Beware of Indian PC Doctors phone calls

racram

Hi,

I've been receiving phone calls from an Indian call center claiming to be Microsoft Indian PC doctors, a complete scam but I think a lot of people are getting caught and handing over a lot of money.

The calls came from 00194766321760 and they are persistent hard to understand buggers!:mad:

Pass it on!

deisemum

I've been getting a lot of these phone calls but had read about this crowd before I got the first call.

I've taken a number of different approaches from blowing a whistle down the line, to saying I don't have a PC but my favourite was playing the petulent child approach.

gscully

PCs eh? They've come a long way since smoke signals...

BlaasForRafa

With the phenomenally bad reputation Indian technical support has, its amazing they'd even try a scam like this

Professey Chin

I discovered if you say the word Ubuntu they get very very confused :pac:

Finnbar01

deisemum wrote: »

I've been getting a lot of these phone calls but had read about this crowd before I got the first call.

I've taken a number of different approaches from blowing a whistle down the line, to saying I don't have a PC but my favourite was playing the petulent child approach.

You have to give us the script for that, go on!

fricatus

racram wrote: »

The calls came from 00194766321760

001 947 is somewhere near Detroit!

My wife answered a call from these guys yesterday and just told them no thanks, we're OK.

I hope they call again. I'll string them along and p155 them off no end!

deisemum

Finnbar01 wrote: »

You have to give us the script for that, go on!

Ah I just went along with them and when asked if I had a pc I said yeah and when he got to the "will you switch on your pc and log on" I just said no then was asked why did I not want to log on I just said because I don't want to and when asked why don't I want to I just said because and when asked why for a second time I just because ye're scammers and to sod off.

ak27

We had the same people call us earlier this week, they kept on ringing too. For some odd reason they wouldn't talk to myself or my mother, but when my brother answered the phone, they would.

001 947 is somewhere near Detroit!

My wife answered a call from these guys yesterday and just told them no thanks, we're OK.

I hope they call again. I'll string them along and p155 them off no end!

I have an Indianapolis number thanks to Google Voice. I wouldn't be surprised if they used Google Voice or some other similar service for the US number.

dark crystal

I've received these calls a few times too, but just now answer and remain totally silent except for some heavy breathing.......


What exactly is the scam they're trying to pull anyhow?

Professey Chin

dark crystal wrote: »

I've received these calls a few times too, but just now answer and remain totally silent except for some heavy breathing.......


What exactly is the scam they're trying to pull anyhow?

I assume theyre trying to get you go to an infected website so they can install keyloggers & sh!t on your PC

chelloveks

Ask them for their phone number so you can call them back when they are busy.....whenever I get calls like that I ask what time they have their dinner so I can be sure to call then!

witless1

dark crystal wrote: »

What exactly is the scam they're trying to pull anyhow?

Don't know what this particular scam is but the girlfriend got a call on her house phone from an Indian "agent for Microsoft" telling her that she downloaded an illegal version of Windows and that he wanted her computer details so they could register the copy and charge her credit card -- which she was going to be presumably asked for. She handed me the phone and I told him we had a Mac and he hung up without responding.

So like Chin said earlier mention Ubuntu / any non Windows OS and they will just leave you alone.

frodos63

I just ask them hold a second that there is someone at the door and just leave them hanging on the phone they normally hangup and I dont get calls again

Finnbar01

frodos63 wrote: »

I just ask them hold a second that there is someone at the door and just leave them hanging on the phone they normally hangup and I dont get calls again

That's what I've done in the past. Just leave them hanging.

Zapho

The mother of a friend of mine actually paid these dudes <facepalm-smiley>.

They took the money via paypal and got her to install a very simple VNC style client with some added bonuses - it takes all control away from the machine. You can still browse the net, open documents etc, but you can't change any settings or disconnect from the internet.

My solution - FORMAT - followed by changing passwords on everything online AND getting a new credit card.

I seriously hope these dudes ring me, I'll try to reverse scam them somehow.

gscully

Whatever happened to the old-fashioned technique used for nuisance-callers and perverts? You know, blow a whistle down the phone at them.

Took me three months before I could listen in stereo again!

deisemum

gscully wrote: »

Whatever happened to the old-fashioned technique used for nuisance-callers and perverts? You know, blow a whistle down the phone at them.

