120-215-4256

I picked up this call at my parents house today.
As soon as I the CallerID, I knew what was about to happen, so in no way would I want my Senior Citizen parents to deal with this (ESP since my father WAS roped into a similar call years ago and ended up telling them to call back when his daughter came home later - since I work for a IT company, I could understand better - no surprise - they never called back.)
Anyway, today, I allowed the 1st person (sounded young, foreign accent) who was simply reading from a script for every time I interrupted him, he couldn't find his place again.
So he told me that my computer was sending them error reports - he even told me what my IP address was (192.168.1.1 - the default for ANY connected-device - AND cannot be seen on the internet - anything that starts with "192." will NEVER appear as a public address anywhere on the internet (unless someone has configured something incorrectly))...
Anyways...I played around with him, pretending to type in what he told me, while I was feeding the dog and washing dishes.  I let him do this since I knew that I would know ANY of the screens he would try to have me look at - I didn't actually need to sit at a pc - and I even gave him a few erroneous answers to screens that I knew would not appear per his command - I was having a little fun.
Even when he asked what icons I see on my main screen, I told him "Microsoft Security Checker (no such thing), Apple Virus finder (again, doesn't exist), Google Intruder Detector, Netscape Monitor, a globe, a red book, a TV set, my 6 grandkids under the Xmas tree (the wallpaper, duh) and the garbage can.  He says, "Oh wow."
So he became flabbergasted and after about 5 mins he finally said  my computer is really having issues and he needs to get a Senior Technician.  The Sr Tech named Steve Burton (they all have American names to sound familiar to us, and again, a foreign accent, but very lively this time).
So he goes through a TON of commands for me to do - lots of screens - I threw him a lot curveballs too, for at least over 10 minutes - I was giving him answers that would not appear to what he was asking, having him repeat things, and saying dumb things like : He says type this, I do, he says press Enter, I say "It only says OK or Cancel (buttons on the screen).  There's no Enter" - he sighs impatiently and says "Press Enter on your keyboard."
After a bit, he finally tells me my computer has definitely been taken over by an intruder so he must connect right away in order to stop and catch him.
He says, "This is bad.  This is very bad.  Your computer has been taken over by an intruder, but I will help you fix it.  I need to connect to your computer to see what is going on."
He wanted me to open Internet Explorer - I told him I don't have that.  He says "Oh".
Duh. EVERY Windows pc has IE - remember that lawsuit years ago - so even if there was no icon or blue "e", he could have told me to type in the command manually, but instead he said "what about Chrome?" - nope - "what about Firefox?"  so I gave in to see where he was going.
He asks, "What do you see when the screen comes up?"
I told him a blank screen - "really?"  then he tells me an address to type in and I tell him it tells me "Destination Address Unreachable" - we've all seen those correct?
He asks me to go to Google - I said "How?"
He said "you don't know Google?"  (Funny, since they claimed they were Microsoft tech folks? Anyone from MS would NEVER have me go to Google since they are MAJOR competitors and each have their own search engine - Microsoft's is called Bing - www.bing.com - again, duh - anyone worth their techie-salt would know this.
So I tell him again - Unreachable.
He said, "ok - can you go to your email?"
I answered, "Why do you want me to use my phone?  Does it have a problem too?"
He said, "No - on the computer"
"Where on the computer. I don't know how."
"You don't know how?  How do you get your email?"
I said again, "On my phone.  But my daughters know how to use a computer to get their email - they use everything - phone, computer, tablets, smartwatch - oh they are so wonderful with ..." - and he cuts me off, and is getting very frustrated.
"So Ma'am, how do you surf the internet?"
"I don't.  I don't go on the internet.  There are too many bad things on that internet.  I don't even have internet on my computer."  HAHAHA - I KNEW this would take the cake!!
Oh he was pi$$ed - "oh $hit, oh Fu*&,...ok Ma'am, I'm so sorry.  We can only fix your computer if it's connected online."
And here I went:  "But you told me it was online.  You told me you received a report directly form my computer telling you there were errors.  How did you get that?  In fact, the 1st guy even told me what my IP address was - so how could he know that information if I wasn't connected online??  How could that even be?"...
I continue, a bit tersely:  "That's because it CAN'T happen.  It DIDN'T happen.  You DID NOT receive ANYTHING from my computer.  EVER...."
pause... "Oh I'm so sorry too - did I waste your time?  Did I just scam you and your TTR (Time-To-Resolve - a stat used my call center to see who resolves an issue the faster)?  Did I just waste the last 20 minutes of your time?  "
And I heard him sigh and scoff under his breath, as I continued:
"You are a scammer.  I know exactly what you are doing.  You are not connected to Microsoft - go check their website and they will tell you NO one from MS will ever call to repair, NO one will ever solicit - users call them or go see them, NOT the other way around - that's their model, ALWAYS - and they will also tell you that NO Certified Dealer, Vendor, or Partner is allowed to do so either.  MS doesn't come to us, we go to them.  I know your game.  You scam people out of money.  You take advantage of those who are knot knowledgeable about computers.  You are messing with people's lives, their finances, their sense of security."
Again, he utters a few profanities, not so under-his-breath, and trying to get a word in "well", "uh", "ah" - I didn't stop barking at him.
I told him, "Yeah, I've worked for IT for over 20 years.  I see scammers like you come and go. My company actually successfully brought folks like you to court for using their name and likeness - and won.  (Truth, but it's not MS.)  So this call has been recorded from the beginning (false, but he doesn't know -  in fact, per the law, I'd have to announce that the call was being recorded since I live in CT) and I'll send it in to my legal dept just for their own curiosity.  And since you are presenting a fake Caller ID - which is illegal per the FCC - and since I'm using VOIP (Voice-Over-Internet-Phone - really stands for Voice-Over_IP, but people understand it better the 1st way) for the phone service here, I guess I'll just have to subpoena the provider to translate YOUR IP address and trace you back to your presence..." (nah - not going to do any of that for real - won't do a darn thing - but still fun to sound ominous.)
And then he actually interrupted "Oh no no no Ma'am, this is for real. You can threaten me with anything you want, but this is completely legal. I am not scamming anyone.  Did I tell you anything untruthful?"
I said, "Ha - The very first line of the script was "Ma'am, we have received a report from your computer with IP Address... - so yeah..."
He interrupts again, "Did I, did I tell you that?"
I said "No, your first guy did - go read his script."
And his parting words:  "Aww, get the hell off the phone and hung up."

