Microsoft: There is something wrong with your computer...

I have an unlisted number and the woman (heavy indian accent) new my name, I am not sure how they got the information but probably the internet. When her supervisor, also a woman, insisted adamantly that my computer would crash, I told her I would just restore it and hung up!

Just received the same call. Something about my windows and wanting to talk to the user of the computer. He made it sound urgent. The call was very staticky and I told him I didn't understand what he was saying. His heavy accent didn't help either.  He said he would call back later. I shut my computer down instantly.

if you get call from any unknown number or person saying that he/she calling from Microsoft and telling you that your computer got infected by some online infection or something like that do not belive them they are scammers, Microsoft does not have any contact with such illlegal companies so do not talk to them simply hang up the phone and put the number on blacklist  and report against such calls. make all your neighbours and relatives and friends aware of this kind of "phone scam". they are fooling USA, UK And Canada Citizens. some of the scamming  websites thewindowscare.com/ , windowservicecentre.co , teche4pc.com , microresolve.com, and so on if you google on net you will find more.Beaware of such fake companies whoever provides online pc service and charge for that Because they are scammers so don't throw your money away

I get this too I asked him what my name was and he did not know I asked him my IP CONFIG  he did not know so I figured since he was wasting my time he may as well entertain my baby so i put the baby on the phone and let him talk baby talk to the guy \i doubt he will call back.Maybe next time he calls I will have a conversation with him about my last bowel movement

It's a scam.    Since most everyone has a computer in their household - and the most popular OS is some version of Windows it's just a numbers game for them to call around telling people that they have a virus.   There is a 95% chance that they will hit a household with a computer that runs some form of Microsoft product.

What are they looking for?

They want you to go to their website and download a "FIX" for your computer.   If you do this, some very bad things will happen.   They will have access to your personal info on your machine along with all of your passwords and any financial info on the machine.

From there you will have a very bad day.


Think about what the scammer is wanting you to do.   First of all, you will NOT be going to the official Microsoft website and you will not be using the Microsoft Update that came on your Windows computer to make changes that are "supposedly" from Microsoft.

Usually these calls come from third world countries where these computer terrorists can operate far outside of the law with no fear of being punished.    Most of the ones that have called me have used faked numbers and have dialed in from VOIP phones.  
Best advice is to just block them if possible - or hang up.

I just received a phone call.  One of many, saying that there is something wrong with my computer.  This time I told them that I did not have a computer and then the east indian guy said....."How much do you charge?" I said, what? for what? and then he said "How much do you charge to [***]?" Then I hung up.  This is really starting to get on my nerves. How do I make it stop??

YES!!!

THIS  SCAM  IS  5  YEARS  OLD !!!     everyone in the  world  knows  this by  now...........

Chris,

Most scams are much older than this one.

If  "everyone" was savvy to this, they would find some new scam to pull.  I'd bet that 1/3 of the people they call at least consider the possibility that this is legitimate.  

Remember, not everyone is as knowledgeable as you are. Unending recitation of the dangers is one of the few tools we have to educate people. And yes, we also get tired of saying the same things over and over.  

Spend some time helping victims and you'll see what I mean.

Kelly,

As much as I would like to tell you a way to get these putrid jerks locked in an oubliette somewhere, the odds of them getting what they deserve in this life are slim.  The best I can offer you is technical advice for getting them out of your life.  I will present several different approaches.  What works best for you will depend on your circumstances, and your level of personal "geekiness".

Assuming you are being called on a landline (POTS Plain Old Telephone Service) and that you only have a few telephonic pests in your life, I would suggest the use of a call blocking phone.  The ones I am familiar with are made by Panasonic.  I understand there are others out there.  Make sure you get a model which has this feature.  The disadvantages of this solution are: (1) You have to spend money on a new phone (2) It will only handle so many numbers (3) There is still a brief partial ring to let you know it blocked a call

Assuming you are using already VOIP service (such as from your Internet provider), or you are getting lots of pests calling you,  I might consider using a provider such as Callcentric, who offers an effective call treatment system.  If you are a little technical, or know someone who is, it would not be difficult to switch from your landline or another VOIP provider to this kind of service.  It may actually save you a little money each month.  The disadvantages are that you will need to buy a VOIP device (Linksys makes some modestly priced units) and that it takes a little learning to set up and manage this solution.

If these calls or coming in on your cell phone, there is a free solution which can be used with cell phones or landlines.  That solution is Google Voice.  There is a learning curve to it, and you are "trusting" Google.  But it is a very powerful solution, and depending on how you use it, you could reduce or perhaps even eliminate your phone bill.  You will be able to port your existing number to it if you like, but I would hold off from doing that right away.

Beyond that, we get into really geeky stuff like PIAF/Asterisk, but any of the above would solve your problem.

Some may suggest software like PhoneTray, but these solutions require that you have a computer running their program all the time, so I prefer to use other methods.

I have been meaning for some time to write a guide on how to configure some of these things, but for now, if you decide to try a free Google Voice account and have questions about using it, you can try asking me on this site, or you can just try asking the folks on the support forums for Google Voice.

I have no affiliation with, or interest in, any of the products or services I have mentioned.

Links you may find helpful:

Panasonic Phones
<http://www.justanswer.com/electronics/4o5jp-p ... l-blocking.html>

<https://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electroni ... 000000000005702>

<http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/182-6091139-0844639?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=panasonic+phones&x=0&y=0>


Callcentric
<http://www.callcentric.com/>

Google Voice
<https://www.google.com/voice>

I tell them I don't have a computer - that throws them for a loop!

Got a call from a woman with an indian accent claiming "She is calling about a problem you're having with your computer." When I challenged her on this and begin asking her questions, primarily WHO exactly does she want? Give me a name! She wouldn't and couldn't but continually tried to evade my question! She became quite rude and attempted to talk over me which in turn done nothing except prompt me to become much louder and gladly even more rude to her. Finally, she realized after a very short time that she shouldn't have called and tried to scam me and was barking up the wrong tree and that I figured out her sctick easily and was onto her fast... big time. She quickly hung up on me.

On 2-7-12 a lady with a heavy Indian accent called me and stated that my computer had a bunch of errors.  I told her she was invading my privacy and she immediately hung up.  The readout on my caller ID read "607-562-8715 Big Flats, NY"  However when you call this number back, a recording states "the number you've dialed is not in service." Then on 2-13-12 another lady calls and tells me she's calling for Windows.  The readoout this time read 206-654-0661 UNASSIGNED. I told this lady not to call, hung up immediately and filed an online complaint with the FTC "Do Not Call" website. Legitimate computer software and electronic companies do not call people at random.  

 Let's see if we can start tape recording these scammers in the act, make a copy, then either hand them over to the police or to your local FBI office.  Consult with your local phone company if tape recording your own phone conversations is legal.

i have heard these people just go through a phone book and ring every number they find


if ever in doubt about a person online or on the phone ask them for
full id
name of comany
where they are ringing from
and if totaly unsure get your mobile and record (using voice recorder) the conversation you and the caller are having.

TOO funny LOL,
happened to me too, and i had a lot of fun

See my post under skeptic.
I received the same "warning" about my Microsoft programs.