company etc. He basically just talking in circles. Then he tells me to go to my PC and download something. And I tell him No cause he's a scammer. He's tries to convince me he's not cause he didn't ask for any money and he will prove that he's not a scammer if I just follow his directions yada yada yada. So the jig is up and he's still tryna keep up with the charades at this point. So I starting laughing cursing him out and insulting him. Asking why he's come over to america to scam people and to get a real job. Ask him how many people have he scammed and hacked today? You can't run game on me. He's lowkey trying not to laugh. So this goes on for about 15 minutes back and forth and he's still tryna keep up with the charades that he's from windows. So at the end of the call he asking me for my real name and tells me that we can be friends and he'll call back tomorrow so we can talk about things not pretaining to pcs.. Asked him how "How do you go from a scammer to a pick up hot line?" Then hung up.
Got a call this morning from a guy with an Indian Accent claiming to be working for the Microsoft Dept. Already that didn't sound right to me! It was a big red flag. He was polite and I wanted to find out more about his service, so to speak. He told me that my computer was registered with them and that he could see that it was infected. I asked him if he could tell me which one. And he replied by "I know you have several computers, but I can help you with that. It is your Windows computer". Well, except i don't have Windows, because they always get infected and i prefer Mac anyway. This is when he told me that I would get transferred to the Mac Dept. Lots of noises in the background and then I was transferred supposedly to the Mac Dept. with the same Indian accent! He asked me to go on my computer and type "www.teamviewers.com" and then follow the instructions online. I told him that I would have to talk to my husband who is in Cyber, but need to have their phone number so I can call them back. This is when he said that I could not call them directly, but that i could give him my email address and he will email me the link with the company info. I asked him "What would you get in return if I do this? Do you require payments over the phone? How do I know you are not a fake?" I went on and on, and this is when he hang up.
If you ask them for their company name or their supervisors name they hang up right away.
I wish there was a way to block their calls or something. It is basically harassment.
I find that squeezing an airhorn directly into the phone provides me with intense satisfaction. Of course, it may be that I've blown out their vestibular system, but, you knew the job was dangerous when you took it.
I guess if you catch even 1% of us, your income for life is assured! :) I was rung by "Suzane" (sic), and yes, she also had a heavy Indian accent, claiming she was from the "Windows Skill Technical Department" - she was not permitted to give me her address (surprising, eh?) but said her Department was based in Saint John's Street, London and that the world wide toll free number was 1-800-800-800. (No, I did not need an international prefix as this number works right round the world!) She also said she would send me an email confirming the problem which was interesting as I didn't tell her what my email address is and she didn't ask... Here in New Zealand I believe we can report such calls to the Commerce Commission but again apart from logging them and warnings being issued on their website they can't do much. Re that free call number, that also was interesting as my phone logged Caller ID as 00009095564622, If we ignore the first three zeroes that may indicate the call was made from Auckland, New Zealand, area. So far my Mac (!) seems to be coping heroically with this slow Windows problem, so I don't think I'll be taking Suzane up on her kind offer :)
Very persistent callers. Sounded like they were from India. Got very aggressive when I said they sounded like Indian people. Rang back several times. Scared to turn off my computer as think they have locked it so that cannot use it again. I will have to but do not know how to undo the damage. They wanted me to pay $281US to give me a new serial number as they said mine had been compromised. Given gmail address as possibly cannot use my computer and access my bigpond address.
I received two call today from very foreign accent men who both said they were from Windows and they were getting messages that my computer had a very serious virus and they would walk me through the problem. I hung up on the first one this morning. This evening I received another call with the same story. I acted like I believed it but said I was in the middle of frying meat and I would have to call them back when I got to my computer. They gave me the following number to call. 1-800-239-3050. I did not call back but am posting this message instead.
Many of user face such issues in USA. Many agency told like this and tell the user to hire us. I would like to suggest only believe at some genuine service provider.
I told them I just had new windows installed in my house and didn't need any new ones and she hung up.
Microsoft office was turning my windows settings off and trying to chardge for new drivers and then disabled drivers on my computer that was working fine for 9 monthes before they started playing money games -- they had tech still logged in and moving arrow on my mouse and stuff -- spyhunter4 from enigma software has my old crash reports and i paid Geeks tech support 299 dollars for 5 years to fix up what microsoft office messed up on purpose and tried charging outlandish prices to fix -- all was fixed except i went from windows 10 back to windows 7 and is still that way because facebook is crooked enough that they tried charging 119 dollars to reinstall window 10 and blue screen crashes have just started again -- i,m ready to have geeks tech support fix it again and turn the reports into trade commission , better bussiness bureau or the trade center -- Microsoft office has over 1600 complaints on Twitter for the exact same thing and nothing ever done about it
They hate questions. I started asking about the date and error code, their name and employee ID, but the one that got them to hang up? "Can I have a return number for you?"
2nd notice today on my laptop. I called the number and was told this person (Indian accent) worked for Microsoft and my computer was infected with a Zeus Trojan Virus. Through remote access I was shown I have 2100 errors on my computer and several Windows programs were not working . I had been hacked by the Russians. Could be fixed for $199 for 3 yrs or $99 for 1 year. Ran scan and checked cpu which was less than 10 %. Thankfully nothing detected but could they have my info or could I still have the virus?
Just received a call from a Steve Marshall (with a heavy Indian accent and lots of background noise) from Windows Tech Dept in Washington DC. Gave the usual story about my so-called 'infected' computer. Told him I wasn't home and asked for his number for so I could leave a message for Kathy (me) to call back....gave me a different number than the one he called from (which I immediately blocked). After all these years of having a computer, this is the first time I got one of these scam callers!
Omg someone just called me from a Washington DC area asking me bout my email; I hung up a man with Indian accent
I tell them I don't own a computer and they hang up.
I actually tried this right now. But the woman said "you do, a laptop". She was right and it creeped me out. I didn't immediately hang up, just stayed quiet to make her think she lost the line. After two ticks she hung up.
