Happy chickens! Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 So frustrated - my elderly parents were taken in by the phone scam, you know the one, 'hello, we're from Microsoft about the problem with the computer' but of course Microsoft don't phone people and you should just hang up......but they didn't. The scammer remote accessed their pc, ('to prove we're phoning from Microsoft') asked for password and credit card information to 'sell' them some software to 'fix' their (non-existant) problem. The trouble was they had had a hiccough accessing their e-mail account that day and promptly forget all my advice to them. Spent half the day helping them to block credit card, change passwords, scan computer for malware etc, and feel so cross that there are such unscrupulous dishonest people around. http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2011/jun11/06-16MSPhoneScamPR.mspx for more information. I had even warned my parents the other day as had had a phone call myself - charming young man called Lucifer!!!!! Rant over, but according to the research, 1 in 5 of those phoned by these scammers are taken in, so it must be pretty profitable for them. Be on your guard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTree Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Oh, your poor parents. Hope they haven't lost too much money. We've had this call quite a few times over the last year. Hubby likes playing them, getting them to tell him what computer we've got & what the problem is meant to be. I just tell them we don't have a PC, which is true - we use Macs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfer_chicken Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 My Grandma nearly got caught out by those guys last year. Luckily Grandad walked into the room as she was doing everything they asked, took the phone of her, spoke to them for a bit and hung up on them (much less trusting). Unfortunately they were just getting into computers after going onto a course and those horrible scanners put them right off them again We've had this call quite a few times over the last year. Hubby likes playing them, getting them to tell him what computer we've got & what the problem is meant to be. I just tell them we don't have a PC, which is true - we use Macs We've got a Mac as well- but the man on the phone when they rang us started insisting that we were using windows! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...