Just had my first PC scam phonecall :D

[smarteyeball]

I just got off the phone with my first telephone scam artist. Till now, I've only ever heard about this widespread scam and now I got to experience it



Adam: *In a very heavy Indian accent* "Hello, my name is Ad-am. I am calling you to inform you that you have a problem with your computer, but do not worry, I will help you"

Me: *feigning surprise and alarm* "Oh no! What is wrong with it?"

Adam: "Please do not worry Sir, I will help you. Please go to your computer and I will help you through it"

Me: *In a grateful, overly friendly voice* "Thank you very much Adam! Please wait until I get to my computer"

*put the phone down for about a minute, made a few random noises, then picked the phone back up*

"Okay, I am now in front of my computer"

Adam: "Okay, now on the bottom left of your screen, please click the button that says start"

Me: "I do not have a button named start."

Adam: "It is the button on the bottom of your screen, to the far left"

Me: "I don't have a button that says start. Do you mean the big round button?"

Adam: "Yes. Left click on that please and then -"

Me: "- What do you mean 'left click'?"

Adam: "Yes. Left click on that - "

Me: "- sorry, do you mean left click with the mouse thingy?"

Adam: *starting to get frustrated* "Yes. When you click on that, there will be a word called computer in the menu, please click on that and I will be able to help you from there."

Me: "Okay, I have clicked the big button and I'm looking, please wait till I find it"

*made some random mouse and keyboard noises while Adam is getting further annoyed*

*Suddenly changing my tone to serious* "Sorry, I don't have 'computer' in the menu, but I do have a button that says you are trying to access my computer illeagally and when I click on it, it says THIS IS A SCAM!"

Adam: *click... beep...beep..beep*




I could have kept stringing 'Adam' along, but I got bored

 

[Orbital Shark]

Ecellent mate

I would have carried on too just to get to the point where I ask him if I need to allow access to a certain memory segment (maybe x80000201) in order to re-route RDP to a new server whilst remaining in full control of the internal system process...

 

[Anak]

Here in the States I use both the Do not call for land lines and cell.
I also use the one for junk mail, and I have been happy with it for the last 10 years
Some lists take 30days to 6months to really calm down the hits you get. Your mileage may vary.

REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers went Public last month March 1st.
REMINDER..... All cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.

YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222.
It is the National DO NOT CALL list It will only take a minute of your time.. It blocks your number for five (5) years.

You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number. It takes about 20 seconds.

Note
I was in error when I posted the above deletion. But, I feel it is still a good idea to add your cell number to the DNC.

• In the United States: https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx

• Junk mail in the States: DirectMail.com's Mail Preference Registry - Get rid of junk mail

• United Kingdom: TPS Registration

• Australia: Do Not Call Register

• Canada: https://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/
• More Canadian info: Telemarketing

• New Zealand Name Removal Service: Consumer Services : Marketing Association

• China/Hong Kong: Digital Marketers: Hong Kong Initiates Do-not-call Registry - ChinaCSR.com - Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Business Intelligence, and Sustainability News for China

• India: National Do Not Call Registry

• An easier to digest version of India's: TRAI's National Do Not Call Registry (NDNC), Telemarketeers and the great Indian spam Industry

• More on India: Techno World ...: Do Not Disturb / Call List - India

I could not find one for Japan or Africa (South Africa), and it seems the one for India covers Southeast Asia, and the Philippines.

 

[johnwillyums]

I've had 3 of these calls over the past year. This leads me to believe that there must be more than one "company" doing this scam.
I have led them all on like you did Smarteye and ended up berating them for scamming people, get a proper job etc. so you would have thought they would have taken me off their list if it was just one bunch doing it.
I imagine they get a great deal of success with people who are only interested in their pc as a tool and know very little about it's workings. J

 

[smarteyeball]

Here in the States I use both the Do not call for land lines and cell.

• Australia: Do Not Call Register

Already on it. It works okay for 'legitimate' calls, but scammers aren't worried about legality

I imagine they get a great deal of success with people who are only interested in their pc as a tool and know very little about it's workings. J

It's been going on for a few years and it spans a few countries under various guises, so it's quite a large operation and considering it's scope, unfortunately appears to be quite viable.

