A telemarketer for Microsoft just called me an idiot

[CowboyBob]

I think this was a phishing scam, not a legit Microsoft telemarketer. Telemarketers who make cold calls are used to rejection and can deal with it.

Sometimes I like to screw with them.... act all interested and ask them so many questions they become disinterested and want to hang up on me. It works great when I get political phone calls from the republican party.

 

[gsdx]

Sometimes I like to screw with them.... act all interested and ask them so many questions they become disinterested and want to hang up on me.

That's my problem. I don't know enough about computers to know which questions to ask.

 

[thewiz]

The Microsoft calls are definitely fraudulent; it is a nationwide problem. The caller asks you to adjust a few settings so they might "fix" your computer. What they fix is the ability to access your computer remotely. They then have access to information you may have stored (such as identification) or upload a virus that can only be removed by calling a repair company (which probably has the same name and voice as the initial caller.

 

[johaninsc]

I've had those same calls too


..I like to keep them on the phone for a while and fuck with them


haven't had one since March

 

[ibill1]

I got rid of my land line a couple of years ago. When my cell rings I look at the number. If it says unknown caller, an 800 number, or one I don't know I don't answer it, ever.

 

[Kulindahr]

Probably the nice people scamming from India.

They claim to be MS asking about your computer, and then ask you to "check a few things" and "run some diagnostics because they've detected a problem but will help you fix it" and you end up downloading a program which opens a nice, hackable back-door in your system.

We get it all the time here in .za, people from Microsoft calling to help us fix our computers.
-d-

Microsoft doesn't phone people. Don't blame them for this.

^ These.

I've had those same calls too


..I like to keep them on the phone for a while and fuck with them


haven't had one since March

I have a friend who pretends to be incompetent and gives them the run-around for twenty minutes or more.

 

[The Fly]

I never hang up on them. I let them get through their schpeel, wait a second, then say.....so..what are you wearing? In a pervy voice. Most hang up immediately, but I've had a few who bust out laughing.

 

[blackbeltninja]

Yes. I get zero telemarketing calls since I switched to cellular 4 years ago. I don't know why the don't call cell phones.
OP though needs his LL for DSL.

Oh no, we get attacked by telemarketers all day on cellular here in .za. Landline at night, cell by day. Easiest thing to make them go away is to stop them mid-pitch by saying "I'm a full-time student" and they hang up on you.

-d-

 

[Kulindahr]

I played the idiot with one once. I asked the guy to repeat the name, then asked how to spell Microsoft. Then I asked for his name, and how to spell it. I asked what he was calling about, and made him wait while I pretended to write that down, too. When he started in again, I asked who he was calling for....

he gave up on me, told me to have a good day, and hung up.

 

[rareboy]

I would also verify that the person who called you was not from Microsoft. They don't actually do telemarketing in Canada to begin with and we have had this same scam calls a few times at the office.

 

[Ontariobear]

In Canada we supposedly have a Do Not Call Registry set up that was supposed to cut down/eliminate those annoying calls.
We have an unlisted landline number, have call display and the ability to block numbers. We deleted all our 20 blocked numbers last spring and none of them are calling us back.

 

[gsdx]

^ I'm registered, but it doesn't seem to apply to international telemarketing. Most of the calls I get are computer-dialled, and those are illegal in Canada as well, along with recorded telemarketing calls.

 

[Kabluey]

Half the time those fraudsters are freeloading by hacking corporate phone systems. Do not call registers and anti spam laws only work domestically.

Honestly, if someone's gonna try to scam me, they can at least be professional about it.

 

[roadtripboy]

Whenever I hear the little pause, I don't say anything. I just wait, then listen to them say hello four or five times. Then they get annoyed and hang up. It's entertaining to reverse the situation on them.

 

[ibill1]

In Canada we supposedly have a Do Not Call Registry set up that was supposed to cut down/eliminate those annoying calls.
We have an unlisted landline number, have call display and the ability to block numbers. We deleted all our 20 blocked numbers last spring and none of them are calling us back.

We have one here in the states. I registered in 2003 and it seemed to work.

http://donotcall.gov

 

[gsdx]

Whenever I hear the little pause, I don't say anything. I just wait, then listen to them say hello four or five times. Then they get annoyed and hang up. It's entertaining to reverse the situation on them.

I like this. I hope I can remember it for next time.

 

[Adrock-JD]

Microsoft doesn't call people without an up front service fee. If their phone system is anything like their browser they can't get it to make a fucking call in the first place.

 

[borg69unimatrix]

We have one here in the states. I registered in 2003 and it seemed to work.

http://donotcall.gov

This only works for the "real" businesses in the US, subject to our laws. This does NOT stop the scam artists over seas, who are not subject to our laws, and who are trying to rip you off anyway.

I get some call supposedly from Google Website wanting me to post my business on a website at work. It's a recorded message asking to Press 1 to talk to a representative, and Press 2 to be removed. After pressing 2 dozens of times, I now Press 1, and tell them they're harassing, and if they don't stop calling I'm going to report them to the Better Business Bureau.

If you know how to stop the annoying Faxes offering Cancun Vacations for $200 for 5 nights, Let me know !!!!!!!!!!

 

[FPNY]

I get these calls all the time, i even made a thread similar to this one to discuss it. My calls come from a 203 (Connecticut) number but I think it is a phone number that whoever in India or where ever have assigned to them. When I see that number come up, I don't answer. They call practically every day...it's most annoying and it's worse knowing there is very little anyone can do about it.

 

[darden]

when you hear the white pause after picking up the phone, just hang up.

often times, if the person/machine on the other side of the line can confirm that there's a real person answering your phone, they'll flag the number and it becomes more valuable to resell to other telemarketers.