Strange phone call....

This is mentioned on these threads:-

AIBU To be annoyed
TECH STUFF Phone calls from India
TECH STUFF Strange phone call...

Just cross-referencing.
I'll bump the other threads to get them up the list.

Its a scam we have had more or less the same phone call as you . Microsoft never phone anyone about computers and viruses. The only time you would have a call from microsoft would be through their customer services and then only if you had contacted them in the first place

This is a VERY popular scam at the moment. Several threads on it on Gransnet. There must be a grapevine of "latest ways to diddle the public" because it seems to be individuals, not an organisation.

They phone you out of the blue, tell you they are from Microsoft Windows Technical Team, or some such fictitious entity , and that they have reason to believe you have a virus. Then they take you through a lengthy procedure to get rid of it, which involves you doing things in parts of the system you ought to leave well alone. Then they charge you, taking your credit card details.

After that they say you can take out a maintenance contract so that it will never happen again, taking more from your credit card.

Finally they leave you feeling so happy to be safe from those pesky non-existent viruses - until you discover that they are now able to dip into your credit card at will.

MICROSOFT WINDOWS ORGANISATION CANNOT TELL WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE A VIRUS AND EVEN IF THEY COULD THEY WOULD NOT OFFER TO FIX IT FOR YOU

Ariadne; I just googled it and yes, this in an ongoing problem with elderly [confused moi?] people being particularly susceptible to falling for it. Supposedly it takes over an hour to 'install' whatever it is and they then charge you a couple of hundred quid. First thing in the morning, not having had my cup of tea, I would have keeled over after 20 minutes.....

Thanks Zephrine. I should have said [my mum's favourite saying] 'I may be cabbage looking but I'm not green'. That would have really confused him.

There's a thread on these calls somewhere; they are a big scam!

This is a scam Crimson, my friend had a call like this a couple of weeks ago, she let them run on threw in some interesting "ohs" and "ahhs" and then told him "well that's very strange because I don't have a computer" He put the phone down.