computer scam
 

Please be careful...
I just hung up with a man with a very heavy accent...he was calling from an out of area phone #.
He told me that he has been watching my computer for the last few days and that my computer is corrupted and he can fix it over the phone. He wanted me to go to my computer and log in....
I went down to the family room and whispered to my husband what this guy wanted...he took the phone and he listened and then went off on the guy. Told him that he built computers (he does) and all sorts of technical stuff, etc.....and that this guy was scamming and to back off....this went on for at least a minute. The guy hung up the phone.

PLEASE do not do what these callers want...all you are doing is letting them have access to your information. I didn't fall for it because my parents got a call like this a couple of weeks ago...and they don't even own a computer.

I have had probably the same call 3 days in a row. I told him I didn't have time to do what he wanted me to and to have a good day and hung up. He called back the next day and my husband told him you called yesterday and the day before then he hung up. It is the same guy that called a few months ago and if we hang up on him he would call back.....he was rude and hateful...my husband told him he was a scammer and the guy called my husband a A**hole and hung up.

You just have to be smart and NOT fall for what they want...Don't let them catch you off guard.

that's why I have an answering machine; they can call forever + ever, it doesn't bother me!!!

Can't hear them, have an answering machine. I don't want to waste my time being irritated by these scummy people.

It's difficult to believe that anyone would fall for this. Even if they could detect your problems (how?), why would they be offering to fix them for free? Surely most people understand that the other person has to getting something out of the transaction?

I have had calls like this and tell them I have been watching them and have reported them to the FBI .

I've had a couple of those. I like to play with them until they get frustrated and hang up. I start by saying, do I have to turn on my computer first? Where is the on button? and filled with lots of chit chat like, my son usually does it for me but he's away at college, do you have kids, I miss him so much, oh here, is it that little red button or the black one? Ya know, they make these things so confusing.............Now if I can just manage to give that rich guy my bank acct number so he can send me all his money :p

Look up the FTC website for current scams and what to be watchful for.

I usually don't answer the phone but recently picked up to one of these calls. He said my "PC" had problems. I said "very interesting because I have a Mac". He then hung up. If I ever get careless like that again I'm going to say I don't even own a computer!!

Why does anybody even answer a phone call from an unknown number/area code?

I don't have caller ID so I do answer the phone but just hang up when I get this sort of call.

Gotta love caller I.D

Once you agree and type in what they tell you to they CAN get into your computer and control and see everything. I had a real tech take over my computer while we were on the phone it was weird to see my mouse move around the computer screen while I wasn't touching it.

If you happen to answer the phone to these guys tell them you are going to call the police if they call back.

We get several of these calls a week. I tell them to hold on while I go to turn on the computer and leave the line open. I wonder how many people (my guess is older people who are not too computer savvy) have their information hacked.

These calls have been calling me for the past month. The calls always come in after 11PM and go to 6AM. I called Brighthouse our phone provider and told me there was nothing they could do. I started researching on the internet and found out that I could dial *77 and it would automatically refuse any private caller calls from coming through. Sl far so good.

Not everyone has caller id. I didn't until I switched my provider and it was included. I cannot tell you how much I love, love, LOVE caller id. If I don't recognize the number I don't pick up and sometimes even when I do. :D

"how?" via remote access. it's built into your microsoft operating system. i turn it off when i configuring my system when i get new computer or operating system.

there have been recent newspaper & tv news articles reporting this. it is a group of individuals working from India or Pakistan, together or seperately. the worst part is that a few people do actually fall for this so obvious scam. microsoft does not call it's computer software clients. ever.

I have caller ID, if I don't recognize the number showing I don't pick up, works great!

We had that Scam going around earlier in the Spring. They can be quite convincing. I hung up on them, and then they took a break, and were back.
We have the Dell Concierges Service to help us with any problem for a yearly service fee. I told them about this call several times. They said ever attempt was being made to stop them, but no luck yet.
They suggested to call the Fed. Trade Commission. I tried that and it involved another call and paperwork. So, I let that for someone else to. They said just to continue to hang up on them if we didn't want to get involved in he paperwork, ect.
Mariah
Mariah

Yes, thank goodness for caller id, no matter what it costs. It is worth it. If I am hurrying to answer the phone, I do at least check to see if I know the number or person calling; if I don't the machine picks it up. And if the caller hangs up on my machine, I know they are a scammer.....I am OLD, but not STUPID, yet.

