Weird phone call! "online pc doctor" - Only thread on these scam calls please

seamus

watna wrote: »

It seems it's still going on a lot and they're thinking of some new twists

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/5007040/Phone-scam-plague-rampant-again

According to this article some people are getting calls where the person offers to get the money that was scammed off them back for a small fee :eek:

"Remember you always have the power to hang up," Mr Rendle said.

When my mother-in-law first got one of these calls, she spent about ten minutes on the phone with the guy asking him to repeat himself and then asking him why he wanted her to turn on her computer and so on. She eventually asked him very politely to ring back later because she was having difficulty hearing him.

When we told her what to do, she said she didn't know if she could just hang up on someone because it would be rude

We're not used to telelmarketing here in the same way that they are in the US, I imagine a lot of people are caught out because they don't consider just hanging up the phone without saying sorry or goodbye or whatever.

T0mmyM

I'd love to get a call from one of these guys and have some fun

watna

seamus wrote: »

When we told her what to do, she said she didn't know if she could just hang up on someone because it would be rude

That's so sweet!

I wonder if Indian people living in Ireland/UK/Aus/NZ etc are finding it difficult to get legitimate telemarketing jobs now seeming as a lot of people will probably just hang up straight away if they hear an Indian accent? I used to work for a company that did outbound telemarketing and it was mentioned once or twice at meetings and things.

ruamar

.. from a Claire from my computer support department??? Asked for me by name.

I asked which department, from where, why and why the hell was she calling me...

After a few silent moments she told me that the department was 'in my head' and then she hung up.

The number she was calling from was 002538020308, I tried calling back but it didn't even ring.

irlpotato

Yep, just got one from Steve from Microsoft Services Centre.. the number was 0123456789

had about 5 minutes fun telling him to wait while my pc boot up, that it had crashed etc.. then told him that it turned out i was turning on the tv and i didn't have a computer and hung up.

sNarah

Meh.

I'm nearly starting to feel sorry for myself, they *never* ring me, and I'm all prepared!! This little gem is great for any unsolicited calls!

These may have been posted already, but these I found before we ever got the calls - this kid is genius. Hilarious!! Watch both, the second one is the best!!

A young guy gets this call and messes about with them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6-IzN46-L0&NR=1

The funniest of the lot - they call him back to tell him off!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9ZkmD-O-Ns&NR=1

I wanna marry this guy.

Kare Bear

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rvn6mCzRRpU

Here is another good recording of them.

patentseven

They deserve every type of insult you can throw at them wheather it be
timewasting or just plain short & obscene. That's what they are, OBSCENE.

petejmk

Got call number five from these lads yesterday. It was Ricky this time. If nothing else they're persistent. Told him to **** off - that did the trick!

Amalgam

patentseven wrote: »

They deserve every type of insult you can throw at them wheather it be
timewasting or just plain short & obscene. That's what they are, OBSCENE.

Never felt the need to insult, they're always polite (to us..) in that weird deadpan Indian monovoice.

'I use Linux' or 'We don't have a PC' works wonders, even my Mum knows her script now.

Amalgam

Kare Bear wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rvn6mCzRRpU

Here is another good recording of them.

Priceless, (to the scammer) 09:22 ' it's.. a DOS Window, it's all retro.. it's all retro..'

jack presley

Amalgam wrote: »

they're always polite (to us...

I've been told to shut up and listen (in an angry tone) when i kept asking stupid questions.

patentseven

I know most of them may sound polite but, their end game is to gain access to your computer and swindle money out of you if they are let.
I used to be short and agresive with them but, they still kept ringing back.
Until, I got my nr. changed. Maybe, they thought they were winding me up.

Phoenix Park

irlpotato wrote: »

Yep, just got one from Steve from Microsoft Services Centre.. the number was 0123456789

had about 5 minutes fun telling him to wait while my pc boot up, that it had crashed etc.. then told him that it turned out i was turning on the tv and i didn't have a computer and hung up.

he he, ya dumb potato ya!

MyPeopleDrankTheSoup

3rd phonecall to me now in the last 6 months. THREE! And everytime I tell to **** off.

How many call centres do they have?!

Captain Havoc

Had one last night when I was out.

jack presley

I cancelled my house phone last week but had to give 30 days notice so in three weeks time I'm going to be done with these clowns.

