Beware the Fake Tech Support Scam - Comments Page 2

Yup, I've had this call 3 times. They will say they're from Windows support first, then if I ask them again what company they're with, they'll give a different answer. I did this several times with one of the callers, and they gave me a different answer each time. The 1st time they called I told them I was going to report them to the attorney general. The 2nd time I played dumb and said "really? that's terrible" a lot. The 3rd time I told them my computer was really slow and kept them on the line as long as I could. I suspect I'm on their DNC list by now, hopefully.

I have had a lot of them lately, the guy (indian) two days ago,told me to go to my computer and turn it on... if he was getting a message from my computer, it would have had to be already turned on to send any messages, his first slip up (I knew who he was)... then I asked him what computer? I don't have one (I have 4).. he then told me I was a liar! I told him he was the lair, pretending to be from Microsoft, and he hung up!

I got a call from the scam MS tech support, asking access to my computer because it was not up dating as it was supposed to be doing. He sounded very impressive, very col when I requested his phone number to call him back after checking with MS to see if he was leget.

I, too, have received MANY of these calls, several in the past two weeks. Depending on my mood, I either hang up, tell them I know it's a scam because I actually know something about computers, or "play" with them a bit to waste their time until they hang up. (I kind of like the whistle idea that one reader suggested!) Once, I played along and pretended to be following his directions until I could see what he was trying to get me to do, which was open remote access for him. One caller argued with me when I kept questioning his authority and knowledge and I had to finally hang up. My husband gets these calls at his small business and tells them he will go get someone from his "IT Dept" (me) to take the call.

I worry about the elderly and less savvy users. The first time I received a call like this, I immediately called my dad to make sure he would not fall victim. I had no idea their success rate was 22% - no wonder they keep at it.

I have been getting these calls every couple of weeks for years. I consider the calls a form of entertainment. It's fun to string them along for a while. I'll ask which of the 5 computers (with different O.S's) they're referring to and after a while they catch on to the fact that i'm not a newby and hang up.

Had "the call" this week-listened for 30 seconds and replied "nice scam, but it did not work" and hung up.

I too get these calls regularly. If I have time I try to see how long I can keep them on the phone. My record is 50 min. so far. Sometimes its fun. I once asked them to give me the MAC address of the computer producing errors since I have more than one. "No no no," hes says "Not the Mac Computer. It's your windows computer, Windows!" The internet is so entertaining... :) (¯`·._.·ns¢ävË·._.·´¯)

I sometimes get several calls a day on my home and office phone. When they tell me they are calling me about "Windows 35" or my windows computer, I say, Windows doesn't make computers. Then when they say, no no the os on my "Windows" computer, I said which one? I have 5 :) I would keep asking which one specifically, they would usually hang up. Or I have told them, Listen! I know your a bunch of scam artists and I know what your trying to do so please don't call me anymore. I had a woman tell me that my computer was going to stop working within 24 hrs if I didn't do what they said. I laughed out loud on that one and she still threatened me my computer would stop working. I finally hung up. I have lately said. Could I have your full name please and the number you are calling from. They reel off an 800 number and I say "That's not what my caller ID says? What is the number again? so when I talk with the FBI, or report you, I make sure I get it right. They usually quickly hang up.but I have played with them a lot lately. If you really want a laugh, Google this scam and watch some of the U tube videos. Hilarious!

Most of these types of calls are auto dialed by a machine and this machine can be fooled into thinking the number they are calling has been disconnected.

A little gizmo called TELE ZAPPER is placed between the phone and the outlet and when the phone picks up the "disconnected number tone" is heard by the caller, (or machine). After two tries the phone number is put on the telemarketer's list of bad numbers, which they share amongst themselves.

TELE ZAPPER is on eBay for about $8, well worth the cost. Just get the basic one, it takes a watch style battery.

I have no interest in TELE ZAPPER, don't market or sell them, I am just a happy user.

I pre-warned friends and legitimate callers they will hear the tone so they wouldn't hang up.

Here in South Africa I have received up to 4 of these calls a week either on my home phone or my cell phone.

I get these calls ocassionally. What I do is keep the heavily-accented caller on the phone for at least 45-60 minutes as he tries to step me through instructions so he can gain control of my computer. I talk about all sorts of nonsense, ask
him numerous times to repeat v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y what he wants me to do. He invariably gets tired of repeating everything and maybe realizes he's being taken for a ride, because he finally hangs up in disgust!!! I have fun doing it!! I may be 80 yrs old - but that snow on top covers a lot of years learning computers from back in the old days of DOS!!!

I had the same if not a similar experience as you Bob however my response was a little different. I told him I had recorded his voice print and would be sending it to Interpol & police agencies in the UK, US Australia, India and Pakistan and in somewhat colourful language told him to get an honest job and stop ripping people off. As well I received a call purporting to be representing a locally based airline seeking my credit card number to credit it with the cost of free air travel. He too had a distinct Indian/Pakistani accent and gave him the same serve.

I get them regularly. I tell them I have a Mac (I don't) or that I don't own a computer - that stops 'em.

I got one of those calls today. Indian accent, from technical services, warning me of all the malware, viruses, etc. that could be on my computer. I asked him what kind of computers he was concerned about and he said Windows machines. I told him I had a Mac and he hung up! The first time I argued with them before I hung up. Now I'm going to mess with them.

I get these calls every few days. I tell them that since they know so much about my computer, they can email me and I'll fix the problem.

They called my aunt, and she doesn't even have a computer. They argued with her that she did.

Does caller ID show a phone number or "blocked" or "unknown"? I never answer the latter.

I have had lots of these calls too, despite being on every "no call" list there is. I started out by simply hanging up, then graduated to telling them they should be ashamed of themselves, and eventually I moved on to much more colourful language! My solution to this, and all other calls like it, is to simply not answer my phone anymore whenever my Caller ID shows an unfamiliar number, or an "unknown name/unknown number", or any other type of number configuration I do not recognize. If the call is a legitimate one from somebody I do want to talk to, they will leave a message. These telephone scammers never do, and after calling at various times for a week or so, they give up.

I use to get one of these phone calls every other week for over a year. So on the last call after keeping him on the phone for 30 minutes, he asked me to put my password in, and i said i can't spell it, he asked what it was, and i said, "You dirty little monkey" He said "I ****** your daughter" we exchanged more heated words and then he hung up. That was over a year ago now, and no more harassing calls. When i was just saying "No" and hanging up on them they just kept ringing. How gullible do they think we are? Stern words and time wasting, costing them money fixed that!

I live in Australia and also get these calls regularly. In an attempt to strike back, I once set up a Windows operating system in a partition that I booted into when they rang and let them remotely access the system (they used Logmein) while I ran some tracking software that I found on the web. I ended up with some IP addresses but couldn't take it any further. I know it sounds vindictive, but I've sometimes thought of trying to set up something that would infect their systems when they log in to mine but I don't know how. Maybe some of the gurus out there could come up with something???. These people really are scumbags.

I think I have received this type of call a dozen times. I am a suspicious person, enough so that I have not fallen for this approach.
Thanks Bob