I was watching a Derren Brown video on YouTube when the video suddenly cut out and I got a blue screen of death on my Windows 10 laptop. The stop code was Memory Management. That's never happened before. My laptop restarted and I continued to use it. As soon as I put my laptop down and walked past the telephone, it rang. It was creepy timing. The caller had a distinct Indian accent and there was a lot of noise in the background, like a rather chaotic call centre. He told me he was from Windows and that a virus had infected my computer and that these viruses usually come from opening emails. I replied that I hadn't opened any emails and I hung up the phone. I knew it was a scam straight away. Windows don't make personal calls for viruses, they don't call your landline, and they don't operate from dodgy call centres in India. I also hardly ever use my windows laptop as we have an iMac and I prefer to use that. I did a virus scan straight away and sure enough, there was nothing found. Question: Is it possible that they were able to trace my landline from my IP Address? I've only been living here for a short amount of time. I used to live over the other side of Australia. I bought my laptop over there. The landline here is my husbands. Also, was this connected to my watching YouTube? As that is when my laptop crashed. Or was that just an eerie coincidence? I can understand how some unsuspecting people may see the blue screen with the message at the bottom: If you call a support person give them this info: Stop Code:..... and think that the person calling is really a Microsoft support person. I'm not really computer savvy, so I'd appreciate your feedback. Thanks.
Got a flashing screen on my computer that I was infected with a virus and if I didn't call this MicroSoft number, scammers would have access to my log in info for AOL, Facebook, my bank, etc. I called the number and was told it was an easy fix. They needed remote access to my computer. He had a very official looking MicroSoft screen with phone numbers, addresses, etc, but it flashed by so quickly I couldn't write them down or remember them. When this happens to you, don't call the number. The screen will keep flashing and it's very upsetting but just mute the volume and see if you can get help elsewhere. I'm afraid these scammers now have sensitive data and I'm feeling stupid and helpless.
I would suggest Lifelock (or the like) for anyone that may have been duped to keep your personal info safe.
I have 3 family members that have had their credit card numbers stolen. Guess what the common thread among them was?
They had all set up a LIFE LOCK account the month before. Those ass holes at lifelock are either (1) scam artists with alot of support. OR (2) a service that can not adequately defend its data and servers from hacking.
Do not trust life lock. You are paying to be ripped off by incompetence or fraud. Not sure which is worse.
That is exactly what just happened to me. Have you suffered damage to your computer? My instincts tell me these people used to be former Tech Support. I know they are screwing with me by using my Web Cam. On the bright side my connection to Microsoft is working again. There is interference when I try to download certain fixes and malware detection programs that would allow me to trace the IP location of these people. I have initiated a counter attack on these people but they are probably immune to prosecution.
Got similar call this morning. Suspicion led me to Google scam and to this site. My usual practice is if i don't recognize a caller's number on caller ID i don't answer, let it go to voicemail. Usually telemarketers and scammers just hang up. this morning i was still half asleep so answered "Private Name" caller and yes, I'm calling about yr computer. I just said Hello? he said Hello? i said Hello? he said Hello? etc. Then he disconnected. what scares me scanning thru the comments below is their ability to get to your computer beforehand with or without you giving them anything. My computer is not always on and i close my satellite connection down when not in use and maybe that gives some protection but that is a scary biz.
I received a call - Alberta, Canada.
They were ALMOST professional sounding. The timing was perfect as I just installed a bunch of new software and they called so early.
I actually went to the event viewer - because I hadn't heard of the scam before. Then I looked up the error codes immediately (as everything seemed off) - and realized it was fully a scam. When I questioned the validity of their call (again) and said nothing looks malicious here- they used several F bombs with ma'am. Interesting.
I guess it was good to have taken their time up - for what little good that does, but it's annoying that I can't report them. I called the phone company (TELUS) and they have no way to identify the private caller .
I have now placed a feature on my line that next time a blocked number calls I open the line for 5 seconds, hang up and then dial a code that blocks the number. I wish they could be shut down. I hate that they might get away with this with my mom or any other person.
I am actually a computer type person, just not a morning person, so after coffee it would have been a quick hang up!
I told hem I dont even have a computer and to quit calling me. Then I hung up.
They call me several times a week sometimes i string them on and insult them then line goes dead they always have heavy indian accents and names like steven cooper or frank watson fukkoff.
This is the second time they've called me today. First number was from Ontario phone number 541.823.8022 then about 5 min ago with a 0115205351246 number. There persistent cock suckers. Both times I told them to blow me and both times the call miraculously got disconnected
Don't call these numbers above, they are to people's houses and they are getting loads of people calling them from here. Either OP is posting incorrect numbers or the scammers are giving fake numbers.
I just got a call exactly like this. Strung the dude along for about 25 minutes whist reading the news. He finally caught on, read out my address and said he was going to "come and knock on my door and do me". Then called me an idiot and finished with "I'm coming to kill you now". He hung up before I had a chance to give him directions for his TukTuk or donkey.
Got a call each day for the past couple days and told them to f off and to get a real job. Next time won't be as nice.
I've had a renewed burst of these calls after nothing for about a year. What I don't understand is that surely by now everyone on the planet has had these calls or read about them or know people that have had them so there can't be many people left who can be duped. Who are these people who today, in 2017, are getting a scam tech support call and thinking it's genuine? Have they been living under a rock for 5 years?
So they called me and I knew it was a scam because I like to go to my microwave and push buttons and pretend it is my computer. They get mad when I tell them the only buttons i see are "popcorn, Pizza, etc." So this time I just said, "I know this is a scam. Just stop trying to scam me and get money." and then he proceeded to threaten to come to my house and rape me. Very graphically. Like, butt stuff and everything. I said he was nasty and told him to have a good day and hung up. He called back again, I answered but didn't say anything and put it on speaker and recorded it. he asked, "Why did you hang up? I want to have a good time with you. I can come tonight and you WILL have sex with me." and then at that point my cellphone died and couldn't record him (home phone). he them proceeded to call me 3 more times.
Has anyone else had rape threats from these callers?
Just now. Gross but ya gotta laugh. It pisses them off so much. Just remember this is as good as their life gets.
Friday my husband's computer had a red page on his computer saying it was from Microsoft , not to turn off his computer but to call a number for technical support. He had a virus! So he asked me to look at it. I tried to get rid of the page, could not, so I turned his computer off. Restarted it and it was fine. Called our technician, he said I did the right thing.
