Microsoft "Help" cold calling

[severnside gull]

Got a phone call this afternoon from someone purporting to be Microsoft Helpline. They said that my computer has been sending error messages through the "report" function (correct - whose doesn't?) and if I would please switch it on they will take me through the problems.

On the face of it that is exceptional service but I have had numerous computers over the years and all have routinely reported errors under this system but I have never ever recieved a call from anyone and would have thought/expected that if there was anyone on the end of the automated reporting system they would have responded electronocally.

Has anyone any experience of this or know if it is legit or (as I fear) an attempted scam to get access through my firewall? I told them I was busy and to ring back tomorrow morning. Not one I have encountered in 2 odd years of computing so intrigued to know what others think.


edit: this thread will obviously be of no interest to the elite Mac owners

 

[The Oldman]

It must be a scam. How does an error report tell Microsoft your phone number?

 

[TotallyFreaked]

Big scam that will either install some keylogging software on your computer that will send all your personal info back to them or demand money to fix problems that were not there in the first place.

The world is a scary place

 

[DanielT]

edit: this thread will obviously be of no interest to the elite Mac owners

Alternatively, if you're on a mac, the least you can do to repent is to wind up these people by playing along with them and see how long it takes them to work out you're not using windows.

 

[Camicus]

Total scam tell them you are running a Mac and they soon bugger off

 

[porkdog]

my mum had a call about this the other day, She doesnt even have a computer

 

[slinky]

it is a scam, just ask them to confirm your IP address, as they would be able to confirm this to you, if they could see the error messages...

 

[Rugrat]

I had it, total scam, wish I could get another and I'd string them along for hours

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Got a phone call this afternoon from someone purporting to be Microsoft Helpline. They said that my computer has been sending error messages through the "report" function (correct - whose doesn't?) and if I would please switch it on they will take me through the problems.

On the face of it that is exceptional service but I have had numerous computers over the years and all have routinely reported errors under this system but I have never ever recieved a call from anyone and would have thought/expected that if there was anyone on the end of the automated reporting system they would have responded electronocally.

Has anyone any experience of this or know if it is legit or (as I fear) an attempted scam to get access through my firewall? I told them I was busy and to ring back tomorrow morning. Not one I have encountered in 2 odd years of computing so intrigued to know what others think.


edit: this thread will obviously be of no interest to the elite Mac owners

Tell the caller the number they have just rung is the Fraud Investigation Department at the Police station.

 

[GingerBeerMan]

Tell the caller the number they have just rung is the Fraud Investigation Department at the Police station.

haha love this. But yeah as said it's a scam, just have some fun with it if they ring back

 

[superwomen]

big scam -

 

[severnside gull]

Thanks guys (and gals)

Sometimes it pays to be a cynic after all

I'm looking forward to them calling back (if they do)

 

[Londoncalling]

Got a phone call this afternoon from someone purporting to be Microsoft Helpline. They said that my computer has been sending error messages through the "report" function (correct - whose doesn't?) and if I would please switch it on they will take me through the problems.

On the face of it that is exceptional service but I have had numerous computers over the years and all have routinely reported errors under this system but I have never ever recieved a call from anyone and would have thought/expected that if there was anyone on the end of the automated reporting system they would have responded electronocally.

Has anyone any experience of this or know if it is legit or (as I fear) an attempted scam to get access through my firewall? I told them I was busy and to ring back tomorrow morning. Not one I have encountered in 2 odd years of computing so intrigued to know what others think.


edit: this thread will obviously be of no interest to the elite Mac owners

Get 2/3 calls each week. Love playing dumb and stringing them along, I then ask them to get pen and paper to write down password as I will need to call them back. You guessed password always a very choice obscenity

 

[Manx Shearwater]

Well known scam, they get you to go to a website address which enables sharing of your computer and then they download everything in the hope of finding something useful like your bank login details.

 

[Ernest]

I just act stupid to waste their time and always ends with them slamming the phone down on me

 

[Kumquat]

I just act stupid to waste their time and always ends with them slamming the phone down on me

Exactly what I do. I usually bang on about how tech useless I am. They usually hang up when I say "Sorry this is taking so long. For the life of me i can't find the pilot light".

 

[Everest]

I just act stupid to waste their time and always ends with them slamming the phone down on me

ACT?

 

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

ACT?

 

[severnside gull]

They actually rang back!!

I strung them along for 5 minutes or so with as many silly lines as I could think of and even deployed the Ernest tag line and they still didn't bite and kept trying to get me to log on so they could "repair" my computer. In the end I gave up and just called them a bunch of scammers and when they still didn't give up I told them I would report them to the police and to trading standards.

Boy did they get upset

Called me for everything (including accusing me of being a scammer) and got extremely agitated and not a little abusive................. tut tut Microsoft - I didn't think you would employ such rude staff

When I finally got bored and put the phone down they rang me back and started to plead their innocence and please not to call the law.................. QED

All in all a truly enjoyable experience. I'd call them back and thank them if I wanted to waste a few more quid but for now I've just passed their number to the boys in blue who - I have to say - appeared to be remarkably uninterested in saving the ratepayers from fraudulent exploitation. Perhaps I should raise it with my prospective Commissioner before I cast my vote next month?

 

[jcdenton08]

Exactly what I do. I usually bang on about how tech useless I am. They usually hang up when I say "Sorry this is taking so long. For the life of me i can't find the pilot light".

Pilot light