February 20, 2013

Yay for scammers

Me:Hello?

Guy on phone with heavy Indian accent: Hello, this is Windows Operating System technical support. There is a problem with your computer.

Me: Oh, really.

Guy: [beat] Hello?

Me: Get lost. *click*

Let me note a few items of relevance to your friendly neighbourhood phishing scammer:

  1. There is no such thing as "Windows Operating System technical support." The company is Microsoft.
  2. Microsoft has no mechanism for detecting "problems" with every Windows-running PC in the world.
  3. Microsoft does not make unsolicited technical support calls.
  4. Even if they did, they don't have this number.
  5. The computer is a Macintosh.

If you get a phone call something like the above, don't do what they tell you. This scam has been doing the rounds for a couple of years. From what I've googled so far, they will attempt to give you instructions that would grant them remote access to your computer.

Sorry, Apu. Not this time.

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