Computer scam ???

[Barb]

I'm intreagued and annoyed by this.

I've had three separate phone calls now, from someone on the Indian sub-continent, who has my phone number and my address. They tell me about a computer virus "in my area" and want me to log onto my computer to check it ...

At this point, I refuse and hang up. This is obviously a scam, and they likely want you, at some point to run their software, etc. etc.

These are three separate incidents, and they are obviously "working" the phone book, or something. For every couple of hundred calls, they will get someone who doesn't know what they're doing and plant a trojan....

There should be a warning about this !!!! What do you think?

Barb

[Roger Cain]

I've had this, too. The same place rings to say my SKYBOX is broken (don't even own one) and to offer me "investment opportunities". Whatever happened to the Telephone Preference Service?

[S Viemeister]

Doesn't work when the callers are offshore.

[sm_jamieson]

When I suspect a cold caller, I lift the receiver and keep absolutely silent. That way I am in total control, cannot get drawn into an argument etc. I am soon going to start giving a blood curdling scream after the silence to see if I can give them a heart attack ! Simon.

[Jeff Gaines]

You're a chicken, I kept them going for 25 minutes before the chap realised I was taking the P and started swearing at me! It's quite well publicised in computer mags but no help if you don't read them...

[Jethro]

Indeed.

We have started getting calls (despite being TPS for *years*) in the wifes maiden name (changed in 2007). So either these guys are using an out of date list, or are getting the data from Liverpool Victoria (where we didn't change the name).

Either way, they come from "a network which does not carry details of the number which called" (we're on Virgin).

When the wife tried, very politely to tell the caller we were not interested in their "survey" they became quite insistent, and after just hanging up, we started getting silent phone calls about 7:30pm for a few days.

Since I have zero faith in the competence of the TPS, or anyone else, I have started a project to leverage my loft-based Linux fileserver to use vgetty to intercept callerID (or lack thereof) and divert any calls where CallerID cannot be determined to a voicemail explaining that we will not accept calls from numbers, and to redial the premium- rate number I shall set up[1].

So far have managed to install and configure the modem, but it seems the extension wiring to the loft is borked. Whenever I plug the modem adapter into the phone socket, it's extension stops working, and the modem doesn't pick up the line. I shall have to review all the wiring.

[1] OK,. maybe not, but it's a lovely idea.

[Jethro]

actually maybe playing them an endless loop telling them their call is important, and we shall get back to them as soon as possible ... I'll get next doors cat to walk over our Yamaha keyboard for a few seconds, so we can have some music on hold.

[Clive George]

They're not after planting a trojan, they're just after selling you their crappy "services". For amusement value I went along with one of these to see what they asked - what they went to was the event log in your computer, which I suppose might be a bit scary if you don't know anything about computers.

But yes, as with all cold calls, you did the right thing.

(Am I wrong in my assumption that people obviously calling from the subcontinent will tend not to be called "Dave" or "Anthony"? Why do they bother with that bit of the charade?)

[Dave Liquorice]

That's what I do, the biggest give away of most cold calls is the total silence at the other end whilst the system making the calls frantically tries to find a someone free to take the call or starts the playback. I then just put the reciever down on the desk and carry on doing what I was before being rudely interupted. Real people give up fairly quickly, most tapes don't last long either.

[Tim Downie]

Much much easier to buy a Truecall unit. I wouldn't be without mine. It's brilliant.

Tim

[Jethro]

looks good, but:

spare voice modem, from old PC + linux machine already running as server + little effort on my part (never wasted as can put on my cv) =3D FREE

truecall=3Dc.=A390.00

is a no brainer, I'm afraid.

[John Rumm]

Already been done to rather comic effect:

[John Rumm]

The "better" call centres will brief the staff with local news for the country they are calling, sports results etc, and give them appropriate "local" sounding names, all in an attempt to fulfil that old saying about "the key to success is sincerity, once you can fake that you have it made". Needless to say it never sounds anything but fake.

[Tim Downie]

Yeahbut, you can get it for less that £90 although I grant you not by much at the moment. More importantly though, it works, and it's been working well for the last 6 months since I got it. Not a single telesales/marketing/survey call since installation.

Tim

[S Viemeister]

I once had a call from a man called "Mabel"...

[Ophelia]

lol

[Roger Chapman]

I had a curious call today. Caller asked could she speak to Roger Chapman. I said why and she said thank you and hung up. 1471 gave "we do not have the caller's number to return the call".

[Roger Mills]

Can you install one of those on the master side of your extension wiring so that it works with all extensions?

[Hugo Nebula]

So you can tell if the call is from India or not. An asian-sounding voice calling himself Ahmed is obviously calling from the UK.

[OG]

At that point I just say - "Oh, hang on a minute" and leave them hanging on the phone. I'll let them decide how much time they want to waste on the call.