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Phone call from a Microsoft technician?
I have just had a call from a Microsoft technician who said I had critical errors on my computer and it had shown up at their headquarters.
After a minute talking I asked him (knowing little how these things work) how he had got my phone number ....he got a bit shirty with me for that but we continued. I further asked him why he would help me?
Anyway he started to tell me what to do and after a couple of things he said he wanted to take over control of my computer!
By this time warning bells were ringing in my head so I said I had to go out so he insisted he would ring me back. I asked him for his phone number but he wouldn't give me one.
Can anyone tell me please is this a usual practice?
After a minute talking I asked him (knowing little how these things work) how he had got my phone number ....he got a bit shirty with me for that but we continued. I further asked him why he would help me?
Anyway he started to tell me what to do and after a couple of things he said he wanted to take over control of my computer!
By this time warning bells were ringing in my head so I said I had to go out so he insisted he would ring me back. I asked him for his phone number but he wouldn't give me one.
Can anyone tell me please is this a usual practice?
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You may also get them from your ISP, someone else's ISP, or some ISP you've never heard off.
If he got you do anything to your computer, can you remember the changes you made?
What do they hope to gain?
I got as far as information (just a few clicks) and then stopped...I hadn't done any changes.
Edit
Thanks for the link.
Thanks.
.. ....
Your personal information, credit card details, etc by getting you to unwittingly install dodgy software on your machine or open it up to other security vulnerabilities.
Will also get you on a "guilible list" - once you fall for one scam you become a prime target for others.
So they don't ask you outright for information but get to it by said installed dodgy software...thanks!
Do they just pick phone numbers at random?
100% scam. Remember: Microsoft will never give a crap about errors on your computer!
*Sometimes*
Another version of this scam is actually simpler. They will take over whilst you watch and they will load up system logs that show lots of errors/warnings etc (This is normal for any computer, but will look scary to people not in the know) They then simply try and sell you some pointless software to fix the 'errors'.
Often they will leave something behind to lift your creditcard details and WoW password but its not always the case.
Although obviously never allow them to do anything.
http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/avoid-phone-scams.aspx
etc...
He didn't do himself any favours by being quite shirty when I asked why would he want to help me!
I got one of those this afternoon too! I played along acting all green for about 5 minutes pretending I didn't know my way round a pc then told them that I was the Police and had kept them talking long enough to trace them. They hung up in a nano second! What can I say, I had a few minutes to kill! It was fun listening to this guy trying to explain to me what the Windows button was!
Blimey!
No never, I just read a lot!
Was your guy Indian too?
Last time it happened I said to the caller
"Will you need to access my PC remotely?"
"Yes".
"I thought so.
There are two people in this conversation and one of them's an idiot. It's not me so who do you think it is?"
He hung up.
Anyone know which video that was?
I might try something like this next time, so they stop calling >:(
I'm retired.
What's your excuse?
;-)