I think someone just tried to scam me.
May. 15th, 2014 05:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xt1meI just got a phone call from someone calming to be from Microsoft.
They said I had a virus on my laptop. I was a bit suspicious as my computer is running fine. I tried to get them to confirm my name (I didn't give it) but that said they only had the phone number and computer id. They wanted me to go to my computer and give them remote access (which got me very suspicious) so I just started playing dumb and tried to get more information. I asked for the name of the virus and why it wasn't showing up on my security alerts. I was also fishing for them to confirm what type of virus protection I had. He said that it was a virus call spyirltrzan 4.218. When I asked for the guys name he transferred over to someone else from the IT department.
He told me that it wasn't a software virus it was a hardware one (what?) and I need to press the windows button and the r key. He then wanted me to type in INF.
I had enough at this point and asked if I could get their number to ring them back.
He gave me Microsoft's number, 1850 940 940, and hung up before I could confirm I had it correctly or try to ask for his name. (Proof it's not a real customer service call centre, If you hung up without giving a closing line in any of the professional places you'd the pulled up for disciplinary procedures, maybe fired.)
I checked Microsoft's website to see if it matched (it did) and then rang it. I got though to a sales rep after a bunch of automated messages who confirmed for me that they would never give this number for a call back nor would they ring unless they've been rung first.
I'm just wondering where the scammer got our home phone number. We're not in the phone book.
They said I had a virus on my laptop. I was a bit suspicious as my computer is running fine. I tried to get them to confirm my name (I didn't give it) but that said they only had the phone number and computer id. They wanted me to go to my computer and give them remote access (which got me very suspicious) so I just started playing dumb and tried to get more information. I asked for the name of the virus and why it wasn't showing up on my security alerts. I was also fishing for them to confirm what type of virus protection I had. He said that it was a virus call spyirltrzan 4.218. When I asked for the guys name he transferred over to someone else from the IT department.
He told me that it wasn't a software virus it was a hardware one (what?) and I need to press the windows button and the r key. He then wanted me to type in INF.
I had enough at this point and asked if I could get their number to ring them back.
He gave me Microsoft's number, 1850 940 940, and hung up before I could confirm I had it correctly or try to ask for his name. (Proof it's not a real customer service call centre, If you hung up without giving a closing line in any of the professional places you'd the pulled up for disciplinary procedures, maybe fired.)
I checked Microsoft's website to see if it matched (it did) and then rang it. I got though to a sales rep after a bunch of automated messages who confirmed for me that they would never give this number for a call back nor would they ring unless they've been rung first.
I'm just wondering where the scammer got our home phone number. We're not in the phone book.
