Scam alert. Are you getting phone calls by people claiming to be tech support?

Scam alert. Are you getting phone calls by people claiming to be tech support?

by Lee Koo (ADMIN) - 5/25/12 3:21 PM

Question:
Scam alert. Are you getting phone calls by people claiming to be tech support?

Hi my name is Glenn, screen name Glenn51. I have a question for you and it might make a good
post on your CNet community page. I also read most all of your post and sometimes comment to
help answer problems.

I've been receiving phone calls to my home phone over the better part of 2 months on the average
of 2 sometimes 3 times per week regarding my Windows operating system. They claim to be from
Tech. Support. The first time I "almost fell for it" but as the session went on it got extremely fishy!

I then ended the phone session and called Microsoft directly via phone. They informed me that
Microsoft doesn't ever contact a person by phone. The MS call confirmed my suspicion.

At around 4 O'clock this evening, May 19th, 2012, I received yet another phone call from Harry
at Tech. Support saying he needs to check to see if I have any infected files on my computer. I actually
have 3 all running Windows 7. All are legitimate installations of Window 7.

I told Harry that I have talked directly to Microsoft who said they don't contact people via phone! He
yet again stated that he is/ was from Tech. Support. I asked him if this was from Microsoft Tech. Support
to which he danced around the subject. I then asked him outright to divulge the name of his employer
and phone number as I was going to file a complaint with Microsoft, the Federal Trade Commission
and the Federal Communications Commission!

He stated that he can't divulge that to me as he is not authorized to do so. I then told him that since
he isn't authorized to release that information, then I was not authorized to communicate with him. I
requested that he/ they stop bothering me at least 3 or 4 times till I finally hung up on him! He kept on
trying to get me to go along with him on checking my computer. I refused and then hung up.

This really isn't a question being asked but a heads up warning for all your followers. I'd like to know
if anyone else is being harassed or bothered by similar phone calls. What I'd really like to know is who
the Hades gave or sold them my home phone number so I could return the favor. Maybe sign them up
for dial-a-porn or something of the sorts.

If the caller can't identify the company or give me a phone number, then I refuse to give them my time.
By the way I told him I run Norton Internet Security 2012, Malwarebytes Anti-malware and have run msert
( the Windows Safe Scan that was downloaded directly from Microsoft's website), not to mention
that I download all updates on patch Tuesday which includes their malicious software removal tool as
part of the update process. Everything that I use to check, which are current on all updates, tell me I'm clean
as a new and never used whistle!

I apologize for the length of this e-mail. If you decide to post it feel free to edit as you see fit. Like I
stated earlier it was to be more of a informational alert for your followers and to see if anyone else has
been bothered by this pesty pain in the posterior! I personally DO NOT think this is a legitimate phone call,
maybe it's the new phishing/ scamming/ socially engineered drive by! The caller sounded to be from India.

P.S. Checking the caller I.D. only shows out of area. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
I think Ben Franklin said that. Readers beware!!!!!! If they can't identify themselves TERMINATE the call!!!!!

Thanks.

-Submitted by: Glenn51