Hmph.  And today was my Flex day.  I just thought I'd spend a few hours at my parents' house.
Hey, well, at least I got the dishes, dog food, and even a little sweeping in, before the call was over.
Guess the WHOLE day isn't wasted - and I have a fun story to tell.

And the whole time?  My elderly mother, just sat at the kitchen table, not understanding a word I was saying, but knew enough that I was being a Smart@$$ to someone whose bad luck is was that I picked up her phone today.
So she just smiled approvingly.

She's seen me do this oh-so-many times before - calls at dinnertime, Sundays, after 8pm, before 8am.
Oh, those dumb@$$ telemarketers, techies, collection agents - Good Grief - my parents don't even own a credit card.
So, as long as my time permits, I will go on all day long and mess with them.

You mess with my parents - you mess with me.
I'm a bit funny that way and my parents get a kick out of it.
But they are just a few of the lucky ones that has someone to intercept like this.
Most will answer the phone.  Many will send money, or follow computer instructions, etc.

This is a funny story about a not-so-funny topic.
So now, with ALL the seriousness in the world -

PLEASE help spread the word - ESP, ESP, ESP to Senior Citizens who often do not understand the Tech or "New" world.
It's all just a scam.

ONLY pick up calls for people YOU KNOW.
If it's a number they don't know, let it go to the answering machine.
If it's legit, they can listen to the message.

But don't take a chance to get scammed about scary computer problems, unpaid credit cards bills due, or being threatened to shut off power cuz the electric bill isn't paid - it's all just a scam and they TARGET WHO they call.

It's no coincidence that my elderly parents get these calls, while I nor my siblings do.
We're not over 65.  We're not likely to take a threat seriously.
These scammers know the ages and demographics for EVERYONE.
Just because our numbers are on a DONOTCALL list DOES NOT mean are numbers and info aren't available.

The DONOTCALL list only help LEGIT companies call people legally.
If you're not on the list, they can call you.
GOOD companies register with the Gov and pay money to get the list.
They WANT to be legal and will not call those on the list.
But ANYONE else is fair game.

Now that is only for people who care about the list.
Scammers like this do not care and spoof the Caller ID so you cannot trace them to report them.
Also, they are not bound my the DoNotCall list if they are overseas, or even depending upon how their business is incorporated, and so much more - sooo many loopholes if you read the fine print.

So DO NOT depend solely on the DoNotCall list.
Get a phone with Caller ID and screen ALL calls YOURSELF.

Don't depend on others to protect yourself - or your sanity.

And help protect your parents, grandparents, elderly neighbors too - even just by talking about it!
The more we know, the better we'll do!!

Cheers to all!!

ps - The "Call Type" below does not give an option for this type of call - there should be something called "Repairs" or "Other Solicitation" - just a thought.

First of all, let me say to Smart@$$inCT,  you go girl!!!!

I got a call from this particular number for the first time today, but since I never pick up the phone if the number isn't familiar, I didn't bother answering.  Nice to know I needn't have bothered.

And, as I've been in the IT industry myself for over 30 years, the last time I actually did pick up on a similar number like this, I pretty much did the same thing, though I wasn't nearly as thorough or creative as Smart@$$inCT.  :D:D  But I had a hilariously good time, made even sweeter since the big ol' desktop computer the guy was concerned with hasn't been turned on or even powered up for over 2 years.  (My laptop was offline, shutdown and stuffed into a carry bag ta boot.)  But this guy INSISTED that he was getting very serious error messages from the desktop unit, which is basically now just a doorstop.  At the end of the call, I did finally tell him that I knew he was a scammer and told him that I had found out HIS IP address (not true), his provider (not true) and recorded the call on my smartphone (also not true) and was going to send all of it to the RCMP Anti-Fraud Unit.  He also used some pretty colourful language before slamming the phone in my ear.  HAR!!

I'll echo the sentiment.  DO NOT believe anyone who says they are from Microsoft, or that they are a Windows Technician, or that they represent ANY technical application - these companies WILL NOT, under any circumstances, call you out of the blue.  That's why THEY have Customer Support - YOU are the one who will be calling THEM, never the other way around.

Actually, I suggested a loooong time ago that they need to add "SCAM" or at least "Suspected SCAM" to the call type list.  :D

Wow good work! I work with seniors and it is so sad and pathetic how people try to take advantage ofvthem