theParkie

Yup it's a scam - they are going to tell you that your computer is infected with lots of nasty stuff and has lots of problems, they will get you to give them remote access to your computer at which point they will install some fake software that will "confirm" you have lots of problems with your computer, then they will get you to enter your credit card details to pay for some software to fix all the "problems".

When they called me, I kept them talking for about 30 minutes, spoke to several different people listening to them all talking rubbish, and they eventually gave up.

You did right in having nothing to do with it.

I'm still in the UK and had the call a couple of months back - they were calling from India. They told me they were from Microsoft.

Are you in the UK or in Australia?

Pollyana

Threads merged

billywetpants

They told me they were from Windows rather than microsoft.I'm in Brisbane

Pollyana

Its still a scam, the last lot I had told me they were from "Öptus Bigpond'.......

billywetpants

I was fairly confident it was a scam because I couldn't believe windows would bother ringing people up personally, windows is a product rather than a company (I think) and she asked me to turn my computer on which was already on and online.

LouiseR

"Windows" rang me the other day with the same story... I asked them how I could possibly have a problem with my computer when I didn't even own one ...

They hung on me!

perksy

Mugs who fall for these tricks really deserve everything that comes to them.....

I dont really have time to write anymore in this post as I have to send my details to this Nigerian chap. He emailed me saying I'm owed $500bn and just needs my bank details to deposit my wonga!

MartinLuther

I've started using that one.

mbike

We tried everything to avoid these sort of scam/cold calls, which always seemed to happen when the kids were going to sleep.

In the end I decided to make their lives as miserable as they were making ours so every call I would answer with "hello". If it was someone I wanted to talk to I would then carry on the converstation. If it was a cold call I would simply keep saying "hello" as if I couldn't hear the person at the other end. Even the most persistent lasted only lasted about 15 secs.

They must been cursing Telstra (who obviously sold them the list) for not fixing the fault on our line for so long.

Pollyana

Now I've got a landline I signed up for the Do Not Call register. They are likely to get a mouthful off me shortly as 2 months after signing up I now get more scam and sales phone calls than I did before

MartinLuther

Unfortunately the Do Not Call Register does not stop the scammers. They're not the most law abiding people you will find.

On the other hand you can just assume that anyone who cold calls after you've put your name on the Do Not Call register is a scammer . Ever the charities

tartankoala

The Do Not Call register should cover you from all cold callers. Raise a complaint with them

https://www.donotcall.gov.au/

And here's a link to their warning over the "Microsoft"/"Windows" virus scam

http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_312277

Pollyana

Best one I had was the Rural Fire Service - she started explaining who the RFS are, so I told her politely I work for emergency services, and her response was " well you know what a good cause it is then so I'm sure you will be happy to donate plenty of your wages to us" Very funny response - didn't get her a donation though

itigo

If you want to make a complaint to them you need to have the exact name of the company that phoned and preferably the person's name too and a number. We tried that last month for this computer cold calling that was happening after the month's do not call settle in period. Won't take it any further if you can't get those details. And as it's from India, they are good at mumbling the first bit and then scream Windows so you only hear what they want you to!!