[ALERT] Fake Tech Support Scammers Are Calling - Comments Page 3

Ward Calaway; You've got malware on your computer, most likely. To be rid of it you'll have to run a cleaner program after starting your computer and before it runs(boots) the operating system. Quite involved if you don't understand how. And it takes some resources. Like a cleaner program,usb drive or cd/dvd disc. Bing/Google the procedure or have someone else fix it. After paying to have my first computer fixed, I learned all I could. Software, hardware. Now i just want to be a user. The fight's wore me out. And Bob, yesterday you brought up the "should I buy a used computer?" article. My counter is, should you buy a new computer when the code in the processors is faulty? Only the newest, most expensive computers may have safe processors. Intel's newest, are they producing and retailing them?

I have found the best way to waste their time is to tell them that you are having sex with your girl friend and trying to finish before your wife gets home. Ask them to wait then put on a XXX movie. I have had them wait for ~20 minutes. I can imagine a whole group of them all gathered around listening to the clip. Every few minutes tell them you are almost finished and they will tell you to keep going.

We all receive bogus calls. When I am expecting a call from, for example, a new tradesman I'll answer unrecognized numbers. If I can't identify the business immediately I'll answer questions very carefully so as to NOT say anything affirmative. That way they can't use my audio to edit in a "yes" and claim I asked for whatever they are pushing. A bit off topic but worth thinking about. It has happened to others.

I got this phone call while I was standing line at the deli. Pretended to by on my Mac and tried to do what he said even though I was no where near a computer. He finally gave up.
Another time I was rendering a video when he called and kept him on the phone for twenty minutes. Then when he asked for my credit card number I told him my wife wouldn't let me use the credit card.

We get these in South Africa regularly, too. I also tell them I have 3 computers and ask which is the problematic one. Then I tell them that they are old computers, so, yes, they probably have a serious problem and I'd appreciate their assistance. Then I say I need to switch the computer on, but, because it's old, it takes a long time, will they wait? Then I go have coffee and when I'm finished I come back to the phone and tell them it's still busy booting up. Then I go have breakfast or lunch. When I get back they are still hanging on! I tell them it's nearly ready. And so it goes on, until they realise what's happening. Then they get upset with me for wasting their time!!!! and they will charge me $100. I'm still waiting for the account to arrive.

Yes I have had these calls, sometimes 2 or 3 a day. Australia must be fertile ground for these scammers. I try to put them on hold while I answer the door or suchlike. Sometimes I send them off with a flea in their ear. Suggesting there mothers were free with their favours etc.

I don't believe anything I hear on the telephone these days. I never answer any calls right now. I let them ring. If they leave a message, I listen to the message. If it wants money, I delete it. The tech support scam isn't the only one. There is the IRS scam, the credit card scam, and, for all I know, the carpet cleaning scam.

I got tired of wasting time on scammers. Now I interrupt all unwanted solicitations with "I've told you people not to call. Take me off your list."

Very effective. These people are usually paid only if they get money from you. Most quickly sign off when they get my negative response -- that "you people" sounds unfriendly enough to be convincing. Sometimes bona fide charities actually do take me off their list.

I had the SAME GUY calling me every 4-6 weeks claiming to be from Dell. For 2 years, starting about a year after I had financed a new computer thru Dell. He once told me about all these errors my computer was sending, when at the time my computer was shut completely off, and hadn't been turned on in over 2 months ! I started responding to him by saying "oh good, let met go get my credit card and get this fixed right away !" If they stayed on the phone, I have my credit card # as 1234 5678 9123 4567 exp 1/23 they hadn't called me in over 8 months now.

A few months ago, I had one of these guys call me and after his opening schpeel, I laughed out loud at him an hung up. Sixty seconds later he called back and was "indignant" that I had laughed at him and hung up. "I was calling to offer you help, but now I will not help you" he said. I laughed again and hung up once more. This time he did not call back. What can you say? :)

Tell the tech scammer to "F**K OFF" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Used to get these a couple of times a month. Was amazed at their persistence- even when I told them I had an Apple computer!

