I had been wanting to get one of these calls. These people sound like they’re in India and call random people telling them they are from tech support and their computer has errors. They called on my landline right as I was getting up this morning. I kept them on hold for 2 or 3 minutes while “my computer was booting” (it wasn’t) and I got my cell phone and started recording the call. I kept the guy going another 30 minutes or so while I got ready for work.
They kept wanting me to go to a URL on my computer, which from what I understand would install some sort of malware and then they would want $50 or something to clean the computer of the stuff they installed. And I’m sure it would leave nasty stuff behind even if my computer ever seemed clean again. Of course my computer wasn’t even on during the call.
I do tech support for a living, so at the beginning of the call when the guy asked me what version of Windows I had I told him stuff like “Microsoft” and “Excel.” He never did get a straight answer out of me. And when he tried to get me to run a Internet Explorer I told him I didn’t have Internet Explorer on the desktop (I really don’t, even if my computer was on.) I was really ignorant, I didn’t know how to click or double click, or where the Delete key was on the keyboard. He kept asking me how I got on the Internet and I finally told him I clicked “Verizon.” Then I told him the window that came up said “Local Disk C:” and “CD-ROM Drive.” After 5 or 10 minutes of him trying to get me into a browser to type a URL, right when he thought I was in the URL blank I told him the window disappeared. I have to give it to the guy (scum though he is), he didn’t sound frustrated but he kept putting me on hold to ask someone else questions.
After 30 minutes or so the first guy had gotten confused enough that he got his supervisor. After stringing him along for a while I finally told the supervisor that I didn’t have Internet, but I asked him what I needed to click on to fix the errors. It took him a while to comprehend what I was telling him, and then he of course told me that I needed Internet to fix the problems. Then he started pressing me on when I was getting Internet, could he call back in a month? I think they would have called back too. I needed to go to work so I told him Internet was too expensive, and would they buy it for me to fix the problem? He said they couldn’t do that. We went round and round and finally the supervisor hung up.
I wasn’t just being evil, I figured while I was keeping them busy they weren’t scamming other people that know nothing about computers. Maybe I’ll get a call back in a month or so. I think I might ask them to help my friend with the same computer problems, her number is the same as the FBI field office.
Good job…but I would have finished with putting my hand partially over the speaker and saying loudly “Was that long enough for a trace, Captain? Good!”, then hung up.
I usually just start to cry* and ask if his mother knows that he steals from poor people. They usually hang up. Occasionally, one will try to convince me that they are really from MicroSoft and not trying to steal. Then, I tell them that I know they are lying because I live right across the lake from Bill Gates and he told me never to believe anyone one who calls. I do live across the lake from Bill, so I’m not lying, completely.
I was thinking about that, but he mentions my name and street address. I’d have to edit that out. I told him my name was Alan Smith and I’d never heard of that address.
I’ve been stringing them along lately (I’m not nearly as good as you, though, control-z) until I either get tired of it or run out of things to bullshit about, then I tell them we have all macs in the house and hang up.
From similar calls I’ve seen posted on youtube, I think the website is actually a perfectly valid service used by IT people to remote connect to your computer remotely to diagnose a problem. Of course, they aren’t using it for honest purposes!
I was at my parent’s house, trying to fix a problem with their Windows install, when these guys called. For a half second there, I was really impressed by Microsoft’s customer service, before my brain cut in and I hung up on the thief on the other end.
From reading up on it I think they try to get you to install TeamViewer, which is software that lets them remotely control your PC. From then on they show you a bunch of “errors” (which are just normal system logs and service lists) and try to charge you money to fix them.
I was dropping clues that I had a Mac, like he never could get me to say what version of Windows I had, and I never did tell him I could find an Internet Explorer icon on my desktop. I mentioned Safari and Finder late in the call, but the guy didn’t pick up on it.
I’ve also used the “We only have Macs” line, and I usually ask the caller if his/her parents are proud of what their kids are doing. I made one guy cry by telling him that his dead father was tormented in the afterlife because of the caller was a thief now.
I would say Control-Z was doing the world a service. If everyone kept these thieves and morons on the phone much longer, it would reduce the chances of them finding the sucker (victim). I don’t have the patience to do this but I salute those that do. Phone scammers are the scum of the earth.
She doesn’t have a computer (actually she does but it’s at her daughters house so the grandkids can use it).
She told the guy so and asked him to remover her number from his phone list.
He got all pissy with her and said NO I WILL NOT REMOVE YOUR NUMBER FROM MY LIST
So she told him that was too bad because she was a witch and had cursed him and his family and she hoped he’d enjoy the rest of his day.
He asked her what she meant by ‘a curse’.
She cackled (yes she said she cackled) and told him don’t worry about it he’ll find out soon enough and hung up on him.
I hope she psyched him out enough that now he’ll believe that anything bad that happens is because of her. Maybe he’ll end up forking over thousands to a fortune teller to have the curse removed, the scammer getting scammed.
Probably not, but one can hope.
After 5 or 10 minutes of him trying to get me into a browser to type a URL, right when he thought I was in the URL blank I told him the window disappeared. I have to give it to the guy (scum though he is), he didn’t sound frustrated but he kept putting me on hold to ask someone else questions.
