Scam Alert !

[mikey4444]

I have just been called by a foreign sounding chap, from 02031 988108, who was pretending to be from the "Microsoft Technical Dept"

I told him that, no he wasn't...he was just a scamming ****, and to **** off.

Does anybody think I was being too harsh ?

[Mosaic]

Gotcha! You work for the Diplomatic Service dontcha! Breeding will out in the end.

No mate you did the right thing.

[bhg481]

Yes mikey - you were far too hasty. You should have kept him talking for ages because you were aware that it was a scam and the person he rang after you might have been taken in. The longer you talk to them the fewer people they have time to try the same trick on.

Anyway, it's fun winding them up.

[murraymints]

you should have asked him for his bank details so you could pay him for his time ! LOL

[mikey4444]

bhg481...If I had had more time, that is exactly what I would have done !

But he called while I was shaving and I have to be out of the door this morning before 09:00, so I am saving myself for another day, and there will be another day, of that I am positive.

These scammers are more than just pests and criminals....they are making peoples lives a misery with their constant calls, and its about time OFCOM and the Police pulled its finger out, and started tackling this problem.

This call used a London dialling code (02031) but it almost certainly originated outside of Britain. It isn't rocket science to stop this....OFCOM should pull the plug with immediate effect.

There was a report on the BBC News this morning, that a company had been fined over £800,000 for similar activities. But OFCOM moves at the speed of a glacier when it comes to doing its job.

[VHG]

You can never be too rude to scammers.

I often tell them to "F... off" in a very loud voice.

A year or so ago I had one call me back to say i should not swear at her !!

[HansUrbancka]

They are a real nuisance. Have had a number over the past few days and my wife really knows how to play them along. Yesterday afternoon she took a call from an Asiatic chap who really had to work hard with his replies. He reckoned that he was acting on information that he had obtained from Microsoft about faults in our computer. My wife asked him from where he was speaking...to which he replied "Opposite King's Cross Railway Station, London".She also asked him what car he drove, his name, age etc. All questions being one-sided before my wife told him that he was untruthful and should be ashamed of himself. After morally lecturing the chap, who started to agree on certain points, she advised him that we Did Not have a Computer.

Hans.

[Hopkirk]

I haven't done it yet, but it has been suggested to hold the phone up to the smoke detector and press 'Test'.

[mikey4444]

VHG....yelling that exact phrase that I and you have used down the phone is a bit like peeing yourself while wearing dark pants....you get a lovely warm feeling but nobody else notices.

These calls and fraudulent activity needs to be cut off at the roots, and that means removing the telephone calls in the first place.....this is OFCOM's job, which it is showing no great skill in doing.

The firm that was fined that huge amount of money should have been put out of business a long time before it made millions of calls. I can't find a reference to it on the Web but it was based in Britain somewhere, not abroad and it should have been a very quick and simple job to close the company down.

OFCOM is a complete self-serving ass !

[furrypusscat]

I have used a whistle when I am sure they are scammers. Always have it handy!!

[Old_Geezer]

Nice how the number turns into a Skype link here, so we can call them back :-)

[Hopkirk]

I doubt if the number displayed is genuine, OG.

They can now fool the caller display system so you don't realise they are calling from abroad.

[ummmm]

I read somewhere that when a lady gets a call from scammers she hands the phone to her toddler. I thought that was quite funny.

[Hopkirk]

Brilliant!

[weecalf]

I start telling them about all the problems and bad things that happened and about to happen in my life .Break down an odd time and tell them not to hang up as they are my only connection with the real word .Thank them for being so kind to a non deserving person like me .If than don't work .I just tell them go go away involving sex and travel

[SlackAlice]

I think your language was quite restrained and a credit to you.

I haven't had a 'Microsoft scam call' for ages. Perhaps the words got round that I am a 'urine' (replace with more common word) taker. Spun the caller around for ages then asked him 'How long has Microsoft owned Ubuntu?'. Stunned silence was the response, which was a shame because I was ready to give my credit card details (expired and closed account) to them.

[VHG]

>>>.this is OFCOM's job, which it is showing no great skill in doing.

Most of these scam "Microsoft" calls come from abroad so OFCOM have no control over them.

However many of the "nuisance" calls (for example from that company who were find the other day) DO come from the UK.

[VHG]

Whoops

>>company who were find the other day)

"Fined" not "find"

[catswhiskas]

we just got one too, my husband told him he had come through to the police station and he was being monitored, surprise, surprise ... he hung up.

[woofgang]

I never get scam calls.....what’s wrong with me?

[mikey4444]

VHG...this particular company were using a London geographical number, to hide their identity, so this is something that OFCOM can get involved with...its their job to protect us.