WinCustomize Forums
Like the title says. About ten minutes ago I get this call from Ohio. Guy sounds like he's from India. He tells me my computer isn't working. So I asked him how he knows. He doesn't answer so I tell him I work with computers. He hung up. Beware these phone scams folks. They're so stupid. Lol
When I last got a similar call I said: "Oh, I'm so glad you called. I got my computer running again, but every time I click the mouse I get a shock of static electricity, what would cause that?"
The idea is to keep them on the phone for as long as you can with PC related questions, cos the longer they're yakking to you the less they're pestering other people... hehe.
Just say....
"I know. It's not plugged in."
....and hang up.
I get these calls all the time, I lead them on as long as I can wasting their time before I tell them to shove it!
meanwhile these guys are pretty good at their work/scam
whatever you do never download a tool from them.
In the end they will syskey you if you decline to pay their scam.
Or you have the time to actually play along and 
them 
Get them all the time, fav is the MS ones, like MS would EVER contact a person via a telly.
I simply say "1 second I need to go to the computer" then set the phone down and go on with my day. Come back in a hour or so and hang up.
Just say....
"I know. It's not plugged in."
....and hang up.
OR....
I know. The police have just taken it as evidence in a scam just like yours." 
What I said was not what I wanted to say. I wanted to say..."You dumb ****. Gotcha!"
Nah, you try to sound as if you're talking to somebody else in the room: "Hey, you FBI guys, quick, I got one of those damned scammers on the line again."
Phone rings...
Indian accented voice says..."Is that Mr. Martin?"
I say "Yes"
....and hang up.
I've had quite a few senior customers fall for this scam. These fake Microsoft Support creeps specifically target the elderly, and as you say if someone doesn't pay they bork the system. I've sometimes been able to recover the O.S. by rolling back with System Restore if the creeps haven't deleted the restore points. Sometimes even with the restore points it fails with the system saying there is no admin account. Does anyone know how they do that?
I've had quite a few senior customers fall for this scam. These fake Microsoft Support creeps specifically target the elderly, and as you say if someone doesn't pay they bork the system. I've sometimes been able to recover the O.S. by rolling back with System Restore if the creeps haven't deleted the restore points. Sometimes even with the restore points it fails with the system saying there is no admin account. Does anyone know how they do that?
My mother fell for it a few years ago and got her PC borked. First thing she did was ring me and ask what she should do. I told her to unplug her laptop and remove the battery, that I would sort it out when I got there. It was easy to sort out because the machine was running like a hairy goat and needed a reformat anyway, so that's what I did and all was well.
The [fake] MS guy told her that he could fix it for her if she was willing to pay AU$360.00 and provided her credit card details to enable the payment. Now that was completely the wrong approach. She told him she had no money [which was a lie, she always has plenty] and promptly hung up. She's one old bird you don't try to con/get money out of. She's as tight as a fishes arse will only part with money if and when she sees fit [which isn't often] and NOT before.
As for how the scammers do that, well they get the PC user to allow remote access, and from there they can pretty much do anything they want... like disable the machine and 'passively' demand money to fix it.
Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
