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Phonecalls from dishonest scumbags, purporting to be from Microsoft
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Posted May 23, 2011 at 5:26PM
I'm sure that many of you will, like me be answering their phones, to discover a hesitant, monosyllabic, deeply suspicious person with an-often impenetrable-Indian accent,lying through their devious teeth by telling you they are from Microsoft.Now we all know that this is a pathetically obvious and useless scam,but speaking as someone who receives daily calls (I'm on my third today),has anyone realised how much fun you can have with these crooked morons? Polite reasoning and requests for them to remove your number from their lists doesn't work, so I confuse, baffle and wind them up until they are reduced to utter helplessness. There's so much fun you can have with these creeps that I actually look forward to their calls, my heart leaps when my phone rings and I get disappointed and almost depressed if I don't get my fix....no calls...that's a bad day!I'm particularly proud of my third call today, as I told the goon I practised Black Magic and then put a curse on him, using the "Nowonmai" phrase from "The Exorcist". The sucker before him, found me suddenly speaking in unintelligible gibberish, rather like the Bill and Ben characters ("Ooooh Flobberlop"), from The Flowerpot Men. Gotta run...my phone's ringing!
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Posted May 23, 2011 at 6:31PM
It's been awhile now, but my fav answer is to pass them over to the head of the household who mimics a sterling chinese style annoyed chef with machette gobbledegook, asking them questions and pausing for their reply before unleashing another torrent of gobbledegook at them. Don't seem to get any ringing again the next day...
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Posted May 23, 2011 at 10:01PM
A girl I used to work with was recently made redundant. She also had the misfortune of falling at home and ending in hospital.
So there she is sitting at home, in pain financially, physically and mentally when one of these lovely individuals happens to ring and proceeds to rub her nose into it even more.
She feels such a fool for falling for it.
When 'David' had the gall to ring back a week later she told him "I hope your mother is proud of you!" :)
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Posted May 24, 2011 at 4:37AM
Theres only one way to deal with these calls,hang up.They are well used to people using other methods.
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Posted May 24, 2011 at 9:19AM
As with Tullie Don't speak just hang up- Microsoft or any other such outfit do not make cold calls, with one possible exception - Serif
A chum has in the past purchased Serif software - which is quite good too - and now finds they have a telesales splurge from time to time.
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Posted May 25, 2011 at 6:52PM
The company i've had this sort of thing with is Virtual PC.com. I've not tried winding them up, but might do so next time.
On at least 3 occasions I've told them that I know it's a scam and to take my number off their list. Once they jumped to the conclusion I didn't have a computer due to my sarcasm and I thought that would be the last of it, but 2 weeks later they rang again .............
This is totally different to Serif, who are a reputable company and will take your number off their telephone sales list if you ask them (a good idea as they have what I would call pretty persistent sales tactics). I get them to email me instead as they do have good upgrade offers.
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Posted May 25, 2011 at 10:57PM
I'm told a loud whistle kept near the phone works.
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Posted May 25, 2011 at 11:42PM
I have to admit to 'winding them up' on one of these 'microsoft' calls, whereby I have, apparently, got problems with slow internet connection.
The chap with the 'accent' asked the usual questions. I decided to act very naively, ie Female, 'dumb blonde' moment. (No offence meant to anyone - I am female and, well, light brown!)
"Sorry, don't understand you" (repeat a few times) "Windows? How can you tell my windows are dirty?" "Surfing? It's pouring with rain; I don't want to get wet and, besides, I'm too old for that!" "Yes, I'm the main user" (only one, actually!) "What do I do with computer? Well, I switch it on ..., and I switch it off...!"
Disbelievingly, all of the questions are put again - so, gave same answers
After quite a while, HE hung up!!! I was disappointed as I was having a good time.
I've only had one further call from them. I tried challenging him. Told him I was aware of the scam; there was no way he could know about my computer etc. He even gave me a number to call back on - was Microsoft's phone number!!! They're cute, eh? When I said I had a Mac, he told me I was lying!!! What a cheek! Actually, I have PC, though.
Think I will claim to run Ubuntu next time ...
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Posted May 26, 2011 at 12:51AM
If you had a Mac, you wouldn't get wet when surfing... so end of prob :)
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Posted May 26, 2011 at 10:05AM
If the problem is a worry for you, then you could perhaps log the issue with the NFIB?. www.snipca.com/x3248
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