Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

Scam Calls from 'Microsoft'



Pinkie Brown

I'll look after the skirt
Sep 5, 2007
3,532
Neues Zeitalter DDR
We've all had them. "I'm calling from Microsoft and our systems are telling us you have a virus" or as was the case today " you have a fault with your driver" blah blah blah. My usually reply is the usual response when you want somebody to "go away" or if I can be arsed, string them along for a minute then tell them I have a Mac.

Parasitic pains in the arse. What was slightly more disconcerting about today, they initially asked to speak to my late Mother who's property I am in at the moment rather than a generic enquiry to speak to the homeowner as is usually the case with these chancers. Especially concerning as my Mother was ex directory. The Phone and internet was with Talk Talk and in my Mothers name previously. Could Talk Talks customer data base have been compromised? Going to call their customer service (sic) when I have a spare 30 minutes later.

Whilst most people have no doubt received calls from these idiots, has anyone else received one asking directly for somebody by name?
 
Last edited:


Mar 2, 2014
77
Talk Talk will have sold your mothers (sorry for your loss) details to anyone prepared to buy them. This is how the call centres gather their data, they will buy and sell customer details from each other so that they have more numbers to call. Talk Talk are a classic example of mass selling customers' data for their own gain, and this is where the "Microsoft" scammers will have gained it from.

They attempted to be quite aggresive with my father, who is rather elderly and not computer literate, and my formal complaint was ignored for some time before specific threats were made, and I demanded a copy of the call recording. They eventually informed me that, upon review of the call, the operative was "no longer employed" by them, but that they're "not able" to delete my father from their hitlist. I asked them not to sell his information, and they replied that it was "not in their control".
 


Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,988
Goldstone
I get a lot of these calls about my PC sending error reports etc, and I think they all ask for me by name. I assume there are several similar companies running the scam, as the calls don't stop.

People need to be educated about scammers, loads of people must fall for it.
 




Thunder Bolt

Ordinary Supporter
Talk Talk will have sold your mothers (sorry for your loss) details to anyone prepared to buy them. This is how the call centres gather their data, they will buy and sell customer details from each other so that they have more numbers to call. Talk Talk are a classic example of mass selling customers' data for their own gain, and this is where the "Microsoft" scammers will have gained it from.

We had a run in with Talk Talk because we were ex directory and then found the name in the next edition of the telephone directory. We hadn't been with Talk Talk originally, but with Pipex who were taken over by them.
They don't care about the privacy of their customers. The telephone preference service is more helpful.
 












Mellotron

I've asked for soup
Jul 2, 2008
31,730
Brighton
They called me to tell me I have a problem with my Windows (I have a Mac). I managed to string them along for quite a while, pretending I thought they were talking about the ACTUAL windows in my house.
 


Cowfold Seagull

Fan of the 17 bus
Apr 22, 2009
21,578
Cowfold
I get a lot of these calls about my PC sending error reports etc, and I think they all ask for me by name. I assume there are several similar companies running the scam, as the calls don't stop.

People need to be educated about scammers, loads of people must fall for it.

Yes, and it is very easy for the elderly, the frail, and the easily led to fall for it too. On many of the calls l receive from these fraudsters, they must even have a tape playing with 'office sounds' in the background, with the low murmur of voices and the sound of computer keys being pressed . . . well, either that or it really is big business lol.
 














The great thing is that you can string them along so easily as they have very little information on you.

They sometimes ask for your personal number (used during installation, can't remember the actual name) but I usually ask them to read it out to me first, because they are Windows, they must have it on screen in front of them to ensure I'm not lying... Surely.

When they don't get that, the seem to skate over that issue... Somehow?

Then we go round the houses, I don't have the internet so how do you know I have an error/virus? What is the virus? But if i don't have the internet how did i get it? They will tell you they can see my computer is online, how I ask? They give some ballbags about 'Windows programme' that allows them to see everybody even off the internet...

Sometimes I mention that Windows claim to never contact their customers? But this virus IS SOOOO BAD they have to!

I've got through to a 'supervisor' for being annoying one time, he got angry telling me they were trying to help. This went on for a couple of minutes then I gave up and told him that we only had Mac in the house, he then started shouting at me...


They haven't called back in nearly a year.
 


GoldWithFalmer

Seaweed! Seaweed!
Apr 24, 2011
12,687
SouthCoast
I use caller display-if it's number withheld i chose to answer,99% of the time i don't,if i do and the person on the other end,claims to be from a legitimate organisation,red flag..why with hold the number?
 


Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,988
Goldstone
On many of the calls l receive from these fraudsters, they must even have a tape playing with 'office sounds' in the background, with the low murmur of voices and the sound of computer keys being pressed . . . well, either that or it really is big business lol.
I think it's the latter. On a couple of the ones I've received I first speak to one of the call staff, then I get transferred to a techy, then I get transferred to someone for payment. It obviously works, so why would they be a team of a couple of people - they must have plenty of staff ringing round the whole country.
 


Mar 2, 2014
77
[
I think it's the latter. On a couple of the ones I've received I first speak to one of the call staff, then I get transferred to a techy, then I get transferred to someone for payment. It obviously works, so why would they be a team of a couple of people - they must have plenty of staff ringing round the whole country.

There will be a lot of campaigns ongoing at the same time, some calling for "Microsoft" errors, but plenty of other scams ongoing at the same time I should think.
 






My elderly parents get these calls frequently. They don't have a computer and have got to the stage that they actually seem to find it quite fun in stringing along the caller.

I don't recall having received any (I am signed up for TPS) but ironically got very suspicious of a genuine return call from a support desk who didn't explain himself very well. Fortunately he saw the funny side of it.
 



Paying the bills

Latest Discussions

Paying the bills

Paying the bills

Paying the bills

Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top
Link Here