# Microsoft scam phone call



## Charlie5791 (Feb 21, 2012)

Microsoft is SOOooo helpful! Someone from Microsoft just called me to tell me my computer may have been infected by something my anti-virus can't detect. And that will damage the internal parts of my computer.*gasp*
And they offered to help me. (oh, thank goodness)
"Vee are going to help you fix your Vindows compooter" 
"You can do that?" 
"Yes, sir. Is your compooter on now?" 
"Why, yes… yes it is" 
"And can you see all of your normal desktop icons?" 
"I believe they're all there, yes. Do you think some have disappeared?" 
"Do you see at the far left, your key labeled CTRL?" 
"Yes, I see it. Thank God THAT didn't disappear." 
"Yes, sir. Is your compooter on now?" 
"Yes, it's still on"

Anyways, he asks me to press some keys and tell him what I see. Apparently what I see isn't what he expects me to see. Of course not, you friggin' moron. I'm running LINUX, not Vindows! So I'm ALREADY protected.

Ass hat

"You have been kicked from this conference"

*gasp* Oh no. My computer must have rebelled. Woe is me.

For all of my not-so-tech-savvy friends, Microsoft will NEVER call you unsolicited. This is a scam to get you to either install a piece of software that gives the guy on the other end control of your computer, OR they'll try to get you to pay for "services" using your credit card. DO NOT give them any personal information or install anything.

If you're running windows… I'm sorry. I realize you don't know any better and probably have limited choices. But do NOT fall for this scam. I love playing with them, but they're dangerous.


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## LokisTyro (Apr 19, 2013)

Please report them.


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## Charlie5791 (Feb 21, 2012)

No caller ID. They came through as "Out of Area". This is the second time they've called this week though, so if I get them again I have alerted my phone company so I can call them on my cell phone while I string the moron along and get a trace with law enforcement involved.


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## DanLyke (Feb 8, 2007)

Yeah, I've gotten a bunch of those calls. They've never said "Microsoft", they usually say something like "the technical support department of your Windows computer". And, yes, they're trying to get you to install malware.

The weakest link in any security system is the loose nut on the keyboard.


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

If you're running windows… I'm sorry. I realize you don't know any better and probably have limited choices.

I'm thinking you just called 90% of people on Lumberjocks morons.


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## Charlie5791 (Feb 21, 2012)

hahahaha… no, not at all. For many people, Windows is all they know. Nobody is a moron for using it. This kind of thing just isn't real important to most people so they use what's available. I'm not a Microsoft basher normally. It's kinda like what we do as woodworkers. Use what ya know. It's just a tool like any other. I just happen to be retired from an IT position at a university so I'm kind of a tech weenie. I had exposure to options other than Windows and saw the merits of some of those options. Just not real high on most peoples' radar. 
I have some programs that MUST be run in Windows. There is no Linux equivalent…. so I run Windows in a virtual machine and I taught my wife how to use linux and a windows-in-a-virtual-machine setup.

Mainstream is Windows. I'm not delusional. I just don't like it.


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## DanKrager (Apr 13, 2012)

I'm with you, Charlie. Linux is the cat's meow.

Just for fun, I tried to install a newer version of OpenSUSE on an old 386 with a whopping 64K (not MB) ram. It whirred and chuncked for a bit and restarted three times just to be sure. Then I got a surprise that set me to laughing so hard I couldn't breathe! Instead of the usual lock up or a polite message (programmers are SO polite) about not enough resources, the screen blanked and a simple text message beautifully centered said "You've GOT to be kidding!" THEN in fine print the message about inadequate resources came up. ROFL!
DanK


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## JADobson (Aug 14, 2012)

Haha, I got called by these folks not too long ago. I chatted with the guy for about half an hour, playing dumb pretending not to be able to find the start button (I'm on a mac) and just generally wasted the guys time. Finally I got bored so I told him I was messing with him and he got really mad. He told me that it was against the law to lie to Microsoft and that he had called the police and that they were on their way to arrest me unless I complied with his instructions. I almost fell out of my chair laughing. I told him that since I am on the do-not-call list he was breaking the law and that I had sent the police to arrest him. Before he hung up on me I told him to save me a seat in the cell. I haven't heard back since.


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

I recently had a similar phone call from India. I just told him in a firm voice to eff-off and put the phone down. 
I normally wouldn't be so curt but these scumbags really get my goat. Next time I get phishing phone call from 'MicroSoft', I'll reach for my referee's whistle and give it a blast.


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## pcott (Jul 7, 2009)

I love arguing with these clowns while they try to convince me my Linux machines are even more vulnerable than a windows one. Not sure what they think they are accomplishing…..


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

I find it better to not mess with them, they are tech savvy and can cause you no end of grief.
When I was a really active seller on eBay a decade ago, this boiler-room operation kept emailing me, saying they could enhance my marketing by X percent. I ignored these emails, even though they were sent to me one-on-one, not by bulk from the typical bot address harvester. This was how it was getting past my spam filter.

I finally responded, saying I had no need for their services. I said that my account was doing well enough and was not interested in a higher level of involvement. Then, using MY OWN email address, they sent a generic form letter to every email address they had on hand, stating that I had some wonderful offerings on eBay, with a link to my store. With these 50,000 or more emails I was CC'd too. I got thousands of responses, some pleasant but most were from annoyed recipients. In this email sent, "I" promised free shipping, too. No freaking way would I ever do that!!

My ISP was an in-town local service, and when my computer finally shut down due to the tsunami of emails, my account person did not believe me when I claimed to be a victim of a scam. After all, dammit the mass email this perpetrator sent to people was an upbeat, pleasant sales pitch! Anyway, with 50,000 emails and growing, I lost my account which my ISP finally agreed to cancel…after she herself received an email from my impostor! So I had to cut loose all of my current listings, too. What a mess.

*Just ignore them, do not antagonize them.*


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## Howie (May 25, 2010)

When I got a landline from* Verizon* it wasn't two hours before I started getting phone calls. After hanging up with *Verizon* I immediately called the do not call and registered the number. This was 5-6 calls a day! After six weeks I started not being very nice to these people (read foul language) as they wouldn't leave me alone. I blocked calls, turned them in to the do not call people quit answering the phone unless it was a number I recognized (showed up on my TV)
I got rid of *Verizon* Kept the same number and went to AT&T. Haven't been bothered since.
Some of the calls were for Blake Sheldon. (repeatedly) No one here by that name…...can you verify your SS number that you are not Blake Sheldon? Yeah right and a merry eff you too.
Our illustrous elected politicians should be made to publish their phone numbers in public so they can find out first hand about this crap.


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