Scam

molby

Just a heads up .Recieved a call from a far Eastern woman today claiming that I had a problem with my computer.She said she worked for Microsoft.I had heard of this scam before where eventually they will ask for credit card details to fix problem so I led her up the garden path for a while and then told her where to go.Let your family and friends know about this as there have been quite a few people stung .My wife also got a call from a man 2 weeks ago with the same scam.

Sully

Ya dirty fecker, leading her up the garden path!! Well I never!!

lewisdhead

Yeah, this scam seems to be widespread. I've had at east 6 calls from this lot. The last one my missus answered and gave him a right ear bashing and told him where to go. And not in the polite way.

membersonly

She rings YOU up and tells YOU you have a problem with YOUR computer?

Anyone who get's caught by that deserves it IMO.

old gregg

If I received that call I would respond with the question 'so, what are you wearing?' and see how long before they hung up

lewisdhead

membersonly wrote: »

She rings YOU up and tells YOU you have a problem with YOUR computer?

Anyone who get's caught by that deserves it IMO.

I agree with you, but still no harm in letting people know. Maybe some older or much younger person who may be a bit gullible in this situation, could get caught out. Someones mother or father or little brother or sister perhaps.

abouttobebanned

Rang me last week. I put him onto handy manny.

daftdave

there are nearly a thousand posts about it here !

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055837564

Siamsa Sessions

We've got these calls at home as well.

Any idea of where they get people's landline number?

Or are they just using a number generator machine?

Plazaman

Unless I'm mistaken it seems to only be where someone has Eircom Broadband. Anyone other than Eircom customers get a call?

blaa85

Yep, I'm with UPC. I asked for their number and they hung up.

Swissarmyknife

Also with UPC,and have had 4-5 calls from them.

seanybiker

Never got a call from them when I was with Eircom

dark_shadow

I'm with UPC and after getting about 6 or 7 calls from them. Lately I've decided to buy an air horn and they get a blast of that till they hang up!!

ikeano29

Yep, with UPC and have had over 30 calls from them.

I would imagine that there are companies selling your information online.

Sully

With UTV and getting calls anyway

Big Lar

They rang me last week, I have em my credit card details and they never fixed my problem

julyjane

Someone rang my parents from "Microsoft" and told them they had detected a problem with their computer, I think they have satellite broadband or something similar, not landline based anyway.

They didn't look for credit card details but they asked for their IP address, maybe they cut them off when they asked for the CC. Anyway suddenly their laptop was infected with viruses and they couldn't use it.

Professey Chin

Got a call before.
Asked which computer and they got very confused :pac:

michellie

Is it only landlines they are ringing ?

chelloveks

Ask the pricks for their number because you are very busy at the moment, and you will ring them back when they are busy so you can annoy the fcuk out of them.

That is my response to all phone solicitations.

Bababa

Is everyone who got calls using Dell machines?

GarethBah

I told them i have no computer, and then they asked if anybody in the house uses a computer and i said no, then i started laughing at them, they haven't phoned back since

Faing

Just keep them talking for as long as you can, it really pisses them off when they realise that you know what their game is. I got my first call from this lot around 18months ago and made a point of warning everyone in the village, especially my elderly friends. Maybe they go on area code because it seems to happen in one area at a time. Keeping them on the phone must cause them aggro from their bosses because they aren't getting results.

dark_shadow

michellie wrote: »

Is it only landlines they are ringing ?

Yes from what I gather anyway!!

dark_shadow

Bababa wrote: »

Is everyone who got calls using Dell machines?

No mines a toshiba.

danjo-xx

this is going on for over a year now or maybe longer, how come they haven't been put out of business by the authorities in EU.

julyjane

I use a HP, I don't think they know I'd say they're just chancing their arms.

ratedR

I called him a cu*t and told him to f**k home. Never rang back strangely enough

daftdave

danjo-xx wrote: »

this is going on for over a year now or maybe longer, how come they haven't been put out of business by the authorities in EU.

because they are based in india

abouttobebanned

True story: I was in a friend's house over the weekend when they rang. I hear the woman of the house talking and immediately knew what was going on. I told her to put them on to me.

They told me that my computer was downloading messages and sending viruses etc. I played the fool. Act shocked and said hold on til I go to the computer. They assured me that they would stay on the line.

So, I turned on the computer.

"please choose an activity"

I had grabbed the child's "first talking computer.

"ok the computer is on now"

"ok can you go to "run" and type..."

"eh..where do i find that!?"

"press start.."

"ok.."

"please choose an activity"

"what type of computer is it?"

"eh..one sec...its a model fisher price...my first talking computer"

>agitated. "eh is there another computer in the house?"

"nope this is the one we use..mainly for gaming"

*hangs up*

fricatus

I asked them how they knew I had a virus, and they said they could see virus activity on my IP address. I asked them what my address was and he started off 192.168... at which point I asked, "don't you know that this is a private network address and is not publicly routable? Well you're the experts lads, surely you know this?"