Then yesterday, I get a call from Window's 7. The mans name was Michael, the number was 1-202-722-2220 from Wash D.C.. He said that they were notified that my computer was getting warnings that some one was trying to hack my computer. If I was close to my computer to turn it on and they would show me. Dumb me, I did. The man had a thick Indian accent, and after he had my attention, he switched me over to his supervisor Max. Oh, by the way this was a courtesy call, no charge. Then after Max, got me to one point he switched me over to a senior tech, Brad. He noticed I had Malware and Kapersky, and could not get in. I told him, that I have a Technician that I use. he asked how long I was planning on keeping this computer? And then was trying to sell me a plan for 2 years to prevent this from happening in the further. i said well this was a courtesy call, no charge! And then hung up! They called me 7 times!! I turned my computer off instantly! I saw what he was trying to do. I then called my technician, he said that this was a scam, and he removed the " team viewer". Then he ran a scan, and rescheduled my computer to an earlier date.
Just received call from tech support. Lol. Heavy India/ pakistani accent. Couldn't even hear him over back round noise. Which I brought to his attention. Had him repeat himself a few times. Figured out he wanted to tell me something about my windows computer. I asked him about which device because I had multiple devices. Smart phone, tablet, computer, asked if he could narrow it down by giving me the IP address or serial number he was looking at of course he couldn't and he seemed to be frustrated I couldn't understand him simply saying your computer. Last time I checked all three of my devices do computer like things hell even my tv can bring up emails. Figured I wasted enough of my time so dropped the bomb shell that all my devices are macs with no windows. Said remove my number and don't call again then hung up.
Hi, I used to string them along but due to the increasing frequency of these calls (4 this morning) I now find simple abuse more satisfying.
I get these calls on a regular basis. I do one of three things:
1. I hang up.
2. I tell them I don't own a computer. They usually seem a bit surprised by this. I go on to tell them that I don't own a telephone.
3. I blow an air horn into the phone.
Got a message on my computer threatening to disconnect Windows if we didn't call a number. windows global tech support. they checked my 2 month old laptop and found many viruses etc. Hung up when they asked for money. Not sure what to do. Plan on taking it to the Geek Squad to check it out.
If you need tech support for windows, os drivers, email configure, printer support call @ +1-888-613-7444
Usually I waste their time by using my computer is downstairs and my land line phone is upstairs with no WIFI. After I get bored, I let them know I'm on to their scam and they start calling me every swear word they can think of. They know my name and phone number. I keep thinking that they must be getting this information from one of the customer service centers in India. So be careful about what information you give these customer service reps from India.
Are you going to help.
They followed my action I told them I will report then have me in a start up repair. What should I do. They have all my information. Help computer is now ??? They interrupted me during bank transaction. Help
I just received an unknown no called ID call on my cell here in Houston, Texas of which a man with what sounded like an Indian accent told me he was calling about my computer that was running Microsoft support system and that mine had errors; he then proceeded to ask me if I was near my computer. I said no and that I would call Microsoft support back later and then he just suddenly hung up.
I'm not sure but computer froze gave me a number to call to fix the problem so I did they want 99.00 to fix and then 49.95 for a firewall to be installed so gave them information now working on my computer
I got a call this morning from "Roger William", a very American sounding name but his voice had a very heavy Indian accent. CID said Alfred Thomas although I'm certain it was a spoofed number. The number "Roger" was calling from was 337-363-5403. He said he was from Windows Technical Support and that my computer was "showing error messages last few days". He asked me if my computer was on and I told him it was not. He said he would "hold the line" while I turned it on. I did not turn it on and informed him there was nothing wrong with my computer. He insisted that there was and again said he would wait while I turned on my computer. This banter went back and forth for awhile. I told him this was a scam and that I was not going to fall for it. Whenever he told me to do something he would end with "okay?" When I finally convinced him that I was not going to fall for it he tried a different tactic. "If your computer is crashed right now don't blame us, okay? Don't blame us if your computer crashes."
I got called by Mr. Antony from "Microsoft Support"! He mentioned he's aware i use laptop and its got a critical issue. LOL. I told him , Mr.Antony you are using a wireless headphone connected to IP telephone and am on wired telephone line connected with tracking system. I asked him to keep talking for a minute :) He hung up instantly.
I got phone call from them today saying I have been have warning on my computer for months. I asked him if he wanted to talk to my sheriff office technical support and he said yes so I then hung up the phone. He called me right back and cursed me out. I guess he figured it out that I work for Law enforcement. I hope I don't get another call from them. The number he called me from is 1-800-246-7814
Told him i havent been on my computer in over a month he hung up. Sounded like mid eastern accent. Probably pakistan or india.
I received a call just a few minutes ago from "Microsoft Tech Support" for my Macintosh (Do people really still call them that?) Dude was kind of bossy. I asked him where he got my information he said" Microsoft". The number he called from was (649) 778-4444. I hung up on him.
I keep curisng at them and instulting them and their family members until they finally hang up. Does the trick all the time....LOL
Having finally had enough of these guys, I told them I was Amish. The guy apologized and hung up.
Do the amish own telephones?
I mess telemarketers up by talking fluent Pig Latin ! LOL
Received same call !
I've talked with the Scammer and I hang up doesn't seem to stop the calls. I will be reporting to the FTC thanks for the info. I didn't buy into the scam nor give access or any personal data.
Just call him a monochod scammer.
that should do the trick
monochod = "mother ****er"
Was on computer and site popped up said it was from Microsoft tech report and they could disable my lap top I hooked in to that last year and paid 250 told woman I knew it was a scam and could not shut page down called my computer guy he told me how to get rid of them Please Do Not play in to these crooks hands
I have had three calls from the "Windows Support Centre" today - one at my very elderly father's house this morning, and two at my own home just a few minutes ago. The same script was used for each call, made by one Shane Smith - who had a very strong Indian-type accent - apparently from a London phone number: 0203 670 4975. Strangely this number was not logged when I did a 1471 number check - this was 01467 646 309, which according to BT, does not exist.
Fortunately I'm aware of this scam and just told "Shane" I was not going to follow his instructions and to go away and not waste my time; he got quite angry but I just hung up on him. I dread to think what my 97 year old father would have done; for once his deafness has worked to his advantage, as he couldn't hear "Shane" and passed the phone to me.
These people are scum and have absolutely no conscience - DO NOT DEAL WITH THEM, DO NOT SPEAK TO THEM.
This happened to me just recently. The guy on the phone had a thick accent and I had him repeat himself several times so he was pretty angry. He told me he was from technical support from windows and that he received an alert that people were trying to hack into my computer. It just seemed fishy, especially when he was trying to make me install things on my computer and talking down to me about how I don't know how to use a computer. He then asked if I owned my computer and I said no this is my company's computer but I'm the only one who used it so I may own it I may not. BEING A smart@ss. He then just gave up hacking on me because clearly I don't know how to use a computer. For the win!
