Phone scam warning

emptybladder

I've had one of these calls myself, and didn't think anybody would ever fall for something like it.

Anyway, here's the warning:

http://www.connachttribune.ie/galway-news/item/1231-galway-couple-lose-1-000-in-internet-fix-scam

JohnCleary

If you're stupid enough to fall for that one....

gordongekko

twice I have been in my elderly parents house lately only to have a call from an Indian gentleman claiming to be from a certain internet company telling me our pc had a virus and they were going to fix it.


I did my best to keep them on the phone for nearly 40 mins each time before eventually telling them I knew its a scam. They then had the balls to tell me it wasn't until I told them there was no pc in the house and they just hung up.

irritablebaz

this has been going on for quite a while, feel a bit sorry for the woman but no-one should ever give their credit details over the phone unless you are 100% sure of who you are dealing with.

biko

It's not a Galway scam, not even an Irish one. But I suppose it's good to let locals know it has happened here too.
There's a mega thread here in Computers forum with more info.

beardybrewer

I used to get calls every single day from India claiming to be Microsoft support. Usually I just toyed with them or told them we had no PC but once the woman got angry when I told her to piss off and she repeatedly called the house non-stop for an hour until I unplugged the phones for the afternoon. Hopefully she got written up for wasting her pay-master's time.

You should call your telephone provider and make sure your number is on the do not call register. It takes all of 5 minutes and, I can hardly believe it, after putting up with those calls for nearly 2 years they have stopped. Wish I'd known to do it sooner.

http://www.askcomreg.ie/tell_us/cold_calls___a_quick_guide_to_preventing_unwanted_calls_from_direct_marketing_companies.235.LE.asp

tricky D

Or you could waste as much of their time so that they've less time to find a mark.

Ficheall

"€1000" ... "five-figure sum"?

_Whimsical_

I have got them every day for years too. Used to feel sorry for the phone reps at the time as you hear horrible stories of life as an indian phone rep and I tried to be firm but polite in declining their offer to defraud me.I soon saw the error of my ways.They will try anything to get your money.I even had one ring during the day and then again that night to say that he'd taken my number home and was ringing because he'd fallen in love with my voice...and that he imagined I was around 13-15. Told him in no uncertain terms to never call again but received several really aggressive calls from him after it until I got a male friend to answer one night and say he was my husband. It was very creepy.

Unfortunately after relentless years of calls when I hear an Indian voice on the line now and its not from a galway number I immediately hang up. Only realised recently what a disaster that can end up after repeatedly hanging up on someone ringing over a whole other matter.:)

Eeden

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Unfortunately after relentless years of calls when I hear an Indian voice on the line now and its not from a galway number I immediately hang up. Only realised recently what a disaster that can end up after repeatedly hanging up on someone ringing over a whole other matter.:)

That's what I do. There's often a silence at the beginning of these calls, sometimes a very brief burst of music. When I hear either of those things, I hang up. I figure if I'm wrong, they'll call back. The call centres never do call back, they just move onto the next number on the list.

flutered

i have a whistle with a very loud sharp whistle from it, i find it most usefull for such emergencys, i never recieve follow up calls after using up.

ValerieR

newkie wrote: »

...

You should call your telephone provider and make sure your number is on the do not call register. It takes all of 5 minutes and, I can hardly believe it, after putting up with those calls for nearly 2 years they have stopped. Wish I'd known to do it sooner.

http://www.askcomreg.ie/tell_us/cold_calls___a_quick_guide_to_preventing_unwanted_calls_from_direct_marketing_companies.235.LE.asp

I 'amused' them once a few years ago but have better things to do. I started getting daily calls from them again recently. If you don't answer the phone right away, they hang up and move to another 'victim'.

While the no-marketing list is great for Irish companies, it doesn't apply for foreign 'marketing' companies and this 'company' calls from abroad. So, technically, they don't break the law (well, that one anyway). :rolleyes:

V

beardybrewer

ValerieR wrote: »

I 'amused' them once a few years ago but have better things to do. I started getting daily calls from them again recently. If you don't answer the phone right away, they hang up and move to another 'victim'.

While the no-marketing list is great for Irish companies, it doesn't apply for foreign 'marketing' companies and this 'company' calls from abroad. So, technically, they don't break the law (well, that one anyway). :rolleyes:

V

Agreed. Sometimes it was fun to mess with them and other times it was really inconvenient or irritating.

It could certainly be a coincidence. No harm doing though. Perhaps listed numbers are cheap to purchase by the telemarketers.

Redhairedguy

Colour me ignorant, but is this happening just on landlines, or are folks getting caught on their mobiles as well?

ValerieR

Redhairedguy wrote: »

Colour me ignorant, but is this happening just on landlines, or are folks getting caught on their mobiles as well?

Landlines as far as I know

nuac

I find it works to ask something like

Tell me daughter/son - have you really found Jesus, because----

janiceross

Thanks for the heads up! I got a call about my computer, too, purportedly from Microsoft and I think it's one obvious scam call. I may not be savvy with computers but one thing I'm sure of is that Microsoft do not call people about computer issues and software fixes. If I get a call from someone claiming otherwise, I'd know it's a scam.

RiverOfLove

I was in a friends house babysitting and the phone rang and I answered. The person with an Indian accident went on to tell me that the computer is broken down or some such crap. I went on to explain that I was very busy that I couldn't deal with that problem and to phone back later when the owners are at home. I thought maybe the owners of the house had a problem with their computer and here was this guy phoning as a follow up call or something. He went on to say that the computer is going to breakdown in 30 mins. I explained that I was babysitting and it's not my problem and to call back later. He used an agressive tone with me then, telling me that their computer was going to break and I'm going to be responsible. I fell for it hook line and sinker. He got me to go to their computer and turn it on. He then started instructing me what to do and find a key and then I told him that I was very busy and I really shouldn't be dealing with this and I'm finding it very hard to understand him. I eventually hung up knowing it wasn't right. I figured that if they had a problem with their computer, it would be gone to a repair place and if they were due a call the parents would have told me. Found out later after googling that it was scam.

I feel very sorry for the Galway couple that got scammed. Fair play to them for going to the papers and highlighting the scam and warning others of it.