Took me three months before I could listen in stereo again!

ROFPMSL :D:D

I used to work for BT in London. As it was free to phone BT we had about 10 - 12 regular pervs that would phone in with the usual what colour knickers are you wearing etc. However the staff used to put them on loud speaker and give them a run for their money with some of the pervy comments they'd say back.

1971

what i do when phoned by any call center, just keep asking them questions like, you know my name what yours?, what the weather like in you country?,what the price of bread where you live? etc??,they are expected to grab your attention and try and make the sale as Quickly as possible so if you keep them taking their boss will whip their donkey for wasting time on you.This also work out for you for your number is put down as a waste of time ringing.

eightyfish

Sure it wasn't this guy?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZpw2eTSolc

deisemum

1971 wrote: »

what i do when phoned by any call center, just keep asking them questions like, you know my name what yours?, what the weather like in you country?,what the price of bread where you live? etc??,they are expected to grab your attention and try and make the sale as Quickly as possible so if you keep them taking their boss will whip their donkey for wasting time on you.This also work out for you for your number is put down as a waste of time ringing.

Oh I'll have to try this next time

1971

A person told me that when the call center ring his house , all he says to the caller is : both Sir and Madam are on official holidays and will not return home for approx 6 weeks.This will live your call center caller silent for a few seconds.

dayshah

frodos63 wrote: »

I just ask them hold a second that there is someone at the door and just leave them hanging on the phone they normally hangup and I dont get calls again

I think the best response to any harassing call is the silent treatment. If you hang up you are being active. However if you keep them on the line they are being charged, and eventually they will give up. They will also be less inclined to do it again.

shinto29

Ultimate Chin wrote: »

I discovered if you say the word Ubuntu they get very very confused :pac:

Ha Ha i kept sayin I DONT RUN WINDOWS I RUN UBUNTU 10.04 LUCID LYNX DESKTOP EDITION!!!!.They hung up:D

shinto29

deisemum wrote: »

ROFPMSL :D:D

I used to work for BT in London. As it was free to phone BT we had about 10 - 12 regular pervs that would phone in with the usual what colour knickers are you wearing etc. However the staff used to put them on loud speaker and give them a run for their money with some of the pervy comments they'd say back.

LOL i got that before,i said ''Get a Life''

shinto29

eightyfish wrote: »

Sure it wasn't this guy?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZpw2eTSolc

WE CAUGHT THE GUY!:pac:

Godsentme

Ultimate Chin wrote: »

I discovered if you say the word Ubuntu they get very very confused :pac:

The words "Fcuk" and "Off" leap to mind.:eek:

tramoreman

just say you have someone in the house who looks after the pcs

Minstrel27

Why say anything at all.

MitchKoobski

I just started saying random words in Irish and he kept saying he didn't understand me until he hung up.

mark17

Yer man told me he has a record of my Windows System and it needed to be
upgraded. I told him to look again as I use Linux he hung up. Another guy rang
me from Northern Ireland looking for donations for Concern and gave me an
unmerciful rant about poor children in Africa, i asked him what percentage of the
donation his company gets, amazingly, he hung up too.......................

Thoie

Sorry, I can't get to the PC right now, the donkey's on the kitchen table again and I'm afraid he'll get at the ham and the chickens are doing nothing to stop him.

Aquos76

Sorry for bringing up an old thread but these calls seem to be happening quite a lot lately again, My Mam and Dad are been plauged by them as are atleast 2 friends of mine, the one thing thats common between my Mam & Dad and 2 friends are, they are all UPC phone customers, I am just wondering if any others on here that were getting these calls, happen to be UPC customers also.

jake is right

It's not just in Waterford. I'm in Dublin, and at least twice a week they are on with the same rubbish. Funny thing; they always ask for me by name. Wonder where they got their info.

Aquos76

jake is right wrote: »

It's not just in Waterford. I'm in Dublin, and at least twice a week they are on with the same rubbish. Funny thing; they always ask for me by name. Wonder where they got their info.