Yes, though I remember no phone call to my house. Apparently the first msn tech number I called was to my phone support! Because when I actually reached msn , they had o case number for me. They have of had a trojan horse on my computer, icon and all! When I figured this out. I called my bank, who then called the scammers! He called my phone support. They , of course said they were contractors to msn. I am still trying to get this $200 off my cred card. MSN only charges one of two costs, either $99 or $128 a year. My phone support was hitting the card every time I did business n the computer with MSN..These are bad fraudsters!
I gave access to my computer and paid them to do it.
I am such an idiot.
I canceled the visa care I used.
How do I remove what the programs they installed?
download malwarebytes or dr web cureit..
Your not alone Loreen. I bought into this scam. I didn't know about the scam. I got a bad window pop-up on my computer I thought I was really talking to someone legit. They still call me and tell me something is wrong with my computer. They basically fixed something that wasn't broke and charged me. The shame and guilt got me. I just see it as lessons learned. I installed some really good anti-virus software and educated myself about computer security. Its to the point now I answer my phone with a funny voice and tell people they have the wrong number. I think they will leave me alone now.
I have received such calls from scammers pretending to be from Talk Talk.
Most of the time they claim to be from the technical department.
The last scammer who made that claim was very rude to me, when he couldn't get his way. I knew it was a computer scam.
I actually had to hang up, as he refused to. I then left it for five-ten minutes, just in case he was hanging on the line, before I called Talk Talk about it.
These people still continue to call. Just today I picked up the handset and after pressing the answer button, said nothing. He then said hello twice, before hanging up.
Beware, these scammers are now withholding their numbers.
Tried to scam me today.
Name: Frank William
Six fidget ID used 84401
Phone # to call him back 1-800-245-2603
Cost to fix it $99 - $159 depending on damage
Got a call this a.m. at 7:30 from Windows Best Help. I knew it was a scam. I got his phone no. And called him back. I wouldn't g I ve him my name. This scam has been around for at least 3 years.
i think i was scammed yesterday from a man named David at # 209-676-4546 that said he was from windows tools oct.2016 and that they were going out of business in usa and had to give me a rebate for money i had payed them. Last year i had a company that i called and they cleaned it once a month and charged me 199.00 for the year, that just happened to be the money they were going to refund me so i thought it was a legit call. so i let him have control of my computer. He set me up w/ western union to get me my check. Western union set up the account and i still thought that it was not a scam. But then my wife piped in and convinced me that this wasn't right. they had my address and telephone # but nothing else. I hug up and proceeded to run windows defender full scan. , and malware bites scan and it wound a registry error and i deleted it. Just thought that this might help. PS i also uninstalled the software that they downloaded also but have not shut down my computer. Is there anything else to do w/ computer or do you need anything else Thank you Rick
I was hacked. I was on my computer and started watching a movie online and normally I'm good with the ads and I'm careful of not let any of them stay on, but when i started watching the movie a critical alert from windows came up on my screen, it wouldn't let me do anything and told me to ring windows tech support (the number on the screen) and that if i shut it down or don't call then my hard drive would be erased within 10 minutes. In a panic and not thinking I rang them and there was this lovely lady answer the phone and start to help me. She told her employee address and so on so i did think it was genuine i was in such a panic that i didn't think to think it was a scam. After her calming me down she told me these instructions and eventually lead to me allowing her to remotely use my computer. She had showed me what went wrong and how they were going to fix it. It legitimately felt real. It was when she was in my computer and told me that the technician fee to fix my computer right now as this is the only option would need to be paid asap ($99.99). This is when I called my mum in a panic since i didn't have any money and she told me to hang up its a scam and to shutdown my computer. Since she was on loud speaker the lady heard her and told me that I'm just going to have to put up with a broken laptop. This is when I panicked. It was to late she was controlling my computer. She suddenly went rude and telling me to put up with my broken laptop and then she restarted it without my permission and then told me on the phone that she is not responsible for what happened and what will happen afterwards and hung up. I literally felt humiliated, stupid, naive and frustrated. I lost everything and have had to reset my whole computer. I was blown away because I am not a stupid person and I let them in. Since then I have completely changed all my passwords and installed more then one virus and ad protector for my computer and I wont be watching any movies anymore unless I buy them or netflix. Just hope in this bad circumstance that this will help others in the future.
You weren't hacked. It's just another one of their stupid tricks.
next time you get that message spam alt + f4.
if that doesnt work hold down the power button to turn of your pc
I had a call today from (Windows Texas) I live in Australia to say my computer was compromised by hackers. He gave me a code which he said was my computer ID number. I refused to engage with him and told him I didn't believe he was genuine. I asked to speak to his supervisor who was called John Lee, but he told me he was in the toilet..., he kept telling me windows would revoke my license and my computer would be rendered useless. I hung up on him 4 times and he still kept calling back. Persistent and really quite plausible at times (apart from the manager is in the toilet comment) and although I was adamant that he was a crook, a tiny part of me was afraid that I could be wrong...., beware everyone!
Iwas contacted by vape sucure #1 888-577-4003 or 845-363 6555 he told me my com. Was infected his name was larry paige could not speak a lick of inglish,I dont lnow how far he go but he did change my password,or gave me one,im not com,swave,and dont know alot about how they work,ben away for 20yrs,when I called back for an address all he said was michigen,N,E,W,Street???I told him I am reporting him to the ftc,he hung up on me,
These people are persistent...The first time they called I played with the guy. He ended up calling me about every name in the book and threatening me that he knew all my personal info and was going to come kill me and my family. I laughed and said now that I have kept you on the phone long enough to trace the call the police should be showing up at your door about any time. He hung up. =) The next 10 calls I just hung up. Then I decided to play along again. I pretended to do as they said and when she asked what do I see, I said I see that I am not falling for your scam!! Haha!! I have had about 20 calls over the last month. The only thing that bothers me is that they did know my email address.
