Yes it happened to me, and i got very angry with their persistence, which is how they must have successes. You did the right thing Cheers
Absolutely I get these calls daily, my answer is I don’t have a computer, which stumps them. I have heard of older people who have had money taken from their accounts by these people who claim to be fixing their computer, scandalous.
We get these calls about twice a week. Looking at the rest of the answers here I must be ruder next time and tell them we realise it is a scam and please stop bothering us! Perhaps in slightly stronger language. Has any one tried replying in French?
Yes, I have - several. Typical con.
It's a jungle out there, full of predators looking for ways of separating you from your money. Don't give any information or download anything unless you are fully aware of all the implications. A quick Google with the appropriate keywords will get back everything you need to know if someone is attempting a scam.
No financial institution will ask for account information or passwords online. Unsolicited phone calls should always be treated with the greatest suspicion.
To even entertain the thought that microsoft or apple would be so benevolently concerned with the security of our computers that they would maintain a staff dedicated to alerting us and correcting our problem seems delusional to me. After 10 years of annoying French telemarketer and phone scammer calls, at the most inconvenient times, I finally cast off my Ludditism and purchased a telephone with a voice mail feature and the ability to identify the incoming call number. This nifty phone even has great big number buttons for my hoary old eyes. I do not know why I didn't do this sooner. If my fractured French outgoing message doesn't send them packing, the leave-a-message beep should do.
It's definitely a CON. A bit obvious to me as I use a Mac - not Microsoft.
If you have the time, the patience and a colourful vocabulary, do spend a minute having a chat with the devious call-centre bandit and try to convince them of the error of their ways.
I'm afraid I was rather curt with him and, upon reflection, could have made better use of the opportunity or, at least, made it more entertaining.
Put on a Peter Sellers accent and say "Excusing me; I am not well speaking the engleesh".....
Seriously I have not had such a call but this week I received an email purporting to be from SFR inviting me to click on a link to pay my sfr overdue invoice (don't have one). McAffee picked it up and I double checked my account to determine it was up to date.
I get a large number of calls from 01 numbers, all around 1230, which when I answer pause, click and then maybe somebody comes on but if I answer in English they usually hook up. Mostly sales of mobile phone accounts.
Whilst we are talking of fraud I got a "loverly" surprise this week as, after two and a half years of battling I eventually received a white flag from a UK bank on PPI mis-selling and will shortly be receiving quite a tidy sum. They had initially refused my claim but the UK financial authorities had caused them to rethink. Interest etc more or less tripled what they would have owed me so long term it proved to be an investment. That is something of a rareity. The drop in the Euro had further increased the actual worth to me.
and I ask them what the weather is like in Calcutta and hang up....or they hang up!
If I could be bothered I would like to do the same.....good for you!!
You were so so right. Not sure what the scam is. But it is a scam for sure. We have in the last 3 weeks had around 10 calls from the same number with the same message. Yesterday alone we had 4 calls from “Jay” . Easiest option is parlez vous francaise they hang up straight away. Bugger me they just rang again while writing this
Hi All
Yes I get them all the time ... drives me mad!
You definitely did the right thing. I got this scam a while back, and unfortunately, even though I was suspicious, the replies that came back seemed very genuine. I had my computer cleaned afterwards and fortunately they did not get anything as it was clean. I would love to know how they got my phone number. I got a number from them and rang them back which turned out to be a mobile phone in the UK. I then had another call last week, from a paky amen this time. Exactly the same thing. I told her that it was strange they should be ringing again as "you have already rung me and cleaned my computer", this got her flummoxed, so I then told told her to f... off.
The bottom line it that Microsoft, nor Apple will phone you, so if you do get these types of calls, just tell them to ..... off
I sooo wished I could remember the name/website of a video I saw recently, as it would possibly have you in stitches. This American guy kept having cold calls from a company. So when he had had enough, he planned it all out how to deal with these 'people'. When the next call came he in no time turned the table 180 degrees, doing the asking, which completely confused the cold caller, so much that the cold caller passed on the American guy to a colleague ie another cold caller, ending up with this cold caller getting REALLY angry at the American guy, as he was sooo patient...it was simply hilarious...the cold caller hung up swearing A LOT and very loudly...lol :)
What amazes me, how do they know you are English?
Is it just luck? Phoning a french number and finding an English speaking person on the other end of the phone. From what I gather these people don't speak French and many people, who have better french than me, ramble on in french until the scammer hangs up.
Have also had several of these calls and tell them quite firmly to get lost and that they are phonies!
They are persistent little buggers, they seem to take joy in calling more frequently the more you get annoyed with them.
A few months ago I had 12 calls in one day, the calls ended when I blasted my 112db refereeing fox whistle back at them.
Last time they got hold of an online ex-pat business directory who, bless them, had to send out apologies.
They don't know what computer you have nor system you are using.
Microsoft will never call you
Do not hand out any card details or passwords.
Telling them to go forth as loud as you can has some effect, but I found bursting the b@"%µ$' eardrums far more pleasing. It might be illegal, but no more illegal than they trying to steal your money and identity.
Good luck
I get about one a week and keep an old harmonica next to the phone to give them a special treat
I have just had one of these calls literarily minutes ago. Indian Sub continent lady going by the accent. "Is that Mr. woodabarba?" or something like that. My response today "Might be" her response "What is the meaning of that?" my response 'Why do you want to know?" She hung up. LOL
now i say whats a computer?