Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Windows Alert

I get a call from an unknown number claiming to be from ‘Windows Technical Support’ and calling to remove virus from my computer. He says my infected computer is sending messages to Microsoft and hence he is calling to fix it. This person walks me through Computer Properties to the Event Logs and tries to convince me that virus is causing the errors displayed in the Event Logs. He then asks me to open Internet Explorer and go to a particular site.

I did not go to that site.

I don’t know what kind of scam it is but it seems so wrong.

  • If you have a problem with a computer or any other device, it is act of GOD to reach technical support. How can technical support call me to fix an issue that I did not know about?
  • Secondly I can understand the Event Log. Event log showed Windows Update failed because computer is not connected to network.

Does anyone have any idea what is going on here?

14 comments:

Tanvi said...

No Clue! :( Sorry!

♡ from © tanvii.com

Renu said...

Sorry, ni idea, but I never trust phone calls.

Anonymous said...

New ways of tech cheats. What next? :) But I wonder how they got your number. Did you try and do a windows update recently?

Destination Infinity said...

It looks like fraud. Its high time you shifted to Linux. Try Linux Mint - Its very close to Windows. I have been using it for the last one and a half years without any issues. Of course, no viruses as well ;)

Destination Infinity

RiĆ  said...

I m clueless as ever... :(

Rachna said...

This is surely some kind of spam. No one calls and fixes issues without being asked to do so. Dal mein kuch kaala hain.

Felicity Grace Terry said...

Yes it is a scam. Here in England they then go on to ask for your debit/credit card details. We have also had calls saying that not only is our computer at risk but that someone is trying to hack into our online banking details - good luck to them as we don't do our banking online.

Anonymous said...

My brother received the same call a couple of weeks ago... it's a TOTAL SCAM!!! Do NOT FALL FOR IT...

The windows does not send message to Microsoft until you approve it to... Secondly and most importantly... it only sends the MAC address of the machine... not your telephone number to call???!!!

This is only to get the MAC address of people so that they can get through your firewall and hack... if you try to call the number back it won't get answered!!

I have only one "funda" - Good things don't come knock on your door... you need to go through hell to get to them... Please be safe and don't give them any information or go to any of the site they ask you to!!

- Mannat!

NRIGirl said...

Scary! Reading Petty's comments...

Rajlakshmi said...

another scam... people just don't get enough of inventing such things... thanks for sharing it. i will be careful. :)

hamaarethoughts.com said...

nope...may I can let you know in a day..
he is an expert!I will talk to him.

shuchita said...

don't know

Anjuli said...

It is so sad because nowadays one can hardly trust phone calls and emails etc. It was good you did not do what they said- Once when I had a suspicious call, I said to the person, "I will call back" and when they offered their number- I said, "No I will call the number referenced on your website"- they quickly tried to back track what they were saying- because they were SCAMMING ME!!

Aussie fred said...

We have it here in Australia as late as 2013 and they phone through from India I think. They ask you to download their antivirus program which shows up (surprise! surprise!) that your computer is infested with viruses and you will need their special tool to remove them. For this you have to pay via credit card (surprise! surprise!) and the scam continues.

Basically, they get people's names and phone numbers and just keep ringing. There's not a lot the telcos can do to stop them because they are ringing from offshore. Report them to the authorities or just ignore them as you prefer.