Just had a call to say there are viruses in my tablet.

They keep trying, don't they Frank ? Just keep ignoring them - or tell them that they are con men and you have recorded their call and sent it to someone who can trace it (assuming that their number is withheld, as con men usually don't let you have their genuine one).

Has this sort of thing always dogged your steps Frank or only since you've started posting on GN?

Aka

I have had many calls about my laptop supposedly having viruses and I took a call at an elderly ladies house. I was helping her move some things around at the time and I answered her phone as she was not in a convenient position to do so.
The caller said her laptop was infected with viruses which was strange as she did not have a laptop.
This is the first call which I have had saying my tablet was infected with viruses.

Frank

i usually field these calls when I'm staying (cat-sitting) in DS's house. When the caller tells me there's a problem with their PC, my stock response is, 'That's strange. They have an Apple.' Not true, but it shuts them up.

"not in a convenient position to [answer]".

Frank, I adore your turn of phrase there

The calls I've had like this have all been when there is no device switched on. The last one told me it was ' imperative you turn on your computer now'

I told him 'it's imperative you get off my phone now'

Frank It's a scam. Tell 'em to bugger off...
Love your reaction, ninathenana
Back to the tennis...

I like it too nina - I always come up with the perfect retort at least half an hour after the phone call

Just say as I do that I do not possess a computer and that gets rid of them.

A couple of years ago a very naive friend of mine followed their instructions to the letter. I think that she spent the best part of an hour on her computer. She told me that she did not pay them anything but I do not believe her as I doubt if she would have wanted to tell me seeing my reaction. All that she can do is send and receive emails as she has no idea how it works and is actually quite scared of it!

If I'm not rushed I like to play with these caller, the old 'my hearing aid's playing up' or 'this is a terrible line' is a good one. Try asking their name and then going to get a pencil to write it down. I sometimes put them on speaker phone so I can get on with my housework while I waffle on in the background muttering indistinctly while asking them to speak up. Not had any calls recently though

Aka, I had not thought of that. I just want to get rid of them without letting on that I am 65+.

Normal cold calls are just wasting your time but these are just trying to con you and should be treated with no more respect than someone trying to rob you.

It was quite good fun to 'take them seriously' and ask which computer had the problem. Is it the Acer, the HP or the Dell? Its the Acer madam, or really, we've never had one of those!

I've had these calls too but for a 'computer' ... I cut them off quickly. I wonder how many people are taken in by them?

Good plan, aka, speaker phone and all that. I like it! . A suggestion from a young person I know is to take the phone into the bathroom and flush the loo.

There must be enough takers for it to be worth their while.

O'h I have just had an e mail to say access to my account at Lloyds has been suspended.
Unless some mystery benefactor has deposited money on my behalf at that bank I am finding it strange as I have never had an account with that bank.

Frank

Busy lot, these scammers. If they put as much effort into a real job they would be very successful.

Yes, Frank, I mysteriously have acquired a Lloyds Bank account!

Not just LLoyds. Every major bank has a shadow scammer sending out blanket emails to customers and non-customers alike warning them of problems, and the minor ones probably get their share too. The genuine websites of all these banks have links where you can forward your email to them so that you can help identify and stop the scammers.

My DS sometimes passes the phone to his 3 year old daughter who loves talking on the phone and she will chatter for ages given the chance

yoga love it.

What a brilliant idea, GD aged three can witter for Britain and the beauty is she does not sound like a three year old

They might get some abuse down the phone though