Computer nerd tip of the day: do not talk to anyone from "Microsoft" or call "Microsoft".....

[steve2470]

especially if someone calls your home from "Microsoft". This is an old scam that's been going on for years. A lot of bad viruses/malware try to trick you. If you see weird stuff popping up on your screen, good bet you have a virus/malware.

Come talk to us in the Computer Help and Support group FIRST. Microsoft does NOT call people out of the blue, trust me. They do not offer free tech support (I know this for a fact) over the phone for "a problem on your computer". I know most of us know this, but a few of us may not know all this.

We have enough expertise in CHaS to solve most of your routine problems. If it's really difficult, we have enough sense to refer you to a shop locally.

Anyway, hopefully this helped someone.

[livetohike]

1. K&R

[Roy Rolling]

23. I had an hour to kill one day...

So I put the guy on the speaker phone and played dumb for an hour while he instructed me on how to allow him to control my computer. After an hour I told him I was from the FBI and had been recording and tracing the call.

My next call I asked him if he could give suggestions on how long a dead body takes to smell, and whether blood stains can be cleaned up with Windex. I don't think he understood very well based on his heavy accent.

They won't call again.

[livetohike]

24. LOL. Good one!

[MrModerate]

2. Slight correction to your statement . . .

Microsoft will offer limited person-to-person help via chat (which you have to initiate), but unless the issue is very simple, they'll pass you onto their sales department for a paid upgrade to the service.

Nevertheless, I have gotten useful answers from them a couple of times when the wording in one of their knowledgebase articles was ambiguous and my searches elsewhere didn't give me a clear answer.

[Xithras]

3. But, but, but...they detected MALWARE coming from my IP address!

And the nice young man said he'd send me a program that I could install to fix it! He told me there could be people downloading CHILD PORN though my computer RIGHT NOW, and that I need to install it quickly before the FBI notices and raids my house! He said that Microsoft is just trying to protect its customers, and that they have ALREADY found my credit card information on the Internet! When I asked him which card, he said that he wasn't able to give me the number over the phone, but that if I read it to him he could tell me whether it was the same one. I was SOOO relieved when he said that the number was safe and that they hadn't stolen it yet! He was such a nice guy!



/sarc...obviously.

I screwed with one of these guys on the phone several years ago. He really said all of those things to me.

[steve2470]

4. I believe it, the scoundrels

Cool you messed with them!

[Xithras]

8. The funny part....

...was that I just invented a random number off the top of my head that didn't even have the correct number of digits. The guy didn't catch on.

I was on the phone with him for nearly five minutes while we "waited" for the file he emailed to arrive (gave him a bogus address, obviously). He actually warned me about a lot of other dangers while we waited, including the possibility that my computer was being used as a VPN relay by terrorists. He helpfully explained how, under American law, I could be charged with a crime and imprisoned for life without a trial if the government found out that my computer was being used to help terrorists. He wasn't sure that it was being used by them, but thought we should check just to be safe.

In the end, I informed him that I work in cybersecurity, and thanked him for staying on the phone with me while we traced the call. The line was dead before I'd even finished the sentence.

[steve2470]

9. funny ending love it! nt

[Xithras]

16. And it was only a half-fib.

Cybersecurity really is a big part of what I do for a living (I work for a company that develops software for large corporations, banks, and government agencies). I obviously wasn't tracing the guy though.

I was more entertained by the call than anything. I threw the tracing bit in there simply because every other option could have led to him calling back.

[barbtries]

18. i love it

scamming the scammer.

[joeybee12]

5. Yeah, but if it's Microsoft in Ethoiopia and they're offering you millions...

You definitely need to accept that!

[padfun]

6. When they called me,

I told them that it was quite amazing that Microsoft was able to read my Linux problems. Then when the tech support said that he had my credit card info, I told him that this was astounding since I don't have a credit card.

I like playing with them too.

[Purrfessor]

7. I say: that's really strange because I don't have a computer.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

25. I had one guy tell my phone lines were infected.

I had some time to kill so I strung him along for an hour or so. I made him wait several times while I had to "boot up" my computer. "Oh I rebotted again. What? I wasn't supposed to do that? Sorry"

Meanwhile I started a load of laundry, loaded the dishwasher etc.

I finally acted all flustered and told him I was going to toss the computer and get a new one. That's when he told me my phone lines were infected.

[Purrfessor]

28. That's funny as hell but in a way he was right...

Infected with callers like him.

[dembotoz]

10. i wish they would---since the last windows update my computer has been awful

slowly better
but sometimes everything just freezes

have learned to get up
go pee
and pour a cup of coffee

then it will be ok for the rest of the session

[steve2470]

11. I wish they would call me (the legit MS people) about the damn taskbar problem in Win10 lol

Alas, I have to use my own noggin.

[safeinOhio]

12. I just said I have a Mac

and he hung up.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

13. Not a prob....

[icymist]

14. Hey, Thanks for reminding me to run a scan!

Haven't done that for a while.

[RebelOne]

15. Yeah, I am wise to those scammers from Microsoft.

Get plenty of those calls. I tell them that I have a Mac and do not use Microsoft.

[Hutzpa]

17. I see your collection of cats has grown.

Keep up the good work.

[steve2470]

19. thanks, I'll have to add another basket one day :) nt

[salin]

20. What do you know about IYogi?

I suspect a scam - but maybe not?

[steve2470]

22. fwiw....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IYogi

[salin]

26. helpful

They presented themselves as service providers for Apple (re: contracted service providers) - via one of those "apple" (looking) alerts, that is the alert appeared to be coming from Apple - and the tech support number given (from what looks like is from Apple) is IYogi.

Yep, I bit. They solved the problem, but then engaged in exceptionally hard sell/persistant tactics to sell more "services."

Your initial post per tactics of scammers, and the "legitimizing" wikipedia article (with some criticisms) that indicates no partnership with Apple - says - somewhat legitimized scam.

After initial help in November - I avoided any contact for about four months - but now they call me at least twice a day - sometimes from an 877 number (same number) and other-times from a blocked "Unavailable" number. I just stopped answering. But after reading this - if I have future problems I will consult our DU tech fantastic forum first.

Now I get to come up with a clever way to answer one of those frequent calls with a response to end the calls altogether. Thank you so much.

[PowerToThePeople]

21. I just give them my "uname -a" and see if they can help me with my microsoft virus. n/t

[Aerows]

27. They tried that with me

I laughed and said "I use Linux". They hung up.