I can tell when i get one of these calls because they never answer your first hello they answer the 2nd time you say hello and that is when i know its one of these kinda calls coming in. I have no tolerance for these money sucking scumbags i dont give them a chance to talk i yell as loud as i can i cuss i call them names but i dont talk long just a couple choice words then i hang up. Then i start my redial revenge and redial the number as many times as i can tit for tat. I rarely hear from these lowlifes anymore and know this if your a woman and you are a stay at home type older over 50 your their prime target so yes watch over your mothers please don't become their victem get a rape whistle and use it for every call that doesnt answer on your first hello goodbye and dont let the scummers get you
I have received calls from "Windows support" saying they would help me with the problem on my computer. The first few times I told them I don't have a computer and they hung up but I did think it was weired as the accent was Indian. Then when they called I started asking how they got my phone number as I am ex directory they hung up. I have just received another call which I hung up. Surely there must be something that can be done as it is very annoying.
Today I received 2 calls. The first one woke me up , it was about 08.15. It sounded like a african lady. Hello I am from microsoft ringing up about your PC.
I hung up
10 minutes later another phone call this time a man. Saying the same sentance as the women . I hung up.
Over 3-4 yrs ago the same thing happened to me. Someone rang same message as above, I was on the PC at the time and it was running slow so everything they said made sense.
They quickly took hold of my PC and said thiss or that is slowing your system. I then began to smell a rat after I disconnect the PC.
The PC was not good. i had a lot of stress getting it back to health.
From that experience where I felt violated.
It made me wiser today.
This time I knew exactly what to do.Hang Up and dont entertain them.
It is easy to see how guillabile people can be.
Male caller, Indian accent, identified himself as Peter Parker from Windows.
phone number he called from as per my cell is (475) 487-455 ( not a complete number, seems to be missing a digit).
Explained that error messages had been sent to my computer.
He did know my name, did not seem to be aware of any personal info.
After hanging up he called back, I did not answer. Seems he got the message.
Well, someone called my disabled mother at 10:40 PM. All I hear from her room is "hello. Hello? Oh, hi there. Oh my, that doesn't sound good" I ran in and asked who the heck she was talking to so late. She smirks and said "Gerald, the man from windows. He says I have a virus". Thankfully she knew something was up considering we don't use Windows. It sucks knowing that they scam so late. I just wish I could do something more than just complain.
I also got a call about a month ago, it was quite memorable, I told the guy he was full of s###. He responded with "no I'm not, you don't know me, I'm legit"(<who the hell says that? His indian accent put the icing on that cake). I say "stop being a lousy fraud and get a real job", he proceeds with "f### you, b####"... that's when I hung up. Good times
I got scammed didn't give credit card but my computer won't turn on. It was a company out of St. Peterberg Florida, 727-498-0505, Thomas, ext. 311.
They call me everday and i tell them to stop calling and remove my number. Then tonight someone calls, i get angry and say stop harrassing me i dont need your help, stop calling and hang up, the same guy called me right back and said he will keep calling. He called me 15 more times before i could figure out how to block him, to include leaving vocie mails with hold music playing.
While the scammer was on the phone, I quickly checked with Google to determine if it was a scam. At the top of the list was this site, stating clearly it was a scam and they'd want to make a download to my computer. I insisted the scammer tell me what he was going to do to fix the problem before I would hit the keys he was instructing me to hit...and HE hung up!
Many thanks for your help with this. I'm grateful.
Was getting these calls very often and then none for several months. In the last week I have answered at least 3 or 4 of them. The last call was from a new number - 253-244-6152 - It's identified as KENOSISTMSI. There is a lot of noise in the background - maybe someone sitting in a cafe on the other side of the world - or perhaps a roomful of folks hired to steal money from unsuspecting Windows users. I usually disconnect the call after saying "you are not from Windows, you're a thief."
I got nailed for 800 dollars. I reported it to Western Union Security, the FTC and the local police. He had already frozen my computer before he called. After nailing me he called again wanting an additional 500 to send a password. I formatted my hard drive already and told the asshole to pound sand. I got it from not watching sources on downloaded apps, I.E. Adobe Flash Player. He called from Pakistan. He gloated about it when I told him he would have to come in person to fix my computer. The money went to China to a Ming Lu Allegedly at Microsoft headquarters. I need to learn to be less compliant. I was bullied in school so I learned at an early age to play along to survive. It's a hard habit to break.
I have had a few of these calls and twice have told them that I am driving straight home to turn on my computer and for them to stay on the line. That flusters them and they say they'll call back. You can then be as creative as you like. This is entertaining but probably the best advice is to just hang up.
If you get a call from these guys, don't just hang up on them. Waste as much of their time as you possibly can. Be creative. Play along. Whatever their end game is... they will get less of what they want if you take their time. They count on people who are wise to the scam to "just hang up".
I was on a different end of this. They had my phone number show up on the caller IDs of the people they were calling. Could not have possibly been me as we were in the air at the time flying home. Got home to literally hundreds of phone calls, my voice mail was full, some of them angry people threatening us. Some, though called to let us know the Windows Support scam was using our phone number on their caller ID. Had to change the phone number we have had for the past 10 years. The number that shows up on your caller ID when they call is probably not the number they are calling from. Nothing that anyone said could be done about it even though it is a crime to use another number to show up as the caller ID. The calls went from 1PM until 8AM when the number finally changed. Turned off the ringer on our phones to keep our sanity.
I received a message across my computer screen telling me my computer had been "locked" and to called this number immediately.Did so......after that everything some the same.....Went away before receiving conformation, they say they will be calling this am. Can anything be done now to gain back my privacy.
I just got this call today. I've had it at least twice in the past, but today I turned the tables! I played along (not touching my computer) - I played dumb and told the guy, "No, I don't see what you're talking about," over and over and I could feel his frustration. :) Then I finally pretended that "Ah, OK, now I see what you're talking about." He started talking again, then I said, "Oh NO! Wait, what is this blue screen I'm getting? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY COMPUTER???" Click!! I hope he has a lousy day. These jerks are the worst kind of predators, in my opinion!!
Just got this call yesterday Oct. 20, 2016. Messed with her a bit then she hung up on me.
I hadn't heard of this particular scam before but was instantly suspicious. Did the worst thing though and asked her to email me to confirm where she was calling from!!! Silly me, I gave them my email address. They have called twice since but now I'm hanging straight up. The lady I spoke to was very aggressive in her manner towards me
They said they were coming to my house to fix my computer even though I told them they better not or my dogs would get them. They said they were still coming and told me my correct address.
I have consistent success with simply saying "I don't have a computer." The scammer always hangs up on me.
