Indian WINDOWS call centre ... Be careful

[prozac]

I had another call today from the Indian Windows technical call centre offering me help with my computer. I get one of these calls about every 2 months. I am usually never quick enough on my feet and only ever manage at best to tell the caller to *@$# ^77. I then regret didn't manage to give them some curry back. Well NOT today.

Once the introduction was finished I said this is Dee Why Police Station. The caller said "No it's not you have a private number". So I told him that was right but in fact I was a detective at the police station and the conversation was being recorded. I continued to grill him about not really being from Microsoft and that I would trace the call. Ended up him pleading "Please do not do that"....funny, he hung up.

I think I will not receive another call from the Windows Technical Call Centre.

For those of you who are still unsure, you will never receive a genuine call from Microsoft or Windows...or your bank for that matter. Be careful.


Disclaimer: I am not a detective in any police force.

 

[samh004]

I'm just going to leave this here, CRIMES ACT 1900 - SECT 546D Impersonation of police officers

 

[prozac]

Disclaimer...

 

[mannej]

Apart from the fact that I don't have a PC at home, thus not requiring Microsoft help at home, they are the first and only cold caller to hang up on me. Usually it is the other way around...

 

[NM]

When I have received that same call, I just say "hold on while I start the computer", then put the phone down on the table and keep working. Every 5 mins or so I may pick up the phone and say something like "gee, its slow today, there must be something wrong with it" and put on the table again. Or maybe say "I had better start the other computer too ... just hold on a minute". I figure the longer I sting them on the the less people they can call in a shift. And I keep working while they sit there waiting. Eventually they give up.

If I have some spare time, and am in a playful mood, I'll play along for a while. When they get to the point of telling me to go to a particular web site, I say that my anti-virus software is flagging their web site as bad and ask them why would that be?

 

[N860CR]

Interestingly enough... HSBC called me a few weeks ago with "a query about my account" and said first I need to provide my name, DOB, address & mothers maiden name. Certainly didn't give it to them! I called the HSBC call centre, got through to someone and they actually were trying to call me.

CBA have done the same regarding a home loan product.

Can't say I'm impressed the banks are doing this in a manner that sounds very much like a scam. People will eventually let their guard down and get into a lot of trouble.

 

[prozac]

Interestingly enough... HSBC called me a few weeks ago with "a query about my account" and said first I need to provide my name, DOB, address & mothers maiden name. Certainly didn't give it to them! I called the HSBC call centre, got through to someone and they actually were trying to call me.

CBA have done the same regarding a home loan product.

Can't say I'm impressed the banks are doing this in a manner that sounds very much like a scam. People will eventually let their guard down and get into a lot of trouble.

That's interesting as WBC told me the bank would never cold call.

 

[RooFlyer]

Interestingly enough... HSBC called me a few weeks ago with "a query about my account" and said first I need to provide my name, DOB, address & mothers maiden name. Certainly didn't give it to them! I called the HSBC call centre, got through to someone and they actually were trying to call me.

<snip>.

I was calling HSBC to cancel my HSBC QFF card last week. As I was laboriously entering my card # etc , I got a call from HSBC! I hung up on that one, called their call centre and apparently it was genuine, and unrelated to the fact that I had just selected 'cancel card' on the other call.

Still unsure what the heck happened, but I no longer have any relationship with HSBC (I hope).

 

[RooFlyer]

That's interesting as WBC told me the bank would never cold call.

They certainly cold called me ... on a Saturday ... twice. That was 3 years ago though, and one of the reasons I removed all of my business from Westpac.

 

[drron]

There is a legal way to impersonate a policeman from a time long long ago.It is called a whistle.People don't like hearing it.

 

[RB]

I think I have got rid of them-haven't been rung for a long time. I started to string them along & then eventually told them I actually had an Apple computer

 

[Sprucegoose]

I'm just going to leave this here, CRIMES ACT 1900 - SECT 546D Impersonation of police officers

A bit harsh Sam?

 

[Sprucegoose]

I ask them what's th weather like in Melbourne...they get it wrong all the time!

 

[Mogul]

Best I have done is 40 mins with these guys before he hung up.

If they don't hang up on you, you're not trying hard enough.

 

[Pvcmenace]

First thing I ask is what operating system I am running. As I am running a mac they never get it right.

Then I pass the call to my daughter (6years old) and tell them she is in charge of IT, and she will handle all your enquiries. All done on speaker phone

 

[Cynicor]

I ask them what's th weather like in Melbourne...they get it wrong all the time!

But if they are more than 2 streets away in MEL, or only looked outside 5 min ago, they could be completely wrong!

You've probably hung up on plenty of legitimate callers because of this test

 

[samh004]

A bit harsh Sam?

Meant it as a joke, hence my tongue sticking out

 

[Hvr]

I'm currently dealing with scammers trying to get my details. They say I have a bank account with them. Funnily enough they wont provide any details until they get more information to steal my identity. I'm now not answering calls without a phone number displayed. The worst part is these are Australians.

 

[JohnK]

Some of you people are really nasty.

For those of you who are still unsure, you will never receive a genuine call from Microsoft or Windows...or your bank for that matter. Be careful.

I get a lot of genuine calls from banks. I cannot be bothered with the call them back trick.

And to date I have not had a non genuine call after I have provided them with my details. Perhaps I will get caught out one day but....

 

[whatmeworry]

Mother got a call today, as she couldn't understand the guy she gave me the phone. The guy preceded to tell me my computer was sending out signals it was infected with multiple computer viruses... I usually string them along but in this instance I just burst out laughing, the scammer then hanged up me.

The guy didn't sound Indian... Could have been from anywhere in the world as the number was private.