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Pastimes : Computer Learning -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: robert b furman who wrote (80876)	1/31/2013 3:49:41 PM
From: SI Ron (Crazy Music Man)	1 Recommendation Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 110581

Its a scam, no one from Microsoft will ever call you. You have to call Microsoft. Hang up on the scammer. There is nothing wrong with your computer, unless you let them help you fix it. What they are trying to do, is show you errors in your Event Viewer (Its normal to have errors in there) and then they will try to get you connect to their computer, create havoc on your system, and make you pay to fix it. My mother had one of these calls, she hung up the phone and called me in a panic. YouTube is full of people getting back at these scammers: See: youtube.com

To: robert b furman who wrote (80876)	1/31/2013 4:12:18 PM
From: Ken Adams	1 Recommendation Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 110581

That's only happened to me, maybe 2 dozen times. Sounds like it's the same a%%hole that calls everyone else. The scam must still work because it's been going on for a couple years, probably longer. One idea is to tell the guy to "hang on" while I get to my computer. Then, go out for a beer and let him hang.

To: robert b furman who wrote (80876)	1/31/2013 6:04:15 PM
From: PMS Witch	18 Recommendations Read Replies (6) \| Respond to of 110581

I've been called by these guys. The first thing I do is check the time. My old record of tying them in knots is 75 minutes, and I ALWAYS try to set a new record. I award myself extra points for every time I can get them to escalate me to a higher level of "technical expertise." They usually begin with a pitch about how my system is compromised. To solidify their position, they have me check Event Viewer, and point me toward a series of error messages. (They're flagged in RED, so they're extra scary!) These events occur at boot time, when Windows checks for services that haven't had time to start; hence, the error message in the logs. They DON'T indicate a problem. Of course, I react with alarm. If my husband is around, I put him on the phone too. (He's fluent in a few languages and switches among them excitedly.) I then mistype everything the guy says I should do. I'm too upset to think straight. Every instruction must be repeated several times. I interrupt him after every third or fourth word. I intersperse this behaviour with protracted periods of silence too. And my favourite: When we're close to getting something competed, I tell him I accidentally kicked the plug out of the wall and we need to start over after my system re-boots. (This is a good time for a bathroom break.) I take full advantage of their technical abilities. I ask questions about my car, the TV, and why my phone needs charging so often. I comment on how I enjoy curry, and ask if his wife is a good cook. Sometimes, I cannot contain myself and begin to giggle. I tell them they have a sexy voice. When I sense they're catching on, I mention that quirky phone battery again and hang up. It's so nice to be retired and have tons of spare time! Cheers, PW.

To: robert b furman who wrote (80876)	2/1/2013 12:35:37 AM
From: Alan Smithee	1 Recommendation Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 110581

If I was you, I'd be wondering how this mugu scammer got your phone number.