Warning this scam could be detrimental to your wallet.
Windows-r scam people are making scam telephone calls claiming to be from your ISP trying to get you to press the windows and r keys on your computer and then using the info displayed to try and persuade you to allow remote installation of software on your computer because your computer is being attacked by hackers, trying to convince you that if you do not do this they will shut your internet off, and they will try and charge you between £50 and £500 pounds for their service.
Thanks for the warning Di.
This sort of thing is becoming all too common I'm afraid.
I had something similar. I told them the key combination did not work, they persisted many times and I told them it still did not work. I even confirmed it was a Windows machine and that it was version 10.
Eventually I asked them if it would help if I turned the machine on. :D I wont repeat what he said before he hung up :laugh3:
Surely Windows+R is just the Run prompt?
This sort of thing has been going on for many years. It makes a change people are claiming to be from ISPs as opposed to "phoning from Windows"!
Quote from: Snowwolflair on June 04, 2018, 04:01:33 PM
I had something similar. I told them the key combination did not work, they persisted many times and I told them it still did not work. I even confirmed it was a Windows machine and that it was version 10.
Eventually I asked them if it would help if I turned the machine on. :D I wont repeat what he said before he hung up :laugh3:
I like to play them along too if I'm in the mood.
I too like to string them along a bit. The other month, a foreign gentleman tried to convince me I had a virus. I asked him how he knew and he said he could see it on my PC. I told him that was fantastic as the machine hadn't worked since the power supply blew up the previous week.
Here's a quick summary of a conversation I had with one of these "people"
Caller: I'm from your ISP blah blah blah
Me: Please send me an e-mail to confirm your identity
Caller: What's your e-mail address
Me: If you're my ISP you'd know my e-mail address
Caller: Which e-mail address
Me: You choose
Needless to say the line went dead quite quickly :D
I had one of these 'phone calls a while back. I sounded really interested in what he was saying and after a couple of minutes I told him that I worked for a security company, (true), and that one of our IT guys was testing a new system for identifying unknown callers locations, (not true), and would he mind hanging on for another 30 seconds so we could test the new system - the line suddenly went dead! :)
I think im finally on there "do not bother " list as i haven't had a call for a few months,on one call i even managed to get passed up to a "senior technical manager" after the original scammer didn't know what to do when i said my keyboard didn't have a windows key. The last one was to do with my recent car accident,they hung up after i told them the accident was entirely my fault as i shouldn't have been driving at the time due to being extremely drunk,and registered blind.
My friend just says "since the accident I have lost my short term memory" and then feeds them a complete fairy tail until they just go nuts.
My response is usually to ask them for their full details, as I had not asked them to call and therefore would be referring them to my solicitor for invasion of privacy. Click! Dialling tone :D
Quote from: Newportnobby on June 04, 2018, 08:13:06 PM
My response is usually to ask them for their full details, as I had not asked them to call and therefore would be referring them to my solicitor for invasion of privacy. Click! Dialling tone :D
Now we can also threaten them with a fine for GDPR non-compliance, contacting us without consent.
QuoteNow we can also threaten them with a fine for GDPR non-compliance, contacting us without consen
you mean like the tps that stopped all those nuisance phone calls.
Quote from: themadhippy on June 04, 2018, 09:18:39 PM
you mean like the tps that stopped all those nuisance phone calls.
Oh! You are such a cynic... :wave: :thumbsup: Hee-hee-hee.....
The best way to handle spam callers....
It all started with a telephone call...
"Good afternoon Sir, how are you today?" he asked.
"Oh, do sod off!" I replied, in my head.
What I actually said was, "Uh, I'm good."
"I am delighted to be hearing that. My name is Daniel and I am working for Microsoft. We have identified a problem that is coming inside of your computer from a virus place. We would be liking to help you to be removing this troublesom problem from your computer Sir."
"Are you sure that your name is not Gupta?" I asked.
"No Sir, I am having the name Daniel, Sir."