I'm going to miss them.......

patentseven

jack presley wrote: »

I cancelled my house phone last week but had to give 30 days notice so in three weeks time I'm going to be done with these clowns.

I'm going to miss them.......

I bet if most of the folks who get these calls were to cancel their landline accounts there would be some real REAL serious investigations done into
these clowns antics & their origins.

Felix 2010

I got my first 2 calls for many months.
A gentleman said he was from MS. I answered without thinking, "what is your problem"? He put down the phone!

The other one was today, from Jennifer of MS. I said I no longer have a computer, it broke, because I dropped a glass of water over it. (I did so to an old laptop years ago) She put down the phone!

Easy peasy and no hassle!;)

gavmcg92

I thought that I would fill you all in on my personal experiences that I have had with these individuals that claim that they are calling me "from Microsoft's head office, Dublin" (which I always find amusing because I am pretty sure that Microsoft don't have a head office in the city)

I always try to think up of a new way of dealing with them which seems to always end up with these people hanging up the phone in a hurry.

I get these calls on a regular basis and they all seem to be made during the day when I am at home.

Ok so here are a few of the methods that I have used successfully in the past.

One of the first scenarios that I quite liked to use was that I also worked in Microsoft and suggesting that I was not aware of "our companies stance on this issue". This usually ended up with me giving them my security clearance details and asking them for theirs.

Another one that I liked to use was that I am working on behalf of the National Consumer Agency Ireland and that their "calls are being recorded on behalf of the local authorities in order to cooperate evidence for a legal case."

However my all time favorite (which is mainly true) is to just reply that "all of the machines that are in my house are Apple Computers". This is one that finds yourself talking to the engaged tone in a matter of seconds

The most recent call that I took from one of these gentlemen was quite interesting. I told him that I am well able to look after my own computer and that I did not need his help. I then asked to speak to his manager to which he replied, "My manager is too important to speak to you!". I then told him that I was going to put the phone down on the bed and that when he wanted to end the call he could do so. After about 20 minutes of listen to me singing "My Heart Will Go On" he decided to end the call.... Since then I haven't received any more calls from them!

So the moral of this story is ... People! Get Creative!

Instead of looking at this as an annoyance, Use it as a opportunity to display your talents to an audience that no matter how bad you are, they will never leave!

gavmcg92

jack presley wrote: »

I've been told to shut up and listen (in an angry tone) when i kept asking stupid questions.

I was told that "the manager is too important to talk to you!" when I wanted to talk to him/her

wild_cat

We got a few calls in relation to my parents computer months back. I told my parents to annoy them as much as they could when they called they rang twice more and gave up.

My Mother was saying things like: "whats a computer" to them when they called.


The guy told me he was calling from "windows support". I told him that I didn't know microsoft cold called people. He then informed me that windows has no affiliation with microsoft.

What a fail.

jack presley

patentseven wrote: »

I bet if most of the folks who get these calls were to cancel their landline accounts there would be some real REAL serious investigations done into
these clowns antics & their origins.

Well these weren't the reason I cancelled (just trying to save a few quid) but I see your point.

adcom

Hi all,

My younger brother got this phone call today and he connected remotly. Never gave credit card details though (as he dosent have one) and hung up by accident. I imagine that they were remotly connected at this stage so they rang back and my Mother told them that we were not intrested. Im so angry about it tbh! My brother is autistic so didnt really question it and is now extreemly upset about the whole thing. Is there anything that can be done? any point reporting it to the Gardai?

the computer is gone to the techie now to make sure that its clear.

these people have no morals!!

jack presley

adcom wrote: »

these people have no morals!!

Do any scam artists?

ShadowHearth

i would love to get a phone call from one of these guys.
i would turn on my " computer says NO " for good 30 mins. Would make him waste about good 1h untill he realises i am having a go with him.

dublinbusdude

We got one yesterday, the first one in months from them and they asked for my Mam & which she was here and I through it was something until my Mam looked at me to say who it was

demanufactured

dublinbusdude wrote: »

We got one yesterday, the first one in months from them and they asked for my Mam & which she was here and I through it was something until my Mam looked at me to say who it was

Sorry......

What?

Gadgetman496

demanufactured wrote: »

Sorry......

What?

I think their phone must be infected