Just received one of these calls. Although I've never heard of this one, I recognized it as a scam immediately. Told the caller if they used half the brain power they use in scams for legitimate purposes they could probably be rich. Then I hung up. As I was putting the phone down, I could hear him still insisting that I listen. VERY aggressive.
I just received this phone call and asked them the simplest question I could think of... What model of computer is my Windows registered to? They couldn't answer and I hung up. I think this is the easiest way for older or not so savy ppl to check.
I've had 3 of these calls tonight and at least 5 in the last week. One was from "the technical department" and the others said they were from Microsoft. Usually I hang up as soon as there's that few seconds of silence before they speak. If I do decide to see who it is I usually tell them Microsoft don't ring people and they hang up. I now feel like avoiding answering the landline which is ridiculous.
Received one of these call and knowing it's a scam said we don't use Windows in our house. We are all on macs and iPads. Three minutes later I got a call from the "Apple Technical Department" explaining there is a virus. I laughed so hard.
I have had three of these calls in the last week.Because i know how their scam works due to watching youtube videos,i lead them on as long as i can,just to the point where they want me to download the software that will give them remote control over my computer.
That is when i call them out for what they are "scammers".I enjoy wasting their time and their angry reactions.I am going to install a virtual machine and target them by installing software on their computers.
There is another scam doing the rounds offering a reduction on tv insurance so be on your guard and do not give a stranger remote access to your computer.They could put syskey on your computer and lock you out of it.
My call came in with no ID I repeatedly asked for a number in case we got disconnected but the caller Eric at the computer service center with Microsoft windows would not provide me with one and when I wouldn't help him he hung up telling me I would have a virus
I got one of these calls today. I hung up on the guy and he called right back so I hung up on him again. If they ever call back my response will be:
"I'm sorry but this is a very bad time. If you could call back in 20 minutes and please use [insert local PD phone #] as its my private line."
The scammers made the mistake calling a guy in our IT department yesterday. Everyone crowded around when they heard that "Jake" had the phony Indian guys from "Windows" on the phone. It was the most comical 30 minutes of my professional life. After numerous tangents which kept pissing them off, including demanding they let him speak to Bill Gates himself, "Jake" dealt his coup de grace - claimed he was actually using a Mac.
"But sir, you said you had a windows key on your keyboard?"
"Yeah, somebody drew that on with a crayon."
The Indian guy flipped out, swearing and suggesting that perhaps Jake didn't know what type of genitalia he had either, and hung up. The entire IT department laughed so hard, and I had tears in my eyes the entire time.
The scammers are novices and it's not hard to piss them off. Go ahead and waste their time. Only wish we could've setup a honeypot with our own malicious payload for those suckers.
The scammers call me about once per week. As soon as I tell them I know it is a scam, and start talking about karma they hang up on me.
They normally tell you it has been detected over the internet or something like that - I rarely listen. Once they have finished talking I tell them I have several computers on line, which is true, then ask them which one has the problem. Once you ask them for a mac address their patter seems to go down hill and they eventually hang up.
Next time I think I will say I am a visitor and thew owner of the computer is in the shower, or something, and see where we progress from there.
These scammers call me almost daily even though I hang up immediately after they
say they r calling from windows. I did challenge them a few days ago and was given a phone # to call and check there validity. The # was answered by someone simply
saying hello. I asked whom I was speaking to and was told windows tech support
Mississauga. I hung up immediately and they still persist in calling me. How can I stop these annoying calls?
Well I got scammed yesterday. I gave them access (interrupted by turning off machine) and gave them a credit card payment of $199.99. I told them when they called to cancel the transaction and give me my money back. They said they would (mmm hmm). I canceled the card. I ran a scan. But I am sure something is wrong with my computer. It is much slower than before. I don't know what to do next. This page wasn't a big help.
Yikes, sorry to hear you fell for the scam. If a virus check and malware check did not find anything, you are probably fine. That being said, for ultimate peace of mind, you can always do a clean boot of your machine...this is essentially a "factory reset". If things continue to persist after that, then your slowness is either hardware related (not connected to the scam) or simply in your mind.
If they tell me there is a problem with my computer sending out viruses I tell them to give me the origin IP of the offending machine. They hang up pretty quickly.
I tried that one once. The scammer in the other end played dumb, or pretended he had misunderstood the question, asked me to download their software and he'd be able to tell me the ID of my machine :-(
Here in Norway, this is happening too. I just pretended that there is no battery on my laptop and no electricity on my area and I don't know when it will be back (the caller sounded sorry, though), or I am having hearing problems and don't understand english. To the author of this article, can I post this on Facebook so my friends will know?
Why does the FTC not stop this harassment that I receive almost tow time a week plus all the other scammers that call ten time a day. It has rendered my telephone unless.
I've been getting calls from the "Windows Technical Department" at least 4 times a week since 2010.My phone numbers are registered with Do Not Call but that doesn't help because the caller ID shows a different area code every time. I usually just hang up, or tell them to hold on a minute and put the phone down and see how long they wait. Or if I'm in a talkative mood, I'll ask them which one of my computers is sending them error messages. Just got a call 15 minutes ago and told "Bob Smith" that I have a Mac, to which he accused me of lying. Click.
They called my mother about 20 minutes ago. The number said "Out Of Area" and he tried to get my mother to download something. Now, she knew it was a scam and told them she knows it's a scam and they hung up. Three minutes later they call back saying "I f**k you in your mouth, I f**k you in your mouth" until my mother hung up. They called 3 more times but as we didn't answer they stopped calling. Disgusting.
What I wouldn't give for the address of this call center...
There's not a jury in this country that would convict a person for spraying up this place with a few hundred .223 rounds.
keep getting these calls keep hanging up but they are hard on my 81 year old mother if I am not home. Have told her if it is not a number you know just don't answer if it someone who needs us they will either leave a message or call back!!
I received three of those calls today from Windows Tech Support, I hung up on the first one, yelled at the 2nd one and told the third one "Officer this is the number I want traced" he hung on that one. Hopefully he won't call back.