 

[Fayla]

I would have said "What's a computer?" than hung up. Scammers aren't worth spending precious time over.

I could have kept stringing 'Adam' along, but I got bored

 

[Anak]

We have had one scam call in the last year, and one text on the cell this month. Guess I was not quick enough.

 

[Joan Archer]

I got one a few weeks ago, I was busy trying to watch a TV program so I just said "There's nothing wrong with my computer" and put the phone down couldn't be bothered to spin it out.

 

[ProTruckDriver]

I don't do business with any incoming phone calls. I tell them to send me a letter in the mail about what they are trying to sell then hang up. Easier putting their paperwork through the shredder than listening to them waisting my time.

 

[Ciara]

Anyone I don't know I say (we are on TPS your number is now logged from exchange) and hang up

 

[smarteyeball]

I would have said "What's a computer?" than hung up. Scammers aren't worth spending precious time over.

I nearly laughed and was going just going to tell him to piss off, but I was feeling flippant, so a couple of minutes to play with him was worth the chuckle I got from it.

I was sitting in front of the PC anyway, so it wasn't like I went out of my way

 

[Everlong]

Never had one myself. What do they lead to asking you to go to Computer?

 

[smarteyeball]

There's no lead in, they just come straight out and say there is a problem with your computer.

From others who've had the pleasure, they'll either say they have noticed a problem, or they have detected that you have a virus. It's a scare tactic to prey on the gullible and technologically naive.

My 'friend' today didn't even claim to be from a company

 

[severedsolo]

Haven't had one myself, but a friend of mine has had a couple, all claiming to be from "Microsoft"

I was there when one of them phoned, so he handed over to me with the excuse "Oh I don't know much about computers I'll just pass you over to my friend"

Can't remember the guys name now, but he got me to look at Event Viewer, and told me all the yellow exclamation marks and stuff were problems,

At that point I got bored, so I just replied "What you mean the one that tells me my boot has taken longer than 30 seconds? The machine is 10 years old, I'd expect it to, if you think I'm going to download your buggy virus filled software for that you can..." Well I can't say what I actually said to him, but I'm sure you can fill in the blanks.

Funnily enough he hung up....

 

[Bongo]

Never had one about the PC but when I get someone on the phone like that I just say can you hang on a minute I have something in the oven or something like that and set the phone down on the table and just forget they're there then when I get that tone that tells you your phones off the hook then go hang it up
Jerry

 

[smarteyeball]

Funnily enough he hung up....

It's bewildering isn't it?

Never had one about the PC but when I get someone on the phone like that I just say can you hang on a minute I have something in the oven or something like that and set the phone down on the table and just forget they're there then when I get that tone that tells you your phones off the hook then go hang it up
Jerry

Before the days of being on the Do Not Call register when you could set your watch by a telemarketers call, I used to do things like that often.

Or I would keep saying hello, over and over and over again until they got annoyed and hang up. Alternatively, I would pick up - say nothing and just breath quietly and make them say hello over and over again

In a small way, I kind of miss messing with telemarketers. The options were endless.

 

[Fayla]

Probably something to do with that team viewer program.

Never had one myself. What do they lead to asking you to go to Computer?

 

[mickey megabyte]

my mommy always said there were no monsters, no real ones, but there are.

and they mostly phone you at night...mostly.

 

[Phone Man]

REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers went Public last month March 1st.
REMINDER..... All cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.

Where did you get that information. Please supply a link. The last I heard my cell operator (Verizon Wireless) refused to release that information and I believe most operators also refused.

UPDATE: Snoops says FALSE.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/cell411.asp

Also from FTC.

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/02/dnccellphones.shtm

Jim

 

[Anak]

REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers went Public last month March 1st.
REMINDER..... All cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.

Where did you get that information. Please supply a link.

All I can say is it came in an email from my Sister-in-law, It might have something to do with this: Over 2.4 Million Cell Phone Numbers Made Public in First Phase of New Phone Directory - Press Release

I stand corrected, and will make a clarification.