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Topic: Cold Call Windows Telephone 'Service' |
Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 21 Feb 2014 9:43 am |
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I know, in my head, my heart and my gut that when an Indian guy cold-calls me about my Microsoft Windows computer, it is pure bullshit.
I get these calls (caller id blocked or reading '000-0000-000') 3-4 times a week. I talk with them--ask them if it's ok if I put the NY State attorney general on the line, ask them if their mother knows what they are doing with their lives, ask them how much time they expect to serve in jail, ask them 'what are you wearing?'. Usually they hang up before I do. It's fun, like knocking on the door of a Jehovah's Witness and wasting their time.
Today the guy was about to read to me my Windows id number...for no good reason this sort of spooked me and I ditched him (told him I was going to go spend higher quality time in the bathroom.)
Please reassure me that these calls are 100% pure phishing scams. Right?
And---is there any way that this guy might actually have a proper number for my Windows? Why? How? What would it mean? |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 21 Feb 2014 10:04 am
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All of the cold calls about your computer use scare tactics to trick people into purchasing useless service contracts with Indian companies.
Microsoft won't call you unless you call them first.
HOWEVER...
Some of the companies that Microsoft has employed to handle phone servicing and re-activations may hire unscrupulous employees. Those employees may go rogue and keep a list of names, numbers and product keys of people requesting assistance from MS.
Bottom line: unless you initiated contact with Microsoft, or they want to buy a company you own, they will not call you; period.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 21 Feb 2014 10:09 am
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| Actually, a clarification----to bust his chops, I said 'so, you work for Microsoft, right?' and he said 'no--Microsoft makes the software. We are a service company' or something like that. |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 21 Feb 2014 4:29 pm
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| Yeah--he won me over with that and I gave him all my credit card numbers and my SSN. I'm waiting for him to get back to me to tell me if any of the numbers are winners. Exciting stuff. I'm feeling this. Called in to work and told them to shove it. |
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Dave Potter
From:
Texas
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Posted 21 Feb 2014 4:51 pm Re: Cold Call Windows Telephone 'Service'
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| Jon Light wrote: |
| I know that when an Indian guy cold-calls me about my Microsoft Windows computer, it is pure bullshit. Please reassure me that these calls are 100% pure phishing scams. |
"Bullshit" is being charitable; "Windows Update" online is how Microsoft tries to keep your OS current - no phone calls required.
Junk calls have been a feature of the landscape for decades. Depending on your personality, asking the guy all those questions could be good light entertainment (pun not intended), or, after a while, it could get to be just plain annoying (the latter, for me, quickly).
My advice: Get an answering machine that includes a speaker-phone feature that allows you to hear the caller (any caller), and whatever message they choose to leave. Most spammers won't leave a message, so you've got 'em, at that point - just delete the message. When anyone does leave a message, spam or not, you have the option to either pick up the call, or return it later. My guess is that in this case, your "Indian" friend won't leave a call-back number. If he does, be as suspicious as you seem to be now, because it's probably a scam.
But, at the end of the day, you'll do yourself a favor by putting some technology between yourself and the phone scammers. |
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Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 21 Feb 2014 5:11 pm
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| I'm not concerned about telephone spam as an annoyance. Yes, I've got the tools including caller id and voicemail to deal with that. I just needed an authoritative 'yes--there are NO telephone Indian Windows service calls that are anything other than bullshit' even though I (claim to) know that for sure. |
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Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 21 Feb 2014 5:16 pm
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| And yes--the entertainment value is just about played out. It is funny when you piss them off enough that they hang up on you. |
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Dave Potter
From:
Texas
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Posted 21 Feb 2014 5:20 pm
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| Jon Light wrote: |
| I'm not concerned about telephone spam as an annoyance. |
You've got patience I don't have, my friend.
My "personal space" is that important to me, and it's obvious that respect for it is hard to find. |
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Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 21 Feb 2014 5:53 pm
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Not trying to last-word-itis this. Just to make myself fully understood-----what I mean is that I have the tools to screen my calls to some extent and ignore or block much of the crap, if & when I choose so this post is not about complaining about phone spam.
That said, even with these tools, an unwelcome ringing phone is an intrusion and there are times when I'm in no mood for fun & games. No, it doesn't always roll off of me. I'm not that good. When it is simple spam, rather than fraud crap, I have to make an extra effort to remember that the person on the phone is some sorry schmuck who was desperate enough to take this cold calling job.
These rules of compassion do not apply to scam spam. |
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Steven Husting
From:
Germany
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Posted 2 Mar 2014 12:18 pm
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Hi
I am a newbie here, and have only been lurking, but ...
On the MS web site they state in black and white that they will not cold call.
I have been getting these calls for several months. There are two variations of the scam.
The most common is that they tell you your PC has been infected. They then take you down a road which involves some nonsense, some dangerous registry changes, and finally you are asked to install some software. This software locks you out of your own computer and you have to pay them to unlock it.
The second scam is they say you are running an illegal version of Windows. I've never had the patience to play this one out to the end but at some point you will pay.
These people work from scripts. If you tell them you have no MS computers but only Apple or Linux they continue their script.
They use voice over IP so if you answer the phone and there is several seconds delay before you get a response, be suspicious.
If you speak a foreign language, reply to them only in that language. They cannot handle non-English speakers. German works well - THEY hang up on YOU.
You can also just put them on hold. They are sweatshop workers and have quotas so putting them on hold for 10, 20, 30 minutes hurts them.
Whatever you do DO NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES TO YOUR COMPUTER and DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY INFORMATION.
They want your money and that's all
Steven |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 2 Mar 2014 12:52 pm
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I should warn anybody who plans to lead-on Indian telephone service scammers, if you allow them to install Team Viewer, or any other remote access software, they may already own your account, or even the entire computer, depending on the privileges they were granted when installing the "required" software. I have read accounts of security researchers playing mind games with phone scammers, only to have their personal files deleted and operating system trashed. Never under estimate your opponents!
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Joey Ace
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 2 Mar 2014 2:11 pm
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| I tell them I have new socks. |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 3 Mar 2014 9:43 pm Beware of Netflix combination Internet & telephone scam
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Since this topic is about telephone computer service scams, I thought I should publicize one that is slowly making the rounds in the USA. Netflix users are being targeted by malware alerts that pop-up on the desktop telling them that due to infections on the computer, their access to Netflix has been suspended. A toll-free phone number is provided to contact tech support about the problem and get it fixed. As per the other phone scams, this one originates and terminates in India.
Read the details about the Netflix combination computer alert and phone scam here.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Dave Potter
From:
Texas
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Posted 4 Mar 2014 7:20 am
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I recently got an email "advising" me that I have been evicted, and I should contact them to make "arrangements" to move out.
I have to wonder what scheme they had ready to try and scam me if I followed through on it. |
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