The guy got very agitated then when I asked how the hell they got my number. He just kept on saying "from the independent agency sir!" while I kept on asking "what independent agency? give me their web address or phone number!"

He stonewalled for a while and I told him I didn't believe a word he was saying. He really got quite agitated with me and eventually I hung up. I'd just hate for some old person to give these fcukers their credit card details.

Months back I led them up the garden path, but on that latest occasion, I didn't have the time, so I took the direct approach.

Sick of them calling now though. I only answer them when I'm in the mood!

dark_shadow

fricatus wrote: »

I asked them how they knew I had a virus, and they said they could see virus activity on my IP address. I asked them what my address was and he started off 192.168... at which point I asked, "don't you know that this is a private network address and is not publicly routable? Well you're the experts lads, surely you know

I'm guessing a private network address is your home address and a public one is one in an Internet cafe??? How can they tell you what your ip address is when they ring you?? Would this not be some kind of hacking?? Really not a IT genius!! Lol

BlaasForRafa

Had a call from "Johnny Wilson" yesterday who was calling from "Microsoft Windows" and oul Johnny had a pretty strong indian accent. Instead of winding him up though I put the phone straight down as I wanted to watch the rugby highlights.

few cans?

I feel a little bit put out that they havent rang me yet

tankbarry

me too im actually ready for them to ring

jonnyfingers

I always tell them I have an Apple Mac and it really throws them.

thegoldenchild

this crowd also targeted my elderly grandmother, who by the way does not even have a PC/laptop/internet connection in her home. She answered several calls, telling them she did not have a computer and could not understand why they were calling. By chance, two seperate people of Indian origin rang one day while I was there, and I had great pleasure in giving both of them a severe piece of my mind.....needless to say, she received no more calls....but how are they getting people's numbers? It must be through Eircom

dark_shadow

thegoldenchild wrote: »

but how are they getting people's numbers? It must be through Eircom

I heard recently that say for example your filling in a form be it online or in person and you put down all your details etc but at the very end there is a part that says please tick this box if you do not wish to be contacted by a member of a third party. Weather it's true now or not I don't know but it kinda makes sense because you really don't know who looks at these forms when your finished with them.

So the company your filling it in for could pass it on to another company and likewise with that company to the next so you really don't know where it ends up.

abouttobebanned

I have my home phone with UPC. I don't even know my own number to be honest...I actually very rarely use it. So I definitely didn't fill it in on any form. The number was obviously listed and they got it from that. I've since asked UPC to make it unlisted but of course it's too late now.

julyjane

I'd say they just generate numbers, say if they know the Irish area codes and for (051) are 6 digits maybe they have a system that can dial 051 111111, 051 111112 etc. they've probably developed some kind of system that just tests the line and where a phone rings the person sitting in a call centre talking to you is just on the phone and the call gets put through to them. I briefly worked in telesales and that's how it was done, except that the numbers were legitimately obtained from databases etc. When you finish a call the computer automatically dials the next number

I'd love to be a fly on the wall in one of these Indian call centres and see what kind of pressure the supervisors are putting callers under and what training they get in order to scam people

spookwoman

Just wondering are the people getting these calls ex directory. I have never been called, ex directory and I'm listed not to get marketing calls.

savic04

I got a call and led them on for a while...

then he said ''do u use IE 7 8 or 9'' i said I use Safari...
he said i dont know what safari is Sir... i said its what I use the internet on..
He stumbled for a few minutes asking about microsoft IE.... I said I have Mac, I dont use Microsoft.. at which point he just hung up!

carolinej

My mother received a call from this crowd last week, she passed the phone to me as she hadn't a clue what they wanted. When I heard the infamous line "I'm calling from microsoft", I knew it was the scam ppl and I just said I wasn't interested and hung up.

Here's their number from my caller ID : 00253820308. Feel free to give them a buzz, tell them Carolinej said to call

BTW, the parents are listed to not receive marketing calls, so don't know how the scammers get phone numbers, the b*astards.

lewisdhead

carolinej wrote: »

BTW, the parents are listed to not receive marketing calls, so don't know how the scammers get phone numbers, the b*astards.

I'm listed not to receive calls too but as I said earlier I've got at least 6 of these calls. Well actually my wife has as when they call the asked for her by name, which suggests to me that they are not generating the numbers randomly. I have since rang Eircom about been on the database for not receiving cold calls, and they gave me another number to ring, which was some crowd who know all about this scam and were investigating it. I don't have the number but ring Eircom 1901 and I'm sure they'll give it to you too. Only thing is the crowd investigating more or less admitted that they are struggling to do anything about it. But if they get inundated with complaints, maybe something will get done.

Master and commander

"from the independent agency sir!"

maybe it was thins guy calling from a security hut in Nigeria somewhere.