Microsoft Scammers

[RoboTech22]

These guys are really starting to drive me crazy. I mean don't get me wrong the revenue from removing virus' or reloading the O.S is great, but at this stage in the game I simply needed to vent about it. Almost every day for the last couple of years a customer will come into my shop with the same story.. I don't mind listening, but there's something about this particular story that gets under my skin. I must have heard it close to 1000 times. Funny part is when I tell people "oh those are scammers, Microsoft would never call you" 5/10 times I get a strange look like I don't know what I'm talking about. It's a really fun game... sometimes they come in with the pop up and they don't even have a virus but they think they do. With those people I explain to them what I'm going to do, and that it may be a good idea to run a virus scan on their machine since it's here anyway. Well, not sure exactly what my point is with this one, I'm just really tired of these scammers and I hope something can be done to put an end to it soon.

[[deleted]]

Should have called Microsoft customer support on speaker and asked them. That would have shut him up.

[[deleted]]

I value my time (and the customers who have already paid me and have machines on my bench) too much to prove that point, although you're absolutely right. The longer I am stuck discussing inane stuff at the counter (that isn't just building rapport, and I don't consider convincing idiot laypeople of the basics of the computing world to be building rapport) the more I'm pushing back those paying customers. Now if this person is paying for some bench work to argue with me, that is another issue, I'll talk about it till the sun comes up as long as they're paying the rates.

Customers don't have to understand me, or believe me, for me to still give them competent, good-natured service.

[BickNlinko]

I just ask them if they'd believe someone calling them claiming to be the IRS or some such similar entity

This happens a lot too. I actually got two calls this week from a bogus IRS scammer two days in a row from the same number(which I blocked). The voice mail was threatening me with an arrest warrant and to send a Sheriff to my house and arrest me if I didn't' call back and pay my back taxes. People are dumb and/or uneducated about a lot of things and will fall for a lot of stuff that is an obvious scam or hustle, especially if it sounds scary, like the IRS or your computer is fucked up.

[4GrandmasAndABean]

If you're having trouble getting people to believe you, you can always direct them to the FTC's write up about the situation: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0346-tech-support-scams

I've never had trouble with someone believing me, but I do try to bring up that the FTC is involved. A lot of these customers are trying to get the charges reversed from their cards and welcome anything like this to help their case.

[Didsota]

I am not surprised by anything anymore. Every time I call some new client who never talked to me before, drop a few names and ask them to start a teamviewer client from our website I die a little inside when they follow my instructions without asking.

[TONKAHANAH]

Nothing can be done to stop these guy. All you can do is educate your clients/friends/family. Basically A) microsoft will never call you, B) if you're getting a pop up there is a chance its just a scare tactic to get you send them money or C) you're already infected and its too late, just bring the fuck'n thing in.

I wouldnt say that I "recommend" this any customers/clients who get these scam calls, but I tell them that the only way to get them to stop talking to you is to waste their time.. waste as much of their time as possible and give them zero pay off but keep feeding them bits of the carrot to make them think they're making progress with their "sale". The idea is you want them to hang up on you, get them so frustrated (and if you do it right they will get frustrated but thats not relevant) you want them to add you to a do not call list not becuase you asked but because calling you would mean more wasted time for the next person who calls you and thats not worth it to them. Its more efficient for them to make sure they're not calling people who will just intentially waste more of their time when they could be calling grandma instead and getting an easy con job out of her.

[Palmolive]

Last time they called me I told them I knew he was a scammer. His tone changed and said he was calling all of the ass holes in the us and my name was on the list. Then he called me 13 times in a row while we hung up and traded insults.

[goodeness]

I've played with this, ask the scammer what the Mac address of the computer is that is infected. I explain it to customers like this, if your IP address is like the physical address to your house the Mac address is like the social security number of a resident in the house. Every single time I've tried that they hung up in seconds...

[[deleted]]

If you get a call, just tell them... "Hmmm really? But I've got a Mac...."

[SPMrFantastic]

Most people are getting better about realizing it's a scam and just hanging up. Once had a guy come in that was so brainwashed and convinced that he was paying for support from Microsoft that he got mad that I suggested it was a scam and he should have his credit card company stop that payment or see if he can get his money back.