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  1. #1
    Knowledgeable and helpful
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Paeroa, New Zealand
    Posts
    651

    Default My computer is sending errors

    On four separate occasions over the past two weeks we have received phone calls from Indian sounding people from something called Windows 35.


    The opening message goes something along the lines..............


    "We have your Windows license number and have been receiving error messages from your computer"


    First call I just said "I have an Apple" and hung up.


    The second call a few days later I spun him along for a few minutes expressing disbelief that my brand new computer was having problems already. He started to warm to his patter but I cut him short by telling him to stop bull-shitting me and hung up.

    The third caller was female and I thought I'd have a bit of fun.
    "Which of my three computers running different operating systems is the one with the problems?"
    She replied "We only have your license number and need to check we have the right one"
    "Oh no," I replied "When I registered Windows I was asked for the version of Windows and the model of my computer so you should be able to tell me the version"
    This caused her a bit of confusion and she started telling me to access my computer so we could check the licence numbers. I pretended to be a dumb computer user and asked for specific instructions. Now she started telling me which keys to use on the keyboard and asked me if I could find / see keys and screens - I pretended to be following her instructions but my computer was actually switched off and I was in a different room anyway.
    After leading her on for 15 minutes I said ......................
    "Thank you for spending so much time talking with me, I work for the Anti-scam organisation and we have just finished successfully tracing this call, goodbye" And hung up


    The fourth and final call last night was answered by my wife and she truthfully told the caller "I don't know what you are talking about as I do not have a computer" and hung up.


    I'm preparing a script for the next time these people ring as I'm looking forward to having some more fun at their expense.


    David

  2. #2
    Super Moderator christanel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Wairarapa New Zealand
    Posts
    10,665

    Default

    Hi
    Sometimes I can't be bothered leading them on and just say "I am not helping you in your stupid scam," and hang up.

    I did this one night at dinner time a few years ago. No sooner had I sat down at thet able to resume eating than the phone rang again.
    When I answered it the same bloke got stuck into me for hanging up on him! and kept asking "Do you know who I am?"
    Well no because you won't tell me. He then told me he was going to report me to the Attorney Generals office! I said "Oh good, just a minute and I'll get you my son's phone number. He works for them."
    The line went dead.

    Unfortunately there are still some people who are susceptible to these calls.

    Christina
    Sometimes paranoia is just having all the facts.
    William Burroughs

  3. #3

    Default

    "Do you know who I am?"
    When asked that question, my answer is: sorry no, if you don't know who you are how do you expect me to know!
    Alma

  4. #4

    Default

    These scammers absolutely love calling New Zealand, don't they?

    I used to wait till they had finished their first sentence before calling them out, but now, having received scores of such calls, I have lost patience with them.

    In the words of local songwriter Andrew London, "I've only got two words for you and one of them is OFF".

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWj3l_rIh90

  5. #5
    Brick wall demolition expert!
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Lancashire
    Posts
    3,638

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by daleaway View Post
    These scammers absolutely love calling New Zealand, don't they?
    They target any country.

  6. #6
    Reputation beyond repute
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Kent
    Posts
    16,792

    Default

    Since buying an anti-scam phone, we have been blissfully free of all such nuisance calls.

  7. #7

    Default

    They called me every morning at about the same time for about 2 weeks... I did the "no computer, which computer, etc" stories, even lost my temper and told the woman what I thought of thieves and liars. Answering without speaking was interesting, I could hear the computer trying to switch me through and then cutting off when I didn't speak so I switched the answerphone on (mine has the default message in dutch because I'm too lazy to record something else). The calls (which came from both a withheld number and what claimed to be a dutch number) have stopped.
    I assume they've moved on to another city or country.

    What annoys me most is that since I explained this all to my >90 years old neighbour (who really doesn't have a computer), she keeps coming back for more reassurance that it's OK to answer her phone....

  8. #8
    Name well known on Brit-Gen
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Cheshire UK
    Posts
    4,863

    Default

    In the mid 1980's my children were with my parents when a double glazing all was received. Father let him have his say then suggested that he rang father's landlord and gave him a false telephone number.

    On the way home our son piped up from the back of the car...Mummy I thought grandpa owned his house but he doesn't!

    Yes he does why?

    Oh he told someone who called to ring the landlord!

    Since then I have had pans boiling over on the cooker, just on my way out,....... double glazing, well if you have walked down the road you will know we have only just replaced our double glazing.....as I have got older I answer the call, if a cold caller, just leave the handset off until the caller has cleared the line...

    Waste of time money & energy!

  9. #9

    Default

    Here, we have the "don't call me" list, and if you've registered for it they're not allowed to cold call. Of course, it doesn't work for international calls or for those who aren't worried about being fined....

  10. #10

    Default

    I registered my telephone number here a few years ago, and now I don't receive any unwanted or unsolicited calls.

    https://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/index.html
    Alma

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