THOSE STRANGE ‘PHONE CALLS

Have you been getting lots of unexpected and unwanted ‘phone calls lately? Some come in at really inopportune moments – just when you’re sitting down to a meal is a likely time. An unknown caller opens the conversation by enquiring about the state of your health. This is not a genuine interest regarding your well-being – they only want to get you involved in a conversation about a product dear to their heart - double glazing, a ventilation system or a charity and to free you directly of some of your hard-won cash. They are a nuisance but will go away if you tell them you are not interested.

But there are a more sinister lot. They do not want you to buy some product – they want you to provide them with your credit card details. Then you listen for the whooshing noise as cash starts to haemorrhage from your credit card account!

These folks use a robot calling system of dialling ‘phone numbers. The robot just keeps calling numbers in the hope that they will get a live response. If someone (you!) answers the ‘phone then the call centre knows that there appears to be a live human on the line and will get into their sales-pitch. The centre is likely to be somewhere East of Suez and the accent will give you a big clue. They are going to tell you that there is something wrong with your computer or Windows 10 and they can fix it for you over the ‘phone. All you are required to do is answer a few questions, follow their directions and provide your credit card details.

So, how do you deal with these crooks? There are several responses you could follow:
If your ‘phone shows the number of the incoming call, then a four-digit opening number of zeroes gives you an immediate warning. Ignore the call or pick up the ‘phone and then hang up without saying anything or take the call if you don’t get this preliminary warning.

Now you have some options. It’s all downhill from here and it depends how playful you want to be! Wait for the sales pitch. They will tell you they are from Microsoft or are a Microsoft company and they have detected a problem with your computer. The simplest thing to do is put the ‘phone down now and end the call. Otherwise they will engage you in conversation regarding your computer.

Tell them you don’t have a computer (they won’t believe you). Say you have a Mac machine – they can help with that too. Say your house has more than 10 Windows – can they clean all of them? Pause for a while and then explain that you are waiting for the Police to join you on the line – they probably won’t hang around. Tell them you are going to get your son/anyone to deal with the call and ask them to wait for a moment – put the ‘phone down and get on with whatever it was when you were interrupted. When you remember to pick up the ‘phone you will be surprised to find that they have gone away! The biggest revenge is to have a loud whistle nearby and give the caller a healthy blast before replacing the ‘phone – this is guaranteed to make you feel better and that the whole thing has been well-worthwhile.

And have a nice day - unless you have other plans!

Des

Tom Mabe's murder crime scene is my favourite.

Every one in a while when I am edge and open another tab I get this so called micro soft warning my computer has been hack with a phone number to call a micro soft tech to help fix it. I called the first time I got it and went though all the scam until the part of signing up to a support company that was going to fix it. that is when an alert flash in my mine and I told him I though he was scramming me that when he got upset and was mad I wasted his time. I still get the warning once in a while and haven't figure out how to clear it from my Edge but know to ignore it.

The same calls keep coming to me; I had several supposedly from HP - he had my model#, serial#, even my case#. This after subscribing to HP's smart friend services; almost within the hour. They even had my cell phone#, which they keep using repeatedly. I kept this one call occupied for about an hour, then asked him if he was calling from the market place in Mumbai! He called me every nasty name he new, then berated me. He said his time was valuable - I said not as valuable as mine. Boy was he mad. I also received calls from " Microsoft", the "IRS", "AEP", etc.

When they called and say they detect a problem with my computer. I asked the guy do you have a computer at home? He said yes. I said would he make changes to his computer if someone call him at home. He didn't know what to say.

Another person called and I said oh I'm glad you called because I'm so lonely. No one has called all day and I am sad and lonely. No one cares about me any more. They don't know what to say.

I have a different way of handling these boobs,I tell them I have no computer at this time and would they give me their address a and phone number and I'll be sure to call them back to get the "Protection" when I get a new computer.To which I get a click.

I'm really surprised at the comments - I can tell within a few seconds that a unsolicited call is bogus. THEN I HANG UP.
First - I've got better things to do (I'm retired).
Second - These boiler room callers sell their list of phone numbers that have callers that will listen! Doesn't matter if you called them names and wasted their time. They have verified there is a live listener at this number. Maybe you didn't bite on the Microsoft service scam, but maybe the IRS "you owe money" scam will work.
Just hang up and go do something constructive.

I always tell them I do not own a computer. Then hang up. Or I tell them how stupid they are cause I do not own a computer.