So I asked, "And where are you calling from exactly?"
"I am calling from my telephone Sir."
"Don't you go getting facetious now Daniel!" says I. "Nah! It's Gupta, just admit it."
New he starts to get a little bit heated, "I am telling you Sir, my name is Daniel."
"Nah, your name is not Daniel and you are not calling from Microsoft."
"My name is very, very Daniel and I am calling from Microsoft to tell you that we are detecting a troublesome thing inside of your computer Sir. Sir, can I be asking your name please."
"So, your name is very very Daniel from Microsoft and you know that I have a problem inside of my computer. All the way from Bombay you know this. You also know my telephone number but you don't know my name?"
"That is correct Sir, can you please tell me your name?"
"OK," I replied, "Since you told me that your name is Daniel I will tell you that my name is Kalabash."
"Thank you Mr Kalabash, can I..."
"Hold on," say I, "Kalabash is my first name. My family name is Thud. I am Kalabash Thud. You can call me Kalabash and I will call you Daniel, if that's OK with you."
"Yes Sir, that is very OK with me. Now Sir, if I can ask you to be..."
BEEP BEEP! There was a call coming in on my cell phone.
"Hey, wait a moment Daniel. I have another call coming in. Please wait for a moment, if I have a problem in my computer I need to know about it. Please wait for a moment." I put him on mute.
I picked up the cell phone, "Hello!"
"Good afternoon Sir, how are you today?" she asked.
"I am magnificently fantastic in every possible way!" I responded.
There was a pause, "Sir, I wonder if I could have a small amount of your time to help us. We are carrying out a survey of homeowners in Scotland."
"What?" says I, "All of them?"
Completely unfazed she replied, "No Sir, only a specially selected group of which you are one."
"Interesting," I said. "So what makes me fall into that group?"
Again unshaken, she replied, I am unable to tell you that Sir, as I was not involved in putting the list together, sorry, I can't help with that."
"OK, then can you tell me who the 'we' are that are carrying out this survey?"
"Ah, yes, I can answer that one. We are 'The Warm Home Consortium' and we are trying to put some figures together to assess the situation regarding home efficiency as regards warmth and power consumption."
"So," I asked, "Are you going to try to sell me something at the end of this?"
"I am carrying out a survey Sir."
"OK, I'll be happy to answer your questions, but can you give me a moment? I'll be right back, I have a call on the other line."
"No problem," says she as I put her on mute.
Back to the land line...
"Sorry about that, are you still there very Daniel?"
"Yes Sir", he replied.
At that point I put both phones on speaker and laid the landline handset on top of the cell phone. I then went to make a cup of tea.
When I returned I found that both calls had ended. I wonder if 'very Dan' managed to fix the survey woman's computer or if he ended up buying some double glazing.....
I get one of these every week or so, I string them along then give them
the Foxtrot Oscar treatment.
I've literally never had one, I feel left out.
I do get the "we're phoning about the accident you had in the last 12 months" ones, for which my favoured response is "my gosh, that was quick, how did you know about it?"; you get "our databases are very up to date blah blah blah", "well yes, but I've only just called the emergency services, I'm waiting for them to cut me out of the wreckage". Usually confuses them for a bit, then they hang up.
I always remember the tale of a new receptionist in the American Embassy in London who, every time the phone rang, picked it up and said "Yes it is. Yes it is" and then put the phone down. After several of these calls her manager asked her what was being said.
She replied "Well, sir, the phone rings, I pick it up and someone says 'Is that the American Embassy?' I say 'Yes it is' whereupon they say 'Long distance from Washington' and I reply 'Yes it is' and put the phone down."
I had heard that Apple had started using fingerprints as identification but, come on MS, don't you think that the r's cam is a step too far?
I note the option to 'Add image to post and upload to gallery' butt I have decided to let that be for now. I suggest that other forum members do the same.
:photospleasesign: :camera: :greatpicturessign: :no: