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Unsolicited calls concerning your computer


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Old 13-05-2013, 14:39
radioanorak
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It took you 10 months to post this !!!
I would have got bored listening to you after one hour
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Old 13-05-2013, 17:54
Stig
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Played one for two hours on Thursday night. Was nothing on TV, and had nothing to do so thought "Why not?". Eventually got bored of them...
... Or, welcome to DS!
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Old 23-05-2013, 07:44
stephenwuk
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I had one the other day. I love winding them up. They asked about windows 7. So I played dumb saying I have 7 windows and 2 doors. I then said I was going to count them. They soon hung up This works every time lol
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Old 23-05-2013, 07:55
DANCE OF DEATH
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BT's option BT6500 is somewhat cheaper, at least the single handset option comes in at £60
That might be cheaper than Truecall, but after looking through the features you can only block 10 numbers and that does not include withheld numbers or international numbers. Truecall does block those and the way mine is setup any withheld numbers and international numbers just get a dead line tone and my star lists get through all the time.
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Old 23-05-2013, 14:33
platelet
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That might be cheaper than Truecall, but after looking through the features you can only block 10 numbers and that does not include withheld numbers or international numbers....
looking at the manual you can set block or allow for each of International, Withheld number, No CallerID and Payphone plus ten specific numbers. I guess it depends how many enemies you have

Though block is misleading. Only the specific numbers are truly blocked. The International etc are just silently diverted to the answer machine - which would annoy me, there I think the truecall has the edge

mind you the BT phone is only £34 now
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Old 09-06-2013, 11:54
Earake
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Received my very first call yesterday morning, it went like this :

Caller - "Good morning our worldwide web servers are showing that your computer is sending......"

Me - "Fu** off and don't you dare phone this number again"
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Old 12-06-2013, 11:10
Glawster2002
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Received my very first call yesterday morning, it went like this :

Caller - "Good morning our worldwide web servers are showing that your computer is sending......"

Me - "Fu** off and don't you dare phone this number again"
I had one the other day, claiming to be from Microsoft and that my Windows 7 laptop had a virus and that he needed to gain access to my machine to remove it. I politely told him I have a Mac-book, I haven't but i knew straight away it was a scam, and the guy started arguing with me that I definitely had a Windows 7 machine as he could see it online! Muppet.
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Old 12-06-2013, 11:23
roland rat
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he was calling from or on behalf of Virgin Media Broadband -
I'm wondering if I should contact Virgin Media to inform them that these scammers are using their name again to scam people, is it worth me doing that?

I had one of these calls last year, and was aware of the scams going about

The guy went through the usual stuff, do you know you have a problem with your computer, I replied yes

But then I asked him, if your with virgin, can you tell me what my last payment was
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Old 12-06-2013, 11:24
roland rat
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I had one the other day, claiming to be from Microsoft and that my Windows 7 laptop had a virus and that he needed to gain access to my machine to remove it. i politely told him i have a Mac-book, i haven't but i knew straight away it was a scam, and the guy started arguing with me that I definitely had a Windows 7 machine as he could see it online! Muppet.
You should have told him, you have an apple, and a orange
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Old 07-09-2013, 14:12
max99
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Saw an interesting addition to these scams yesterday. As well as the usual fixing of a 'hacked PC', the caller also offered to upgrade the Vista machine to Windows 8 for around £200 extra. The result: Vista with a newly installed W8 theme.
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Old 24-09-2013, 16:38
kaycee
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Thank you for this thread.

I received 2 of these "I'm from Windows......" calls today. Guy who phoned admitted he could tell I was sceptical about what he was saying but etc etc. & gut reaction made me put the phone down on him, and the 2nd one who called, half hour later.

Even so, I didn't know about this and came on here to ask you about it - and hey presto first thread! Much appreciated.
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Old 24-09-2013, 18:09
thms
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got another call to day.. after I heard him say 'your computer', I just said they had the wrong number and hung up.
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Old 24-09-2013, 18:25
coachtrip_fan99
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Owwww. I am still waiting my phone call from them. So that I can lead them on for an hour and then laugh at them.
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Old 24-09-2013, 18:29
zx50
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These parasites haven't phoned here yet. I wonder, is it illegal to blow a whistle down the phone when you get a nuisance caller? I've a feeling I know what the answer is but thought I'd ask anyway.
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Old 24-09-2013, 19:27
platelet
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These parasites haven't phoned here yet. I wonder, is it illegal to blow a whistle down the phone when you get a nuisance caller? I've a feeling I know what the answer is but thought I'd ask anyway.
Illegal in germany, not here.

If it caused damage you could argue the fault lies with the equipment used to receive the call. Bit like expecting Chris Moyles to be arrested for deafening you because you had your radio too loud. Do it to someone in the street - there's a big difference mind (no volume control)

The police will advise you not to do it, because it's ineffective.

Anyway much more fun to advise them to google my post code and watch out for the black helicopters
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Old 24-09-2013, 19:30
newda898
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I thought these had dried up, hadn't heard about them for ages.
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Old 24-09-2013, 22:06
kaycee
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Since posting earlier, I told a friend who works in security about the calls. He had 2 bits of advice

1. tell the caller you haven't got a computer. [End of conversation!]
2. ask caller to wait a minute while you switch on phone message recorder as all your cold calls have to be put through to security service. [Even quicker end of conversation!] And as the calls are mostly from overseas the caller will probably have no way of knowing you are telling porkies!
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Old 03-10-2013, 15:17
FairyFeet1964
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I've had these calls in the past and just ignored them, today though one really got to me and I'm annoyed at myself!

Usual type of call, I just said something along the lines of "no you're not and I'm not going to speak to you, so you may as well delete our number as we're on TPS". I cannot repeat his reply as I'm sure it would violate some forum rules somewhere but he was very rude and aggressive swearing and shouting and telling where to stick carrots of all things!!!

I told him he had no right to speak to me like that and hung up, but he well and truly had my gander up

I called Virgin Media as the caller is a witheld number, all they could suggest was blocking all witheld numbers but there would be a monthly cost and as my husband, son and myself work in places where the extension numbers withhold numbers it doesn't seem like a good idea, plus why the hell should I pay for something that I shouldn't be getting in the first place

Then having called Virgin, and spoken to my husband and calmed down a little the phone goes again (I had been expecting a phone call so was hoping it was that person) guess who it was the same sodding people - this time I just hung up oh and this time it has a number 001234567890 well that's what 1471 came up with for what use it is.

Personally I think if you are calling someone you should declare your number and if you are on TPS that is it - unless it is someone you have given your number to they should not be able to call you, not even the "surveys" because quite frankly that does my head in too!

Rant over, think I need to sit in a dark room now.
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Old 03-11-2013, 22:49
wynbal
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Do what I do.

Any unsolicited calls of this nature gets the referee's whistle treatment. Sound interested, ask them to hold on a second then give 'em a 5 second blast. Doesn't half make you feel good afterwards.
I get these calls often, the last one a couple of days ago I showed interest and kept him talking for about ten minutes, he got impatient and told me to switch my computer on, I told him then that I did not have a computer and put the phone down. He acctually rang me back and told me to ph""" of
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Old 04-11-2013, 11:11
B-29
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I love 'em, get talking about their sisters and mother and how "available are they" .
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Old 07-11-2013, 10:05
Earake
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My call from Windows Technical Dept this morning was treated with a new approach from me.

I always answer the phone with just "Hello" but this morning's frog in the throat made me sound a little weak and elderly.

After the usual "our server shows that your computer has a virus" etc etc, after a few exchanges about Microsoft and Windows, I asked with the same elderly, weak voice, "I'm sorry but I don't understand, what is a computer ?"

He replied "You don't have a computer ?"

I replied, still with my elderly, weak voice, "What is a computer ?"

Him, "Good-bye"

This time, strangely, he knew both my first and surnames.
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Old 05-12-2013, 06:38
radioanorak
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Next time you get a call & no one is there, hit the # key
6 or 7 times as quickly as you can.
These calls are usually telesales computer generated
Hitting the # key confuses the computer & your number is deleted from the system
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Old 05-12-2013, 22:12
platelet
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Next time you get a call & no one is there, hit the # key
6 or 7 times as quickly as you can.
These calls are usually telesales computer generated
Hitting the # key confuses the computer & your number is deleted from the system
If you live in america, ten years ago maybe. Not sure it would have any effect here and now, though how you'd prove it I have no idea and hey if it makes you feel better why not?
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Old 05-12-2013, 22:36
RobinOfLoxley
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Or try 00000000.

Well, it works for nuclear weapons....
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Old 06-12-2013, 08:19
Stig
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Next time you get a call & no one is there, hit the # key
6 or 7 times as quickly as you can.
These calls are usually telesales computer generated
Hitting the # key confuses the computer & your number is deleted from the system
Another urban myth promoted as fact. How do computers get 'confused' exactly?

Have you even tried it yourself, or just quoted it from an email sent by a friend?
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