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On Sat, Feb 19, 2011 at 9:56 PM, Rob Beard <rob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > On 18/02/11 14:14, Roland Tarver wrote: >> >> Hi Folks >> >> I have just had a very amusing phone call - at least I thought so. It >> may be difficult to properly convey what happened via email; but I >> will try... >> >> I took a phone call from an overseas call centre. I assumed it was a >> sales call. The caller asked, by name, for the previous owner of my >> house. I advised him that the person he was after no longer lived here >> and assumed that would be the end of the call... >> >> Un-perturbed the caller confirmed that the number he had dialled, was >> indeed my phone number. He then informed me that my computer had been >> spreading some sort of malware/virus out on to the internet. >> >> At this, my ears pricked up and I started to pay more attention. I >> again said that the person he was after did not live here any more. He >> was getting quite insistent and kept trying to maintain a conversation >> which I felt was already over. >> >> Then he said he worked for Microsoft and they had monitored the >> activity of my computer and were calling to inform me about the >> malware problem. >> >> The thing to stress here, is that this chap had been really very >> persistent and annoying. I then, proudly, advised him that there was >> no MS products in my house hold. >> >> He asked if i used macs. I said told him that I used linux and his >> persistance immediately ceased, he surrendered and cited an incorrect >> phone number. hahahahhahaha! I thought this was very funny at the >> time. I hope you do too - perhaps it is a "had to be there" situation. >> lol. >> >> He *really* did pick on the wrong house hold! hahaha! >> >> Best wishes >> roly :-) >> >> PS - I did wonder if this was some form of scam etc...or if it >> actually was an MS employee... >> > > I believe it's a scam, they try and convince you to install some > 'anti-malware' software which is actually a trojan. > > I've heard of a couple of people getting this sort of call, I even believe > we got one but the wife told them that I deal with the computers in the > house and I wasn't home. > > Best thing to do is hang up. Yeah, I see that now. In a way, it was lucky that I told him I used linux, since (i assume) there is no linux trojan (or whatever it is) version for linux - he gave up and I was safe! lol. If that were not the case, I would have hoped I would have had sufficient savvy not to do as he requested in any case. :-) > Rob roly -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/listfaq