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Unusual phone call from Microsoft???
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Jun 27, 2015 05:38:46   #
bcmink Loc: Monona, WI
 
Microsoft doesn't do cold calls for any reason. Have many friends and colleagues who have worked for MS Customer Technical Support and the company policy like your bank is no cold calls; they wait for you to call with problems and then assist. If multiple call backs are needed they issue an incident or support case number and the customer always makes they repeated call backs and provides the case number to continue a support session.

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Jun 27, 2015 05:50:56   #
mrova Loc: Chesterfield, VA
 
With caller ID, I NEVER answer the phone unless it is a recognized number. Period. Will only call back a legit voicemail. End of story.

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Jun 27, 2015 05:52:01   #
TonyP Loc: New Zealand
 
We sometimes get this call 3 times a week, then none for a week or so.
Then they start again.
Ours are Asian accents.
They get our name from the phone book.
It's so prevalent in New Zealand that the Police have issued alerts.
Purely and simply, they are just low life thieves trying to steal from you.
Grrrr. Makes my blood boil it does.

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Jun 27, 2015 05:52:37   #
EoS_User Loc: Oshawa, Ontario Canada
 
Yes I had exactly the same thing happen quite a long while back. My response to the caller, a male with an Indian accent, was much the same as yours. I declined to do anything he asked and he actually became angry with me. I basically told him to "go fly a kite" or "take a long walk on a short pier".


Indi wrote:
I just received a strange phone call from (Supposedly) a Microsoft rep/agent.
A gentleman with a distinct Indian accent called a little while ago. He told me that my computer was infected with malware and/or viruses and he was calling from MS to help me. He told me to press the Windows key and type something like eventxxx at the prompt. I told him that I was very leery about typing anything in and running any program at someone who purportedly represents Microsoft.
He then told me that he knew my unique ID number and told me to write it down. He the told me to run MSCONFIG from the prompt and type in ASSOC which would match the number he gave me beforehand and prove he was legit. While he was talking to me I looked at the reports from Malwarebytes and Norton and they showed nothing.
I then told him that I very reluctant to do anything he suggested via a "phone call from Microsoft."
I said that unless I received an official email from MS, I wasn't going to run any programs from someone who made a personal call to me.
He said goodbye and hung up.
I then decided to back check the number he called me from and the app said it was an invalid number.
Has anything similar happened to any of you?
What are your thoughts?
I just received a strange phone call from (Suppose... (show quote)

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Jun 27, 2015 05:55:42   #
Don Fischer Loc: Antelope, Ore
 
I don't think I ever got one of them. If it sounds like some kind of sales pitch, I hang up.

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Jun 27, 2015 06:08:39   #
Bobbee
 
Yup, I usually tell them I am the Chief Security Officer for my company and then name my company. That prompts a hang up.

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Jun 27, 2015 06:09:13   #
Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)
 
Indi wrote:
I just received a strange phone call from (Supposedly) a Microsoft rep/agent.
A gentleman with a distinct Indian accent called a little while ago. He told me that my computer was infected with malware and/or viruses and he was calling from MS to help me. He told me to press the Windows key and type something like eventxxx at the prompt. I told him that I was very leery about typing anything in and running any program at someone who purportedly represents Microsoft.
He then told me that he knew my unique ID number and told me to write it down. He the told me to run MSCONFIG from the prompt and type in ASSOC which would match the number he gave me beforehand and prove he was legit. While he was talking to me I looked at the reports from Malwarebytes and Norton and they showed nothing.
I then told him that I very reluctant to do anything he suggested via a "phone call from Microsoft."
I said that unless I received an official email from MS, I wasn't going to run any programs from someone who made a personal call to me.
He said goodbye and hung up.
I then decided to back check the number he called me from and the app said it was an invalid number.
Has anything similar happened to any of you?
What are your thoughts?
I just received a strange phone call from (Suppose... (show quote)


Hang up the phone.

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Jun 27, 2015 06:27:43   #
Millismote Loc: Massachusetts
 
I have received at least 4 calls like yours. My computer has a virus etc etc. I ask him which computer, I have four on my network, that usually does it.

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Jun 27, 2015 06:55:08   #
lonewolf456
 
Have 2 encounters with a so-called Microsoft tech rep. Both with strong Indian accents. Pointed out the many viruses, junk stuff blocking my computer. After about 20 minutes, he could fix all this "stuff" for only $299. Click

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Jun 27, 2015 06:56:11   #
lonewolf456
 
Have 2 encounters with a so-called Microsoft tech rep. Both with strong Indian accents. Pointed out the many viruses, junk stuff blocking my computer. After about 20 minutes, he could fix all this "stuff" for only $299. Click

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Jun 27, 2015 06:56:40   #
sb Loc: Florida's East Coast
 
Bill Gates didn't make his gazillions of dollars by being THAT helpful!

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Jun 27, 2015 07:01:04   #
joehel2 Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ
 
If these people spent their energy doing something productive for society instead of scamming, the world would be a better place.

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Jun 27, 2015 07:02:09   #
mborn Loc: Massachusetts
 
Indi wrote:
I just received a strange phone call from (Supposedly) a Microsoft rep/agent.
A gentleman with a distinct Indian accent called a little while ago. He told me that my computer was infected with malware and/or viruses and he was calling from MS to help me. He told me to press the Windows key and type something like eventxxx at the prompt. I told him that I was very leery about typing anything in and running any program at someone who purportedly represents Microsoft.
He then told me that he knew my unique ID number and told me to write it down. He the told me to run MSCONFIG from the prompt and type in ASSOC which would match the number he gave me beforehand and prove he was legit. While he was talking to me I looked at the reports from Malwarebytes and Norton and they showed nothing.
I then told him that I very reluctant to do anything he suggested via a "phone call from Microsoft."
I said that unless I received an official email from MS, I wasn't going to run any programs from someone who made a personal call to me.
He said goodbye and hung up.
I then decided to back check the number he called me from and the app said it was an invalid number.
Has anything similar happened to any of you?
What are your thoughts?
I just received a strange phone call from (Suppose... (show quote)


This is a scam Originally I checked with Microsoft they do not call you to report problems. I now use NoMoRobo http://www.nomorobo.com/ to block the calls on my landline
:thumbup:

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Jun 27, 2015 07:04:09   #
Kea
 
I had a similar phone call, sounds like the same guy, said the same things.
I am having issues with my PC and I knew right away he was BSing because the computer had been powered off for weeks, and there was no way MS could have been monitoring for malware, I said no thanks and hung up.

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Jun 27, 2015 07:06:43   #
Dave R. Loc: PNW
 
I have had these dumb ARSE calls many times. They can't seem to understand when tell them I use a MAC and not a PC. So confusing for the caller. Then I tell them to (you fill in the blanks).

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