Are you a UPC phone customer by any chance?

sunshineoh9

lol, whenever i get calls a answer with a strange voice or accent (my friends know i do this and just start talking to me like normal) but when sales call they try to start talking and i pretend i don't speak the language (in miami we get english and spanish but even in english i won't speak spanish) sometimes i play deaf and start screaming "TTY I DEAF TTY I DEAF" in a voice of someone who has had a cochlear implant. even if they try to call back with a TTY machine they can't get to me since i don't have one myself

the best is when i pretend i'm an old woman with Alzheimers or someone with some sort of mental disorder... they usually don't know how to handle the situation and usually just hang up.

warning though, you need to be able to somewhat act in order to pull these off

jonnyfingers

sunshineoh9 wrote: »

lol, whenever i get calls a answer with a strange voice or accent (my friends know i do this and just start talking to me like normal) but when sales call they try to start talking and i pretend i don't speak the language (in miami we get english and spanish but even in english i won't speak spanish) sometimes i play deaf and start screaming "TTY I DEAF TTY I DEAF" in a voice of someone who has had a cochlear implant. even if they try to call back with a TTY machine they can't get to me since i don't have one myself

the best is when i pretend i'm an old woman with Alzheimers or someone with some sort of mental disorder... they usually don't know how to handle the situation and usually just hang up.

warning though, you need to be able to somewhat act in order to pull these off

The best is just to say yes to everything until they hang up.

bluesfan

Aquos76 wrote: »

Are you a UPC phone customer by any chance?

We've been plagued by these for the last week or so and we're on vodafone so it's not just a UPC problem.

Aquos76

bluesfan wrote: »

We've been plagued by these for the last week or so and we're on vodafone so it's not just a UPC problem.

Well so, that rules out that theory so, I've spoken with UPC and they did confirm to me that they do have an indian company working on their behalf cold calling customers trying to sell UPC's own services, they've assured me they would look into these type of calls though.

As your not a UPC customer then it's less likely that our details have been passed on by upc's Indian company to these scammers so.

sunshineoh9

jonnyfingers wrote: »

The best is just to say yes to everything until they hang up.

i just love confusing them

MitchKoobski

"There is a virus in your Windows system."
"I'm using Linux actually.....still care to help me?"
"No.....*click*"

"There is currently a virus on your Windows system and you need to be protected."
"I have a MAC."
"....what is Mac?"
"Well its.....*click*"

".....virus...computer.....help you?"
My grandfather: "I dont even have a feckin computer."
"Oh......well......bye."

ikeano29

These guys are really starting to do my head in now.
They call the house phone at least 3-5 during a week.
The first time they ever called i just told them i don't use windows, i use a version of linux, i think it debian linux i said and he just said "oh" and hung up the phone.
I dont understand why they are still constantly ringing back all the time though.

ikeano29

im with upc too by the way.

Minstrel27

MitchKoobski wrote: »

"There is a virus in your Windows system."
"I'm using Linux actually.....still care to help me?"
"No.....*click*"

How would you know if I have a virus would be my question.

fricatus

They called me some time ago and I'm on UPC.

Interesting to see whether our Vodafone subscriber was originally with UPC...

sham2

My wife's parents are getting the same thing in Cork. They allowed them take over the PC!!!!! Silly. Coincidentally their phone is one the non-eircom outfits. Now I'll have to 'disinfect' their PC because of the 'virus'. Unfortunately it's the only language they understand. Any problem with the PC and they say 'it's a virus'.

bluesfan

fricatus wrote: »

They called me some time ago and I'm on UPC.

Interesting to see whether our Vodafone subscriber was originally with UPC...

Never with UPC not even for tv.

bullpost

Had them on to me yesterday.
Asked him where he got my details and he said "From our Research and Development team" :eek:
I had the first caller so wrapped up in riddles she passed me on to her supervisor who she claimed was a "expert". Strung him along nicely until he asked for money . I told him I wasn't working and couldn't afford to pay at which point he hung up.

jake is right wrote: »

It's not just in Waterford. I'm in Dublin, and at least twice a week they are on with the same rubbish. Funny thing; they always ask for me by name. Wonder where they got their info.

deisemum

They phoned me about half an hour ago. I said I didn't have a PC but had heard about their scam.

sham2

Here's how to freak them out. Come up with a phrase here and the next time they ring any of us we just say the say the phrase and hang up. The phrase should be 'The Board is on to you.' said in an ominous tone.

addob

I'm on UPC as well, a few weeks back I had two calls on the same day, within 5 minutes of each other. Thankfully none since!