Warning. Scam alert!

[SickwithFury]

I was caught last night but thankfully pulled the plug before I was fleeced.
Here's the link someone sent me (I posted on another forum about it) detailing exactly what they do. It's from last year but these scammers are making a mint.

www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/18/phone-scam-india-call-centres

Hope it's OK to post here about this - I know AIBU gets the most traffic.

It seems that particular scam is happening more and more often. :(

I've had a few of these calls too but always say that I'm not interested and then hang up on them

There's discussion about this really nasty scam under a heading including 'telephone preference service' on this board.

I tend to just erupt in a fit of fury at the opening salvo, usually in a non-British accent of "Hello is that MrsFix, my name is Peter/ Lisa/Robertand I am calling about your windows PC/satellite equipment". My reply is "hold it right there, I don't believe you are who you say you are. I am hanging up and you will remove this number from your database" before hanging up.

Happes a few times a week. DH just grins when the phone rings now.

Ha ha - they phoned me twice in a week. Both times I expressed my concern that they were scamming me but "oh no madam we are not there is a problem with your computer". "Really?" says I "you can tell there's a problem with windows on my computer?" "oh yes madam"

"Wow" says I "That is truly amazing - I don't use windows!!!!"

I do tend to keep them on the line on the basis that they arent going to get anywhere with me so hopefully it might stop them scamming someone else quite so quickly.

If they ever phone here I'm going to give them a lecture on all the flaws with Windows systems and see how long till they get fed up and hang up on me!

nb: should point out, I use Windows and am most definitely not an Apple fangirl.

always amuses me how the genuine workers in indian call centres claim their names are: Bob, Susan, Terry etc...

are they told to do that by their Uk employers?

Nancy When I worked for a telemarketing firm we had a chinese guy working for us, he was in the USA and called USA clients, but he had to change his name to an Anglicized version or people wouldn't talk to him.

So it wouldn't surprise me if they are told to.

Empjusa - yes, that's probably it. What a shame.

There was a poster on MN who was phoned this week.

She stopped short of allowing them remote access and asked on MN if it was a bit dodgy.

Long line of people shouting IT IS A SCAM.

It surprised me, as I thought it would be obvious to anyone that it was a scam.

We've been called several times and I usuallly end up telling them to fuck off.

A new scam of this type that I've heard of is the callers telling people they can get compensation / refunds for payment protection insurance. They'll get the same response. :)

I start to have 'phone sex' with them - they tell you that you are weird, hang up, occasionally call back but not as often - if so the rigmarole starts again.

In our house we tried to think of the most inventive way to get them to hang up; that was fun - made it into a game rather than getting pissed off every time they called.

My psycho livery yard owners got caught by this. I told them it was a scam, but ooh no, they knew best.

Serves them bloody right imo. Wankers.

I also keep them chatting as long as I can. It amuses me and keeps them out of mischief. I once held a very long conversation with a "Roger" trying to get him to specify exactly which of my several computers it was.

I worked in IT for twelve years. When this was tried on me for the second time, they got both barrels, beginning with "I'm an ex-techie and YOU are a FUCKING SCAMMER" followed by as many expletives as I could cram into the short time before they put the phone down. I hate these parasites and shudder to think of any vulnerable person getting caught by them. If anybody in the whole world asks to access your PC remotely, tell them to bog off.

Remember, keep your firewall and anti-virus software up to date because your PC can come under attack. I'd also recommend an anti spyware and malware package like xsoft spy. Run them daily. There are viruses called backdoor trojans that will give remote access to your PC and do all sorts of shit. Forewarned is forearmed and xsoft caught me a nice big fat trojan that bloody Norton had missed.

I've had a few of these calls. I tend to start off saying "Oh really? Oh dear!" in a concerned manner and then bluntly say "but I don't even have a computer"

My rather cool auntie, who is in her 70's got a call like this. She kept them chatting, indicating that she was doing what they asked, and then when they asked her to confirm what it said on her screen (presumably to check she'd got to the right 'bit'), she said 'oh yes, it says 'piss off, do you think I'm an idiot!'. Brilliant!

Wasn't there a MNers husband who strung some scammers along for ages?

I think it involved a malfunctioning prosthetic arm and something to do with referring to "curtains" when they mentioned "opening Windows".

It was very funny IIRC

I love it when this happens

I told one guy I was using a different OS and he insisted I was using windows. I then told him I was using Microsoft Unix 06 (no such thing). That threw him a bit. I asked if it was ok to get his name and employee number and to ring Microsoft to ask is they are legit. He told me he had the wrong number and hung up

blooming heck, good job you didn't fall for it.

I remember reading - may even have been on here? - about someone who let them go through loads of stuff for several minutes before asking them "Oh, should I turn the computer on?"

I can't wait to get one of these calls. The fun I will have

DH loves it when they call - he asks them all about double glazing

I just put the phone down on them

One of these calls got through to DP at work but he guessed it was a scam and initially said "this is a workplace not a home" so the caller went to hang up until DP started winding him up saying "well there are about 20 computers in this office, which one is it and i'll go and have a look for you" but the caller got all worried and hung up!

Why don't these people ever call me? I could do with a laugh!

I deal with things like this by never answering my phone. The only person who ever calls our landlord is my Irish MIL and she calls at the same time each week. Otherwise it is there just for the internet connection!

It seemed obvious to me when I heard about it that it was a scam but I can see how some people might be taken in by people claiming they are from Microsoft.