I love the third response. I'll share it with my husband, who received a call from a William Halbert who claimed to be working with Windows Tech Support Team. He wanted to be given out home number so he could call someone at home, when my husband told him he he wasn't at home. Love that...he's supposed to call back on Saturday, when my husband said he would be available. I'll make sure to give my husband your third response. That's the best! :)
They claim to be from Windows and somehow put a virus on my pc but I ran a virus block and stopped it ( they call the virus ZEUS) and wanted $200.00 to remove it I told him to go F^%K himself and hung up he told me DO NOT SHUT DOWN YOUR PC that's what they want you to do is stay online and play their game JUST SHUT YOUR PC DOWN and restart it that's all you have to do you may need to do it a few times but they will know you have found out their game Anyway the number they put on my PC screen is 1-844-307-6883 and the code# is B 2957E if you can GIVE THEM HELL & PUT THEM IN HELL
I had the exact same thing happen to me with the Zeus virus and same number. I fell for it but had a weird feeling while talking to them but ended up paying after I hung up and they were "fixing" it I watch what they did and they started downloading "temp" stuff so I immediately closed apps they were doing and they started typing and calling me but after I asked for a refund hung up. I called my card company canceled the card and got a new one. Had to restart to factory settings but so far my computer is fine. Never falling for this again
Handled one case here in the UK when the vulnerable father of one of my friends fell for this (twice - has memory problems) and paid them.
They used an anonymised .co.uk don't domain name (got this exposed as they are a commercial company), traced the director back to UK company house (2 directors registered 12 different companies out of a service address in Coventry) and worked with Hertfordshire Trading Standards to get their local bank accounts shut down. The company claims to have 600 telephone staff working out of Kolkata, India.
I have the guys LinkedIn profile.
There are still problems here. Main one being that the Police "ActionFraud" reporting process just counts incidents, doesn't actually do anything on individual cases at all (they only "trend surf"). The other is that continuous authority debit card payments do not get invalidated when the victim changes bank accounts; they just follow the change transitions unchallenged.
The day when these folks go out of business is still a day too soon.
Happening in UK too. Said that they were from BT this time. Said it wasn't a virus. Threatened that my internet would be cut off for 6 months if I didn't do what they wanted.
Just hang up. They don't even give up gracefully when you call them out!!
When I wasn't home my son received a call from someone saying they are from Windows and he followed the instructions and downloaded AnyDesk ran the program and read off a number to them from the program that gave the scammer remote access to my computer. I think they then downloaded and installed Supremo. The scammer gave my son a phone number 888-704-9658 and name to give me to call the scammer. He can't tell me if the caller did anything else or copied files. He called me after the call. I had him shut down the computer went home and started my computer up disconnected from the internet. I checked the download manager found the two programs and deleted them. I have also run Norton antivirus program which found nothing. So far no problems with my computer. I contacted one of the credit reporting agencies and put a lock on my credit report. So far no one has tried to take out a loan.
I had a call like this today and embarrassed to admit I fell for it because I have been getting a lot of pop ups that I had to fix my computer, etc... I allowed him to access my computer as your son did and he downloaded Supremo.
Anyway he said he was fro Windows Support and Services. The help desk number is 1-888-590-1923. They are located in Liverpool, New York. The techs name is Michael Parker employee number WSSD78601. His cell that he called me from is 991-977-6543 .
I need the number for the scammers so i can download a virus into they computer system my just retired from working with IBM and Hess global network he wrote programs and now viruses for those that deserve then, please reply with the most resent numbers used.
*into THEIR computer system
*My FATHER just retired
typing too fast lol:)
Only number that showed was:
I hope you nail them.
701-633-5556 North Dakota
I'm getting these calls several times a week. Now they pretend they are from Telstra. I have tried ending the call and they just call me back and ask me why I hung up on them! What the....someone make it stop.
do you have the number for the scammers I would like to send them a virus and crash their scam.
+1(515)474-6195 just called me 5 seconds ago?
Strange. That was all that showed on caller id.
They are spoofing phone numbers. Those numbers are not actually their phone numbers. Calling them will not get you in touch with them.
There are two things you can do with these scumbags. First, get yourself a referee's whistle or an air horn. When they call you, blow it in their ear.
(This doesn't always work, though. Listen closely as they talk to you. If the background voices seem louder, it means they are using a speaker phone, and a whistle or air horn isn't going to work with them.)
The other thing you can do is give them a spiel. Say, "Well, my computer isn't on right now. Hang on a minute, and I'll turn it on." Then you lay the phone down, and leave it. If they call again, do the same thing.
As for their death threats, don't worry about it. They're in India. They can't touch you.
If you want to get really nasty, call them some Indian insults, like "untouchable dalit," "chandal," and "motherbrod."
Unfortunately, my Grandpa had fallen victim to this. When I overheard the conversation about paying $425 to remove the "hackers" and "malware" I got on the phone and asked what they're trying to sell. The man on the line (Indian accent) was calling from a large call center as I heard other voices in the background; very rudely said "this is not a sales call, we are trying to help and we have access to your computer, how else would we be getting into your computer if we were not from Windows?" I knew then it was a scam, but unfortunately, he was already remotely controlling the computer. I tried to use my mouse, but it was being "pulled" on the other end. I immediately hung up the phone and In the text document that was on the screen, the caller typed in "Call 315-407-0207" (I don't remember the exact number). I then immediately turned the computer off and upon restarting, the login screen now read "Call 315-407-0207" instead of my Grandpa's name and password failed each time.
I just got one of those calls and I hung up and they keep calling. First call a number shows up on caller ID then the next call shows unknown then third call showed up Private caller. I did not let them have access to my computer. Hope they don't have access to anything. I have put in a call to Microsoft.
I am from India and sadly here its a big industry of scams. I know many guys who is scaming innocent people mainly in uk us australia nz nd canada. They call this leads the name and number of the people and scam them as described in d article. Nowadays they also say they r from talktalk they transfer money from western union moneygram paypal and apparently theres a guy called the account provider who has accounts in barclays llyods nd so on who charges 30% of the total scam money nd pay the rest to the scammers.
When I get a call from one of those tech support scammers, I will just tell them the truth about it, I will tell them that Microsoft would never call without me specifically asking before that. I would also refuse to let them connect to my PC, I would likely just redirect them to my Windows 98 VM.
I have been getting calls from Windows Tech Support scammers for a long time now. More recently I've gotten 2-3 calls in one day. I don't know how they know my name and number. I've hung up immediately, not answered the phone and would let them do a lengthy presentation before telling the caller I'm not interest. I tell them one of the reasons they are full of it is because I haven't used a MS computer in some time, so therefore how could they be getting error messages. Tom
I have strung them along several times... they know my name (how) and phone number...but call from either a local number that is untraceable and you can't call them back. Each time I try to get info about how they know my name and how they got my number... The guy gets IRATE when he realizes I am stringing him along and usually ends in a string of "F" words as well as telling me what he is going to do to my wife and mother... Although I find it humorous I would like to be face to face with him when he says these things...
