| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | "Call from Microsoft" scam Thread poster: Robert Rietvelt
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I was just called by an Indian-English sounding woman who claimed to be from Microsoft with the warning that my computer was infected with some kind of virus. Apparently she could see that each time I start Windows, my computer sends out a warning signal to Microsoft. She could solve this problem, if only I would give her access to my computer. I smelled a rat!
I asked her from where she was calling me: from Microsoft headquarters California USA. All bells started to ring!
... See more I was just called by an Indian-English sounding woman who claimed to be from Microsoft with the warning that my computer was infected with some kind of virus. Apparently she could see that each time I start Windows, my computer sends out a warning signal to Microsoft. She could solve this problem, if only I would give her access to my computer. I smelled a rat!
I asked her from where she was calling me: from Microsoft headquarters California USA. All bells started to ring!
I live in Amsterdam, Holland and the time she called me was 10:45 AM (= 2:45 AM in California, busy people there, working that early or late). So I asked her what time it was from where she was calling me. Simple question, just look at your watch or computer, but she had to ask her colleague: 'What time is it in California', I heard on the background, and the connection went dead.
Well, always nice to talk to India.
[Edited at 2015-03-19 10:45 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Diana Obermeyer 
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:48
Member (2013)
German to English
+ ...
| Not all that new | Mar 19, 2015 |
We had a lot of that here in Shetland about 3 years ago. Some nice person ran a big warning campaign in our island newspaper to try an clamp down on it.
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A few years back (2 or 3 maybe...), I also had a number of those calls, in Brussels and in Lisbon...
| | | | Randa Farhat
Lebanon
Local time: 20:48
English to Arabic
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| A well known scam | Mar 19, 2015 |
I get these annoying calls from time to time. It's a well known scam that's been going on for years. The caller wants you to give them access to your computer so that they can "check it for viruses". Then they put some virus or other on your computer, tell you they've found it and want you to pay them for removing it. Of course Microsoft doesn't check your computer every day or have any way of telephoning you! I suppose some innocents fall for it or they wouldn't keep doing it.
What I do n... See more I get these annoying calls from time to time. It's a well known scam that's been going on for years. The caller wants you to give them access to your computer so that they can "check it for viruses". Then they put some virus or other on your computer, tell you they've found it and want you to pay them for removing it. Of course Microsoft doesn't check your computer every day or have any way of telephoning you! I suppose some innocents fall for it or they wouldn't keep doing it.
What I do now when I receive one of these calls is to say "Please hold on a moment". I don't hang up. I place the telephone on the table with the line still open and go away for a few minutes. When I come back, the nice Indian lady or gentleman has hung up.
If they can waste my time and annoy me in this way, I can waste their time too. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:48
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Always a scam | Mar 19, 2015 |
I would regard any contact from Microsoft as a scam
Most recently, my MSWord has decided to crash instead of saving. I have other issues with M$ too.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:48
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Jenny Forbes wrote:
......
What I do now when I receive one of these calls is to say "Please hold on a moment". I don't hang up. I place the telephone on the table with the line still open and go away for a few minutes. When I come back, the nice Indian lady or gentleman has hung up....
I like this approach.
I have two responses of my own that I like to use:
1. I say "This call is being recorded. Now what was it you wanted to say?"
2. I say "I'm really glad you called. I want to talk to you about the dictatorship of the proletariat. Are you familiar with Marxist-Leninist ideology?"
| | | | | Complaining about XXX | Mar 19, 2015 |
Once I had one of those "Microsoft" guys on the line. I pretended to be utterly relieved to finally talk to an expert professional and asked him if "Microsoft" could stop my husband from accessing "naughty" pages on the internet. That call didn't last too long...
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Vanda Nissen
Australia
Local time: 03:48
Member (2008)
English to Russian
+ ...
| It's a pity the video is in Danish... | Mar 19, 2015 |
so only Scandinavian colleagues can enjoy it. It is about a 72 year old lady who has been tricking these 'Microsoft' guys for a while now. She pretends to be naive, tells them it takes ages to turn the computer on, nicely asks these people to wait and then she just sits and reads newspapers:) with them being on hold. Her personal record is 1 hour a... See more so only Scandinavian colleagues can enjoy it. It is about a 72 year old lady who has been tricking these 'Microsoft' guys for a while now. She pretends to be naive, tells them it takes ages to turn the computer on, nicely asks these people to wait and then she just sits and reads newspapers:) with them being on hold. Her personal record is 1 hour and 16 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HDnx9AVbGo&feature=youtu.be ▲ Collapse
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Tom in London wrote:
I would regard any contact from Microsoft as a scam
And I consider Windows 8/8.1 to be malware.
| | | | Robert Rietvelt
Local time: 19:48
Member (2006)
Spanish to Dutch
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TOPIC STARTER
Change the layout of Windows 8.1 in that of Windows 7 and the system works perfectly, but that is another topic.
| | | | | Throw them off track | Mar 19, 2015 |
When I lived in France, I regularly got calls telling me they were running a 'campagne d'information' about new fiscal rules. I presume these companies wanted to sell financial services.
If I was in the mood for a bit of fun, I would ask them who was financing the campaign. That would obviously confuse the caller, as there would be nothing in their scripts to cater for such questions. The caller would try to get back on the script track, but I would insist and ask who paid their sa... See more When I lived in France, I regularly got calls telling me they were running a 'campagne d'information' about new fiscal rules. I presume these companies wanted to sell financial services.
If I was in the mood for a bit of fun, I would ask them who was financing the campaign. That would obviously confuse the caller, as there would be nothing in their scripts to cater for such questions. The caller would try to get back on the script track, but I would insist and ask who paid their salary, or if they were unpaid.
As I kept sabotaging the conversation this way, they would quickly decide to end the call, as they understood they were wasting their time.
Here is another amusing strategy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkdoogjic4I ▲ Collapse
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Robert Rietvelt wrote:
Change the layout of Windows 8.1 in that of Windows 7 and the system works perfectly, but that is another topic.
Until now, nobody has been able to explain to me how to stop the annoying 'charms' popping up every time one swipes left on the trackpad, but as you said, that's another discussion.
[Edited at 2015-03-19 13:50 GMT]
| | | | Robert Rietvelt
Local time: 19:48
Member (2006)
Spanish to Dutch
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Everybody should see the You Tube of Thomas.
Thomas, about 8.1, I never said it was perfect, only that it works perfectly.
[Edited at 2015-03-19 12:54 GMT]
[Edited at 2015-03-19 12:54 GMT]
| | | | | I do exactly the same to all unwanted calls... | Mar 19, 2015 |
Jenny Forbes wrote:
What I do now when I receive one of these calls is to say "Please hold on a moment". I don't hang up. I place the telephone on the table with the line still open and go away for a few minutes. When I come back, the nice Indian lady or gentleman has hung up.
If they can waste my time and annoy me in this way, I can waste their time too.
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