I've had these calls and telling them I do not own a computer did not stop them. I have caller ID and when these strange numbers appear I answer with my best old lady impersonation -I ask them to describe this here com put er thing then ask if it runs on lectric then tell them we ain't got no lectric they hang up and after only a couple more calls they quit calling. This has also worked on those pesky car insurance people. Hey some times you just have to create your own giggle of the day.

This. It is why answering machines were invented. :D

I had this call like everyday for a week, finally told the guy to stop calling and bothering me, they would call at 6am on a Saturday after that the calls stopped.

This happened to me over a year ago. I was sick when I answered the phone; and I knew by his insistence that it was a scam of some kind. I told him I was sick and would check it when I was better. He wanted to know when that would be. I realized he could have me put ANYTHING on my computer to track information or God knows what else. I told him that, when I was well enough, I'd call Staples, where I bought my computer. He persisted. I called Staples and they told me it was a scam.

Not everyone has Caller I.D. We don't.

Believe me, they count on people (mostly the elderly) to fall for stunts like this.

i have caller id also. also have a block the "unknown number, unknown caller" ... but answered a few times and it was my husband from work. even tho it said unknown number. he works at a gov't construction site overseen by the DOE. neither one of us can figure out why the calls come thru different all the time. so ...i answer wierd ones now. i would hate to ignore a caller id saying unknown number and it be my husband calling from his construction job site w an emergency !!

For some reason my doctor's office comes up as unknown caller and some of the phones in my kids' school did as well. I answer it. I can just as easily hang up.

I don't answer calls from area codes I am unfamiliar with. If they know me, they will leave a MESSAGE

I have had the same call many times. They are trying to sell you a computer clean up program. My husband tells them that this is a government computer and can he speak to his supervisor? He always hangs up!

when you see those odd area codes or unknown number show up, pick up the receiver and start pushing the # sign repeatedly.....then when you listen, there will be a dial tone.....if it is a computerized call, the computer gets a message that this is not a valid number....I tried this and it has worked on several irritating idiot call centers that used to call me.

I had a similar experience. I got the call about my "windows" having a problem. I knew this was a scam. I asked the man how he could sleep at night knowing he was so dishonest. I then hung up the phone. Just a couple of minutes later and the phone ran again. I checked the i. d and the call was from Texas. The "window'' guy had called from Ohio.
I answered the phone. The guy called me by my last night. I asked what the call was about. The man said he had an important message for me. He then told me to F. off. I was in shock and hung up. I now let these calls got to voice mail.

We've had these phone calls on and off over the past 2 years. We're a mac house so its always fun to get phone calls from "Steven" or "James" with the thick accent who tell me that my registry has something or other wrong with it; macs dont have a registry. So I'll let them rattle on a while and then I let burst lol

The last phone call I got was from someone wanting me to take some sort of survey but I told them i wasnt interested. He started to shout at me! I let rip and told him that if his call was indeed being recorded his supervisor would be having a word with him when the call was reviewed, he then hung up on me lol

Years ago, before caller ID, I was getting obscene phone call which I reported to the police. They told me to keep a whistle by the phone and give the caller a good blast with it. I only got 1 or 2 calls after using the whistle.

CurliQ-LOL after reading what you've posted :) Love what you do to them. I'm going to do the same the next time those losers call me! I've been contacted by them several times over the past 2 years and I end up telling them off. I'm going to approach them with your method next time! I feel for those who fall for what they say. Wish someone could do more about it, but they're obviously calling from outside of the country. Not so sure if anything can ever be done.

gramajo-I love the whistle idea!!!!

I just told them I didn't have a computer. They hung up immediately and no more calls. Still get the rare call but do the same and haven't had one in ages

When I feel up to it, I play games with them. I say to a male voice, why haven't you paid me the money you owe me, or to a female voice that she better stop seeing my husband, sometimes I answer with another language or just speak total gibberish. I never admit to being who I am. Mostly I ignore the calls but we also get calls from doctor's office and friends that show up as unknown caller.

I had the same situation when I bought avast security system. Be careful...

My husband's work phone comes up with odd numbers and area codes...so it could easily be him...plus, my dr. office comes up unknown all the time.