I have never had any of these calls, I cannot wait to get one.
Microsoft's reporting page won't let me enter the fraudulentCommunicationDate, but it looks like you might enjoy the spammers at 052-5725462.
This morning a woman claiming to be from Windows called my mother and told her that her computer was infected. She hung up on her and she called back within a minute. My mother then put me on the phone and I totally fell for it. The scammer gained remote access to the computer and asked for either $250 for a 3 year plan or $350 for a lifetime plan. We did not give any banking information and my mother only uses the computer to play games so at least there is no risk of them stealing bank or credit card information. However, she kept getting thrown out of her game and they continued to call her many times and threatened they will disconnect her computer if she does not pay. A friend advised that if she unplugs the computer they will not be able to access it and then she needs delete all her files and restore. If anyone has any other advice on what to do now it would be greatly appreciated!!
When they call, say "Shut up you monochod scammer. we wont fall for any of your stupid tricks. I am recording this call and reporting it to the goverment"
That should do it.
Yesterday afternoon, I got one of these calls on my cell phone. After hearing that it was "Windows Tech Support," I simply setr down the phone and continued watching TV (I've had many of these before). That woman (with an Indian accent) called 7 times! After the second call, I didn't bother saying hello, just put down the phone. All from a restricted number. But today I got a couple more calls from a number that wasn't restricted, and since I'm on the Do Not Call List, I reported the number - hope that gets at least one of those maggots stopped.
They just called us 3 times. We got as much information as we could, location, names, etc. On the last call we told them our phone number was being recorded by the United States FBI because we had been receiving many calls. They had the audacity to tell us that 1-they were recording on their end as well, AND that WE would be in trouble with the FBI because we were running a computer with viruses, and they are going to shut our computer down, and we would be kicked off the internet. LOL. I then told them we had Macs and that anyone who knew how to Google could find in 10 seconds that they are a scam.. that there were hundreds of thousands of articles about it. Our Tech Support "Raymond Samuels" then proceeded to tell us when they shut down our computer we could not afford to fix it (now that I"m thinking about it... alluding to the randsomware scam). The funniest part was when the Tech called me "a Big Idiot Woman". I was dying I was laughing so hard. I told him he was a comedian and he laughed and said he knew that. He kept repeating the Big Idiot Woman comment. It was hilarious!!!! I then asked if he knew American swear words and if he could say the F-word. At this point it was clear his gig was up and shortly there after he hung up on me. Literally 15 minutes later the phone rang and it was the Windows Call Center - Again.
I had a very similar call a few months ago. The person kept telling me I had something wrong with my computer and of course wanted access to it and any personal information I might be dumb enough to give him. I repeatedly told him that I was 100% certain that there was nothing wrong with my computer, then asked him how he sleeps at night knowing what he's doing to innocent people by scamming them. What did he say? Quote: "You're stupid"...and then he hung up!
I have had about 3 of these. I just tell them I don't know what they are talking about, as I don't have a computer. After them insisting that I have to, because they are showing that there are viruses on my computer ,I just keep telling them I don't have a computer. But you must they insist. I just keep saying I don't. They finally hang up on me.
I was just called by "Window's refund Department" and told that they needed me to go to my computer for them to issue a refund for the $250 5 year plan I have with them because their system has been compromised. They wanted me to log on to my home screen so they could cancell my service and issue a refund. They told me that I paid for the service in 2014. The man was from India and hard to understand. I told him I didn't see any online transactions on my computer in 2014 for their service. They asked if anyone else would have signed me up. I said no, and that I didn't feel comfortable about their accessing my computer. Told them I would talk to other family members and they should call back later. I am sure it is a scam.
I fell for it. But Realized it and cancelled credit card and the transaction. THEIR phone number is 760. 933 1530 they answer with Securely. I guess my computer is messed up
My Mum got duped by this type of scam just yesterday. I've asked my brother to wipe her machine and start fresh. I also suggested that she call the bank and credit card company to make them aware of the possibility of fraudulent transactions, so that if something does happen it has been noted on her file. In the event that something does happen, hopefully this will make it easier to get things corrected.
I cancelled the transaction and changed my password on my computer. Fortunately I don't have any information in my computer. Just pictures. They have called me 6 times today
These calls continued to happen to me until I wasted their time by repeating, "I'm sorry, I don't understand," until the caller got frustrated. I went through this routine with them twice and then they finally stopped calling.
This is why call display is invaluable. If I don't recognize the number,I just don't pick up. They never leave messages! If they keep calling,I block the number.
My advice is to make sure all your friends and family especially those most likely to be fooled are aware of not just this specific issue but of the wider problem of anyone asking for passwords or remote access to your computer. And that includes the possibility of approach by email using a friends stolen email account. And the fact that an unexpected caller appears to know something about your bank account doesn't mean they have legitimate access to that data.
Yes put down the handset is best advice for these calls but people still proudly persist in boasting "I wasted 20 minutes of the scammers time". Just consider how much 20 minutes of your time is worth - at least USD3 - that's how much some of those callers earn in a day. They do it because they (or more likely their employer) can make USD thousands from a single success.
The fee for "fixing the problem"
Selling you some software to prevent it happening again.
They've now got your credit card details - how much will they take?
They've got unfettered access to confidential data on your PC so expect identity theft.
There's then money to be made from selling your PC to people running botnets.
Something I've heard about is the scammers, once given access, will set up a boot password in Windows. These are really hard to get rid of without some techie skills (you have to manually restore the registry from a backup), but setting one is a completely legitimate tool that almost no one will have configured and most definitely isn't a virus or malware. That's perfect for their bad-guy purposes.
If you've given them remote access on your machine, there's no telling what they did. You really are or should be in a wipe and reload scenario.
You can thank the caller for bringing the virus to your attention and tell him/her that you will perform a scan as soon as you get off the phone.
Already did make them lose a lot of time with an old XP VM running on virtualbox with some outdated antivirus, with some toolbars on IE8. I also throttled the VM speed and bandwidth to make the process of installing and downloading these apps as painful as poss
*possible. That was fun!
*possible. That was fun!
EDIT: Not being able to edit after submitting isn't nice :/